Earth’s orbit is no longer just a space for satellites; it’s becoming the new battleground for global powers. Rising tensions between Russia, the US, and China have made space the center of military competition. This conflict isn’t limited to satellites in orbit; it extends to the Moon and beyond.

Space can become a battleground for global powers

More than 12,000 satellites orbit the Earth. These satellites, which impact our daily lives from television broadcasts to GPS systems, meteorology to global communications, are also vital to military operations.

Many critical tasks, from military coordination to defense systems, depend on these satellites. That’s why countries like the US, China, and Russia are developing new strategies to protect their satellites and neutralize enemy satellites. The war in Ukraine demonstrated how crucial satellite technologies can be in a conflict.

Russian hackers hijacked a satellite broadcasting to Ukraine and broadcast propaganda, demonstrating how vulnerable space technologies can be to cyberattacks. Cybersecurity experts warn that the hijacking of GPS satellites could have far more serious consequences.

The most concrete example of this is the nuclear “space weapon” rumored to be being developed by Russia. American national security experts state that this weapon, once activated, could disable most satellites in low Earth orbit.

While the weapon would initially cause physical damage, the real destruction would be the electromagnetic pulse generated by the nuclear explosion. It is believed that this explosion could fry the electronic circuits of satellites in orbit. US Representative Mike Turner states that such an attack would render low Earth orbit unserviceable for satellites for nearly a year.

Despite being prohibited by international agreements, the development and use of such weapons has become increasingly likely. Turner states that the use of this weapon would “spell the end of the space age” and must absolutely be prohibited.