Share Source: Politico
A nuclear detonation in space could disable up to a third of satellites in low Earth orbit. This is stated by the commander of the Bundeswehr’s Space Command, Major General Michael Traut.
Key takeaways:
- The deployment of a nuclear explosive device in Earth’s orbit by Russia could lead to the failure of a third of low-orbit satellites.
- Germany is responding to the threat in space by developing space security systems, including jammers, lasers, and inspection satellites.
Russia plans to deploy nuclear weapons in space
Traut assessed the probability of Russia possessing nuclear weapons in space as an extreme escalation scenario.
At the very highest level of escalation, there is suspicion that Russia may be developing technology for deploying a nuclear explosive device in orbit.
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When asked if he considered such a scenario realistic, the commander replied: “I cannot rule it out.”
According to Traut, a nuclear explosion in space would not appear like a conventional strike on Earth, but its consequences could be devastating for modern societies and militaries, which rely on satellites for communication, navigation, banking, transportation, weather forecasting, and military targeting.
If something similar to Starfish Prime were to occur today, up to a third of all satellites in low Earth orbit could cease to function within the following weeks and months,” the general said, referring to the 1962 high-altitude US nuclear test.
This, he added, would exacerbate the problem of space debris and increase the risk of cascading collisions – the so-called Kessler syndrome.
It is entirely possible that certain orbital altitudes might become unusable for decades.
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The Bundeswehr commander noted that threats in space have “significantly evolved” in recent years, ranging from GPS jamming and lasers to physical attacks on satellites.
Electromagnetic interference and laser attacks are already a daily reality at a lower level of escalation.
“The most striking example is the GPS jamming in the Baltic region,” Traut stated, adding that this affects civilian aviation and maritime traffic.
Germany’s response, according to Traut, cannot be restrained.
The Bundeswehr plans to acquire:
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non-kinetic systems, including jammers and lasers;
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inspection satellites;
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in the long term, space planes for protecting German satellites, inspecting adversary systems, and potential actions against them.
Berlin also plans to establish a sovereign military satellite communication constellation as part of the SATCOMBw 4 program – it is intended to meet the Bundeswehr’s growing demand for secure connectivity.
Traut emphasized that the program would not compete with the European Union’s IRIS² secure communication system.
“We do not see IRIS² as competition, but as a complement.”