Andrew Hanna and Kathleen Curlee
Far out in geosynchronous orbit, a Russian satellite moves through deep space. Cosmos 2553, nicknamed “Sput-nuke,” is designed to carry a nuclear payload that could render most satellites unusable. Meanwhile, China is pouring billions of dollars into developing advanced space capabilities, including anti-satellite weapons.
These weapons, known as ASATs, could change modern life on Earth as we know it—threatening GPS, weather forecasting, geospatial intelligence, and more. Also at stake is the burgeoning $1.8 trillion space economy that relies on open and free access to space.
The principles of a free, open, and peaceful space are enshrined in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which all major space powers have ratified, including the U.S., Russia, and China. The U.S. had sought to build on that landmark treaty when it launched the Artemis Accords in 2020, which 54 countries have so far signed on to. But the refusal of Russia and China to get on board—alongside the Kremlin’s veto last year of the first ever U.N. Security Council resolution on outer space, which condemned the placing of weapons of mass destruction in orbit—are a sure as sign as any that a new approach is needed.
No comments:
Post a Comment