Today, it is possible for civilians to travel to the edge of the space and back for a cost of USD 250,000, thanks to Virgin Galactic. While these companies have capitalized well on the opportunity, they have also aided the government in reducing costs while launching satellites and other cargo into space. The launchers provided by SpaceX and Blue Origin come at much lower prices than those by other space agencies
Fremont, CA: The human race has always been intrigued by in-depth space exploration projects. The technology used has developed rapidly over the last couple of decades, with reusable launchers and capsules becoming the highlight. The 1950s and '60s saw complete domination of the Soviet Union and the United States over the space domain. Since then, the number has increased rapidly, with multiple countries even making soft landings on the moon. Since most of the space agencies across the globe were government-run organizations, research and exploration was the primary objective. This shifted to profit-making with the entry of private players in the industry.
Companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic have transformed what the space industry represented at the beginning of this century. Today, it is possible for civilians to travel to the edge of the space and back for a cost of USD 250,000, thanks to Virgin Galactic. While these companies have capitalized well on the opportunity, they have also aided the government in reducing costs while launching satellites and other cargo into space. The launchers provided by SpaceX and Blue Origin come at much lower prices than those by other space agencies.
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However, with the list of opportunities in space increasing every day, there is also a rise in the risks associated with space. One such risk is space becoming a battlefield. All eyes will be on the NATO summit in December, where the body will decide if space is a warfighting domain or not. The future may behold satellites with heavy artillery such as machine guns and lasers.
Recently, Russia launched a satellite which is specifically designed to get close to other satellites and dock with them, while performing maintaining works for the satellite. If such technologies are available to commercial companies, the military organizations are sure to have tech that is far more advanced. With such technology raises the question of security. If satellites can get close to one another, they can easily be used for sabotage and other military purposes, even without being noticed. France recently announced its idea to launch bodyguard satellites that will be equipped with laser guns and machine guns. In 2018, the U.S. government also made clear its intentions to launch a space force decision under the military, considering the increasing potential for threats from space.
Here are three ways in which a battle in space could take place.
Electronic Warfare
Every satellite runs on electricity and is also dependent on it to carry out its functions. Firing an intense beam of microwave radiation at another satellite could be used as a defensive mechanism by satellites. This method is already tested and proved as police often use this technique to bring over speeding vehicles to a halt. A satellite without any electricity is no good as it cannot perform its functions. Using such techniques would leave behind zero debris, and the attacker could even go undetected.
Radio jamming techniques can be dated back to World War II, where a radio noise would interfere with an established radio frequency, disrupting communication between people. This technique is also applicable to satellites. Although satellites are well tried and tested for self-generated radio noise before launch, a hostile satellite which deliberately directs broadband radio transmissions could disrupt communications and radar.
Kinetic Kills
Placing a projectile object in the path of a satellite is one way of taking a satellite out of action. Moving satellites generate more momentum and have more kinetic energy. If a slower moving satellite would fall in the path of another satellite, then the resultant collision would be devastating. Earlier, this method was used to take out satellites that had completed their lifespan and had been decommissioned. Country's like the U.S., Russia, China, and India have demonstrated this technique.
This technique for removal of a satellite from its orbit generally involves the launch of a missile from the ground, targeted at a specific satellite. While this can also be used to target adversary satellites, it would make it reasonably visible as to who launched the missile. Another way to use this technique would be to launch a missile aiming to create maximum orbital debris. This floating debris, if in the path of the targeted satellite, could do the job by inflicting damage to the target.
One drawback of kinetic weapons like machine guns is the recoil that they generate. Machine guns generate high amounts of recoil and can be problematic for the orbital positioning of the satellite. The firing angle for these weapons needs to be calculated to perfection. Any miscalculation can lead to a change in the trajectory of the fired round, which could cause unwanted damage and orbital debris. Attempts have already been made to apply kinetic weapons in space, like in the case of the Soviet Space Station, Salyut 3, rapid-fire cannons were equipped on board in the mid-1970s.
Lasers are another choice of weapon that can be used in space warfare. These weapons have much smaller recoils, and the lack of atmosphere in space acts as an added benefit. Lasers can be used as defensive weapons, which can be targeted to take out an enemy satellite's solar panels. A satellite without any means of communication and power is just dead metal floating in space. These weapons will most likely be used towards targeting communication or observation satellites. A country without communication and observation satellites is vulnerable to many more threats. Although sci-fi movies have got us believing that lasers involve colored light, shorter wavelengths can generate more power and can cause more damage. These are less likely to be visible to the human eye until the orbital debris ignites while reentering the earth's atmosphere.
Nuclear Weapons
Under the Outer Space Treaty and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the use or test of nuclear weapons in space has been banned. However, not all nations adhere to this treaty. Both North Korea and the U.S. have breached the agreement in the past. Under the mission Starfish Prime, a series of nuclear tests were conducted in space in the 1960s. These resulted in the formation of artificial radiation belts in space, even detectable decades after the event.
The radiation belts also disabled half a dozen satellites in the lower earth orbit. The radiation belts made large areas in space unsafe for astronauts. Considering the amount of damage a few tests have caused, one can only imagine the state of affairs if space would become a nuclear battleground. Currently, under the Outer Space Treaty, space is a shared domain among nations that is to be used only for peaceful purposes. However, the speed at which developments are taking place, it is highly likely that space will soon turn into a battlefield.
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