Important Takeaways:
- Russia launched counter-space weapon capable of attacking U.S. satellites in orbit, Pentagon says
- Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder told reporters that Russia launched the weapon on May 16. He said the weapon is similar to other counter-space payloads that Russia launched in 2019 and 2022. But the most recent launch comes amid fears in Washington that the Kremlin might consider putting a nuclear weapon in space, and against the backdrop of the broader reality that space is shaping up to be a key battleground in 21st-century conflicts.
- “Russia deployed this new counter-space weapon into the same orbit as a U.S. government satellite,” he continued. “And so, assessments further indicate characteristics resembling previously deployed counter-space payloads from 2019 and 2022.”
- “Certainly, we would say that we have a responsibility to be ready to protect and defend the domain, the space domain, and ensure continuous and uninterrupted support to the Joint and Combined Force,” Gen. Ryder said. “And we’ll continue to balance the need to protect our interests in space with our desire to preserve a stable and sustainable space environment.”
- Speaking before the vote, Mr. Wood called the resolution “disingenuous.”
- “Colleagues, we are here today because Russia seeks to distract global attention from its development of a new satellite carrying a nuclear device,” he said.
- Last month, Russia vetoed a U.S.-backed resolution designed to prevent an arms race in outer space. The failure of both countries’ resolutions underscores how difficult it will be to find international agreement on the issue of weapons in space.
- Russia has been making advances on the space-based weapons fronts for years. In 2021, Russia conducted a “hit-to-kill” test that destroyed one of its own satellites, smashing it into what the Pentagon described as “more than 1,500 pieces of trackable orbital debris”
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