A US official claimed that the Kremlin could unleash mayhem on the world and possibly detonate a nuke in space that could impact phones, internet and even air travel
Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to put nukes in space to spread chaos across the globe, a US space chief has warned.
The head of US Space Command, General Stephen Whiting, warned that America was “very concerned” about the Kremlin’s apparent plans to become a threat in space.
He revealed that Russia was considering launching a “nuclear anti-satellite weapon” into orbit that could have a catastrophic impact on the Earth.
The use of a nuclear weapon at low orbit could destroy thousands of satellites, which could plunge air travel, GPS services and communications into chaos. Putin’s terrifying plot could amount to a “space Pearl Harbor”.
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A nuclear bomb going off between 300 and 1,200 miles above earth could ruin as much as 80% of the satellites in space. While an act like this would be a major setback for the military it could also plunge normal life into mayhem.
The space chief, speaking to The Times, said: “Russia remains a sophisticated space power and they continue to invest in counter-space weapons.
“They are thinking about placing in orbit a nuclear anti-satellite weapon that would hold at risk everyone’s satellites in low Earth orbit, and that would be an outcome that we just couldn’t tolerate.”
For example, many internet and mobile connections are reliant on the technology in space. The US space chief said most of Russia’s work in space has been focused on military targets, for example jamming western satellites to try and impact help for Ukraine in Putin’s illegal and deadly invasion. An example of this is GPS jamming.
Whiting warned that Russia was carrying out it’s military objectives above earth recklessly and revealed it could put planes at risk. He said: “The problem with GPS jamming is it’s being done in a way that’s affecting civil aviation in eastern Europe and across southern Europe.
“When we put at risk civilian airliners full of citizens just trying to go on business or holiday, that’s incredibly problematic. We do not want to see this normalisation.”
Starlink, a satellite-based internet service owned by Elon Musk, has proved to be crucial for Ukraine in its fight against evil Putin. Kyiv’s forces have relied on the fast internet speeds from Musk’s low-orbiting satellites for battle communications.
Despite revealing the chilling threat Russia could pose to the world, Whiting said China was the US’s biggest problem in space, adding it had “moved breathtakingly fast” to develop it’s own horror arsenal of weapons. He claimed these included anti-satellite rockets, GPS jammers and directed energy weapons.
The US space chief also warned the UK that it need to up it’s spending on this new battleground to keep up with the growing threats Russia and China poses.
