Illustration supplied.
Debris around earth. A wall of satellite debris would put outer space out of reach. It would be the ultimate demolition derby.
Space exploration has come to mean habitats on Mars, discovering five thousand distant suns with exoplanets whirling about them and all kinds of cool experiments taking place on the International Space Station. But there is a dark side lurking behind the headlines.
Many companies are now involved in designing space devices capable of destroying spacecraft, satellites and colonies on Earth as well as on the Moon, Mars or wherever humans may venture. Actually that should come as no surprise.
Just ten years ago China launched a rocket that destroyed one of its own satellites. Was it just to show that it could be done? Or perhaps it was a warning to other countries. One thing for certain, it caused a great deal of international finger wagging due to the potentially hazardous satellite shrapnel it left floating in space. The smallest chip of which could penetrate a spacesuit or even the hull of another satellite.
According to The Scientific American Russia, the U.S. and China are already testing controversial new capabilities for use in outer space despite their present denials.
With so much space surrounding us, why would anyone want to start a war over it? Consider this: our planet is ringed with about 1,300 satellites from 60 different countries. They supply public communications, military communications, GPS navigation, weather forecasting and surveillance. The country that controls that flock of big metal birds can potentially control every country on Earth.
Despite their largely peaceful purposes, each and every satellite is at risk, in part because not all members of the growing club of military space powers are willing to play by the same rules. They don’t have to, because the rules remain as yet unwritten.
For years Russia and China have pushed for the ratification of a legally binding United Nations treaty banning space weapons – a treaty that U.S. officials and outside experts have repeatedly rejected as a disingenuous nonstarter. To me that sounds like the United States is calling the Russians and Chinese liars, so bugger off.
At present there are no rules governing the weaponization of space, property rights on any of our solar systems other planets or moons as well as the rights to mine them or even the asteroids.
The greatest threat a satellite shoot-out would cause is the space junk it would create. A “war of the satellites” would leave Earth surrounded by a wall of space junk that would be impenetrable. Say goodbye to your dreams of doing anything in outer space. Your space travels end at the debris wall.
By John Crossen
Questions or comments? Contact johnstargazer@nexicom.net
