By Chris Forrester
The threat of a nuclear explosion in space which affected satellites in orbit is – perhaps – too horrible to contemplate. But Dr Paul Struhsaker (CEO at Arrasar Partners) has to think the unthinkable. His roles include being CTO of Carnegie Technologies, and other responsibilities included SVP Software Engineering at Comcast NBC Universal, VP of Engineering at Cable Vision Systems, VP Silicon Platform at Motorola PCS, CTO of Dell’s Client Solutions Group, and CTO Broadband at Texas Instruments. He addressed delegates at the Silicon Valley Space Week on October 24.
“We are talking about a big bang, and back in February the Washington Post reported that the US House Intelligence Committee’s chair Mike Turner had made a statement about the threat to US satellites from a possible Russian nuclear-powered space asset.”
Dr Struhsaker stressed this was not a new issue, and indeed was covered by the 1967 Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and similar agreements made subsequently. However, back in 1962 the Thor test missile carried out by the US hurt the power grids over the whole Hawaiian Islands, and three satellites destroyed. In other words, these threats have been understood.
“But our friends in Russia have also been active with similar activity, not least a Russian ‘test’ in October 1962, which was extremely damaging. “The long-term exposure to these EMG tests and radiation consequences can take years to decay. One could argue that any similar explosion would kill friend and foe alike. Indeed, ground control operators are also likely to be vulnerable to nuclear attack (nuclear or non-nuclear) while the effects of a nuclear strike would be totally indiscriminate, harming all satellites of all nations in the affected areas.”
Dr Struhsaker suggested that while the most damaging consequence would be to craft in LEO orbits, Geostationary were not immune although the magnitude of the explosion would need to be in the 10 Megaton range and which would be a huge explosion. “All of us would suffer, whether US, or Russian or Chinese. The consequences would also affect the region perhaps for years afterwards.”
There are other near-similar threats, not least ‘Brilliant Pebbles, a constellation of non-nuclear EMP bomb. Then there’s FOB, Fractional Orbital Bomb, and there’s high-power lasers in orbit and arguably this would also contravene the various test treaties.