NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, in an interview with the German paper "Welt am Sonntag" warned that Moscow may be aiming to place atomic weapons in orbit around the Earth. specified a decision would not only be a serious threat to global security, but besides a violation of the Treaty on Space in force since 1967.
The Treaty on Space, signed by the United States, the russian Union and the United Kingdom, is inactive the basis of global law governing activity in space. This paper prohibits the placing of weapons of mass destruction, including atomic weapons, in orbit of Earth, the Moon and another celestial bodies. It besides bans military activities in space and establishes the rule that space exploration should only take place for peaceful purposes and for the benefit of all mankind. The treaty, although created in the Cold War era, is inactive in force and was signed by more than 110 states, including Russia, which as the successor of the USSR formally respects it.
Nevertheless, there are no shortage of signals that Russia may search to circumvent or openly violate the treaty. According to experts, the deployment of atomic weapons in space could be a way for Moscow to bridge the technological advantage of the West. NATO countries, and most of all the United States, have advanced satellite infrastructure that supports not only civilian services, specified as communications or GPS, but besides military and intelligence systems. The demolition or distortion of the operation of these satellites would have a immense impact on the functioning of modern states, and a possible atomic detonation in space could consequence in an avalanche effect – demolition of tens, and even hundreds of orbital devices and long-term contamination of this part of the space.
NATO has openly expressed concerns that Russia may effort to destabilise global governance by introducing a fresh kind of weapon into extraterrestrial space. The Secretary-General of the Alliance stressed that work is underway to strengthen the protection of satellite systems, both through the improvement of defensive technologies and real-time detection mechanisms. NATO associate States are analysing scenarios for responding to possible acts of aggression in space, which shows that the concept of war is now expanding beyond the limits of the atmosphere.
The thought of placing atomic weapons in space is not new. Already during the Cold War, both the US and the USSR considered different scenarios of utilizing space for military purposes. At the time, however, it was recognised that the escalation of the arms race in this area could lead to an uncontrolled disaster. Today, erstwhile fresh technologies let for more precise and hard to detect actions, the temptation to usage them increases. Russia, politically and economically isolated after an invasion of Ukraine, can treat space as a fresh field of confrontation in which it is able to surprise the West.
The deployment of atomic weapons in space by any state would mean crossing the red line in global safety policy. This would not only violate multilateral legal obligations but would besides destabilise the full strategy based on common deterrence. Paradoxically, specified an effort to increase its military power could lead to even greater tension and hazard of armed conflict – this time not only on Earth but besides in its orbit.
Practical considerations are besides important. A atomic detonation of respective 1000 kilometres could consequence in a “space tsunami” – the release of a immense amount of electromagnetic radiation that would disrupt the work of satellites, energy systems on Earth, and even affect IT infrastructure. In a time of increasing dependence on modern technologies, the effects of specified an attack would be hard to predict, but they would surely have a global character.
Today, the global community is facing a challenge not only to enforce the existing legal standards but besides to update them. The 1967 treaty, although fundamental, does not take into account today's realities, specified as anti-satellite weapons, orbital microdrones, or cyber attacks controlled from space. There is simply a request for a fresh agreement or at least a revision of the current 1 that takes into account technological advancement and an expanding interest in private companies and states exploring non-orbital space.
The West should aim not only to counter Russian military ambitions in space, but besides to make a common platform for an agreement with countries specified as China, India, Japan and Brazil, which besides make their space programs. Without global cooperation, the hazard of an arms race in space will become real, and its effects will be irreversible.
At the same time, it is worth noting that the peaceful usage of space brings large benefits to the world. From monitoring climate change, through the global Internet, to early informing of natural disasters, satellites and orbital technologies are needed today. The militarisation of this space would be a blow not only to security, but besides to the advancement of civilization. That's why it's so crucial to prevent space from becoming another theatre of confrontation with powers.
