As it presses its latest Ukraine offensive, Moscow puts a weapon in space

(Originally published May 22 in “What in the World“) Russia last week appears to have launched a satellite killer into orbit.

The Pentagon believes that on May 16 Russia launched a satellite designed to attack other satellites into the same low-Earth orbit as a U.S. government satellite.

The Pentagon has been warning that the U.S. needs to step up efforts to fend off growing attempts by China and Russia to design anti-satellite and space-based weapons, including Earth-based lasers, anti-satellite missiles, and maneuverable satellites. It has also been warning that Moscow plans to put a nuclear, anti-satellite weapon into orbit. China, for its part, has reportedly tripled its constellation of spy satellites since 2018, and aims to build a permanent research base on the moon.

The Pentagon now wants to design satellites weapons of its own that can defend U.S. military satellites and attack those of enemies. It believes Russia wants to use its space-based weapons to be able to knock out satellite-based communications, like Elon Musk-controlled SpaceX’s Starlink network, which has enabled Ukraine’s military to maintain communications despite Russia’s efforts to destroy its terrestrial infrastructure.

How the Pentagon plans to counter the space threat remains secret. But the U.S. Space Force is already conducting test flights of a space shuttle-like “orbital test vehicle,” the X-37B. It is also developing maneuverable military satellites and coordinating to defend space with U.S. allies Australia Britain, Canada, and France, which plans to launch a laser-equipped satellite by 2030.

Fortunately, U.S. defense contractors are no strangers to aeronautics, since they’re already the principal builders of satellites for not only the Pentagon, but also NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Russia meanwhile released video of its forces conducting drills on using tactical nuclear weapons. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the drills earlier this month in response to suggestions by Western officials that Ukraine should be freed of restrictions on using more sophisticated weapons to hit targets inside Russia. Kyiv complains that such restraints prevent it from repelling fresh Russian offensives like the one now proving unexpectedly successful in northeastern Kharkiv province.

Sweden, the newest member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, has ordered up more infantry fighting vehicles to give Ukraine. Its latest order for CV90s follows another from Denmark for 115 of the Swedish-built CV90s. Like Denmark and other European members of NATO, Sweden is trying to beef up military spending to meet NATO’s requirement that members spend at least 2% of their GDP on defense. Sweden now spends about 1.5% of GDP on defense.