Is Russia Developing an Anti-Satellite Weapon to Target Starlink? (apnews.com)
- Reference: 0180465899
- News link: https://science.slashdot.org/story/25/12/27/2023253/is-russia-developing-an-anti-satellite-weapon-to-target-starlink
- Source link: https://apnews.com/article/russia-starlink-musk-ukraine-space-china-canada-c69c1fda5ffc93828712ab723e606a2c
> Two NATO-nation intelligence services suspect Russia is developing a new anti-satellite weapon to target Elon Musk's Starlink constellation with destructive orbiting clouds of shrapnel, with the aim of reining in Western space superiority that has helped Ukraine on the battlefield. Intelligence findings seen by The Associated Press say the so-called "zone-effect" weapon would seek to flood Starlink orbits with hundreds of thousands of high-density pellets, potentially disabling multiple satellites at once but also risking catastrophic collateral damage to other orbiting systems.
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> Analysts who haven't seen the findings say they doubt such a weapon could work without causing uncontrollable chaos in space for companies and countries, including Russia and its ally China, that rely on thousands of orbiting satellites for communications, defense and other vital needs. Such repercussions, including risks to its own space systems, could steer Moscow away from deploying or using such a weapon, analysts said. "I don't buy it. Like, I really don't," said Victoria Samson, a space-security specialist at the Secure World Foundation who leads the Colorado-based nongovernmental organization's [2]annual study of anti-satellite systems. "I would be very surprised, frankly, if they were to do something like that." [Later they suggested the research might just be experimental.]
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> But the commander of the Canadian military's Space Division, Brig. Gen. Christopher Horner, said such Russian work cannot be ruled out in light of previous U.S. allegations that Russia also has been pursuing an indiscriminate [3]nuclear, space-based weapon . "I can't say I've been briefed on that type of system. But it's not implausible," he said... The French military's Space Command said in a statement to the AP that it could not comment on the findings but said, "We can inform you that Russia has, in recent years, been multiplying irresponsible, dangerous, and even hostile actions in space."
The article also points out that this month Russia "said it has fielded a new ground-based missile system, the S-500, which is capable of hitting low-orbit targets..."
[1] https://apnews.com/article/russia-starlink-musk-ukraine-space-china-canada-c69c1fda5ffc93828712ab723e606a2c
[2] https://www.swfound.org/publications-and-reports/2025-global-counterspace-capabilities-report
[3] https://apnews.com/article/congress-national-security-6a4497fc2d74ebbe2ab3483ba43e09b3
Re: (Score:2)
"Developing"... they not only developed, but already [1]detonated weapons that took out multiple satellites [wikipedia.org]:
> The Starfish Prime radiation belt persisted at high altitude for many months and damaged the United States satellites Traac, Transit 4B, Injun I and Telstar I, as well as the United Kingdom satellite Ariel. It also damaged the Soviet satellite Kosmos 5. All of these satellites failed completely within several months of the Starfish detonation.[8] There is also evidence that the Starfish Prime radiation belt may have damaged the satellites Explorer 14, Explorer 15 and Relay 1.[15] Telstar I lasted the longest of the satellites that were clearly damaged by the Starfish Prime radiation, with its complete failure occurring on February 21, 1963.[16]
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Fishbowl
Starlink? No. All satellites? Yes (Score:2)
How much did Musk pay to have Starlink added to this headline What kind of idiot thinks Starlink is the only or even the most important satellite system the west has?
Yes, Russia is almost certainly trying to develop an anti-satellite weapon.
No, they are not concerned primarily with Starlink. We got a lot more than just those satellites and most of them are far more important that Starlink. GPS, spy satellites, military only communication networks all exist.
Yes Russia is probably willing / focused on satel
Re: (Score:2)
Without Starlink Ukraine's combat communications collapse. And the US military is reportedly working with Musk to build their own constellation.
So yes, Russia is obviously going to be developing ways to destroy Starlink satellites (and I'm sure China is too). In a full war between Russia and NATO they would be high-priority targets and it would probably only require spraying a lot of ball-bearings into the appropriate orbits to take out most of them.
Re: (Score:2)
Don't the intercontinental ballistic missiles fly in the same zone? Would they also cripple their ability at a massive nuclear strike?
Not sure how much I'd worry about the S-500 (Score:2)
Russia seems to have a hard enough time hitting the ground-based targets they're ostensibly aiming for...
goldeneye (Score:2)
goldeneye