Editing Space warfare

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{{Redirect|Space combat|the video game|Space Combat|the video game genre|Space combat simulator|other related uses|Spacewar (disambiguation){{!}}Spacewar}}
{{about|the real-life topic|portrayal in fiction|Space warfare in science fiction}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2011}}{{short description|Combat that takes place in outer space}}
[[File:DASATsCoOrbitalSpaceLaser.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|A [[United States Air Force]] illustration of a hypothetical [[Soviet Armed Forces]] [[space weapon]]]]
{{War}}
'''Space warfare''' is combat in which one or more belligerents are in [[outer space]]. The scope of space warfare includes ''ground-to-space warfare'', such as attacking [[satellite]]s from the [[Earth]]; ''space-to-space warfare'', such as satellites attacking satellites; and ''space-to-ground warfare'', such as satellites attacking Earth-based targets. [[Space warfare in fiction]] is thus sub-genre and theme of [[science fiction]], where it is portrayed with a range of realism and plausibility. In the real world, international treaties are in place that attempt to regulate conflicts in space and limit the installation of space [[weapon system]]s, especially [[nuclear weapons]].

On October 31, 2023, during a [[Israel-Hamas War#Yemen and the Red Sea|Yemeni missile strike on Israel]], [[Israel]]'s [[Arrow 2]] system intercepted a [[ballistic missile]] [[Houthi involvement in the Israel–Hamas war|launched]] from [[Yemen]] by [[Houthi]] rebels; this successful interception occurred outside of Earth's [[atmosphere]] thus making it the first recorded practical instance of space warfare during an active conflict.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-771910|title=Israel downing Houthi missile is first instance of space warfare|date=November 6, 2023|website=The Jerusalem Post|access-date=February 24, 2024|archive-date=January 21, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240121193604/https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-771910|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Barber |first1=Harriet |title=How Israel shot down a ballistic missile in space for the first time |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/11/04/how-israel-shot-down-ballistic-missile-in-space-houthis/ |access-date=November 6, 2023 |work=The Telegraph |date=November 4, 2023 |archive-date=November 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231123171808/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/11/04/how-israel-shot-down-ballistic-missile-in-space-houthis/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On April 14, 2024, [[Iran]] launched more than [[April 2024 Iranian strikes against Israel|120 ballistic missiles at Israel]], making it the first large-scale incident in which a space weapon was used.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/how-israel-foiled-irans-ballistic-missile-attack-that-focused-on-an-f-35-airbase/|title=How Israel foiled Iran's ballistic missiles as they headed to an F-35 airbase|work=The Times of Israel|date=14 April 2024}}</ref>

From 1985 to 2002, there was a [[United States Space Command]], which in 2002 merged with the [[United States Strategic Command]], leaving the [[United States Space Force]] (formerly [[Air Force Space Command]] until 2019) as the primary American military [[space force]]. The [[Russian Space Forces (VKS)|Russian Space Force]], established on August 10, 1992, which became an independent section of the [[Russian Armed Forces]] on June 1, 2001, was replaced by the [[Russian Aerospace Defence Forces]] starting December 1, 2011, but was reestablished as a component of the [[Russian Aerospace Forces]] on August 1, 2015. In 2019, India conducted a test of the [[Anti-satellite weapon|ASAT missile]]; this made out the fourth country with that capability. In April of the same year, the [[Indian Armed Forces]] established the [[Defence Space Agency]].

== History ==
=== 1950s ===
During the early Cold War, a survivable reconnaissance asset was considered highly valuable. In a time before satellites, this meant building an aircraft that could fly higher or faster, or both, compared to any interceptor that would try to bring it down. Notably, the United States would introduce the [[Lockheed U-2|U-2 spy plane]] in 1956. It was thought, at the time of its introduction, that the plane’s service ceiling of {{convert|80,000|feet|m|order=flip}} would render it immune to Soviet aircraft, missiles, and radar. That was the case until the [[1960 U-2 incident]], where a United States U-2 [[Reconnaissance aircraft|spy plane]] was shot down by the [[Soviet Air Defence Forces|Soviet Air Defense Forces’]] [[S-75 Dvina]] (SA-2 Guideline) [[surface-to-air missile]] while conducting photographic [[aerial reconnaissance]] deep inside [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] territory.

Three years before the incident, in 1957, a modified [[R-7 (rocket family)|R-7]] rocket carried the world's first artificial satellite, [[Sputnik 1]], into an orbit hundreds of kilometers above sea level, notably beyond the reach of any existing weapons system. While Sputnik 1 held no military value, only transmitting radio signals back to Earth for three weeks, its launch sparked the beginning of the [[Space Race]]. This spurred the United States to hasten and re-emphasize its space programs, culminating in the [[Explorer program]], which launched the first American satellite into orbit in 1958. In tandem with the effort to achieve superior [[spaceflight]] capability over the other, the United States and the Soviet Union began to develop space warfare capabilities.

=== 1960s ===
Early efforts to conduct space warfare were directed at space-to-space warfare, as ground-to-space systems were considered to be too slow and too isolated by Earth's [[atmosphere]] and [[gravity]] to be effective at the time. The history of active space warfare development goes back to the 1960s when the [[Soviet Union]] began the [[Almaz]] project, a project designed to give them the ability to do on-orbit inspections of satellites and destroy them if needed.  Similar planning in the United States took the form of the [[Blue Gemini]] project, which consisted of modified Gemini capsules that would be able to deploy weapons and perform surveillance.

One early test of electronic space warfare, the so-called [[Starfish Prime]] test, took place in 1962 when the United States exploded a ground-launched nuclear weapon in space to test the effects of an [[electromagnetic pulse]]. The result was a deactivation of many then-orbiting satellites, both American and Soviet. The deleterious and unfocused effects of the EMP test led to the banning of nuclear weapons in space in the [[Outer Space Treaty]] of 1967. (See [[high-altitude nuclear explosion]].)

In the early 1960s, the [[U.S. military]] produced a film called ''Space and National Security'' which depicted space warfare.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/astrospies/|title=Astrospies|website=www.pbs.org|access-date=February 24, 2024|archive-date=January 12, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112234614/https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/astrospies/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 1970s–1990s ===
[[File:ASAT missile launch.jpg|thumb|right|A [[USAF]] [[F-15 Eagle]] launching an [[ASM-135 ASAT]] (anti-satellite) missile in 1985]]
Through the 1970s, the Soviet Union continued their project and test-fired a cannon to test space station defense. This was considered too dangerous to do with a crew on board, however, so the test was conducted after the crew had returned to Earth.

A 1976 Soviet report suggested that the design of the [[Space Shuttle]] had been guided by a requirement to deliver a payload- such as a bomb- over Russia and return to land after a single orbit. This may have been a confusion based on requirements 3A and 3B for the shuttle's design, which required the craft to be able to deploy or retrieve an object from a [[polar orbit]] in a single pass.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thespacereview.com/article/3855/1 |title=The Space Review: Nuking Moscow with a Space Shuttle |access-date=February 24, 2024 |archive-date=January 14, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240114145804/https://www.thespacereview.com/article/3855/1 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Both the Soviets and the United States developed [[anti-satellite weapon]]ry designed to shoot down satellites. While early efforts paralleled other space-to-space warfare concepts, the United States was able in the 1980s to develop ground-to-space [[laser]] anti-satellite weapons. None of these systems are known to be active today; however, a less powerful civilian version of the ground-to-space laser system is commonly used in the astronomical technique of [[adaptive optics]].

In 1984, the [[Strategic Defence Initiative]] (SDI) was proposed. It was nicknamed ''Star Wars'' after the popular science fiction franchise [[Star Wars]].

In 1985, the United States demonstrated its conventional ASAT capabilities by launching an ASM-135 [[ASM-135 ASAT#Test launches|ASAT]] from an [[F-15 Eagle|F-15]] to shoot down the [[Solwind|Solwind P78-1]], an American research satellite, from its {{convert|345|mi|km|adj=on|order=flip}} orbit.

=== Since 2000 ===
[[File:Launch of DRDO's Ballistic Missile Defence interceptor missile for an ASAT test on 27 March 2019.jpg|thumb|Launch of an interceptor derived from [[Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Programme]] for ASAT test on March 27, 2019]]

The People's Republic of China successfully tested (see [[2007 Chinese anti-satellite missile test]]) a ballistic missile-launched anti-satellite weapon on January 11, 2007. This resulted in harsh criticism from the United States of America, Britain, and Japan.

The U.S. developed an interceptor missile, the [[RIM-161 Standard Missile 3|SM-3]], testing it by hitting ballistic test targets while they were in space. On February 21, 2008, the U.S. used an SM-3 missile to destroy a spy satellite, [[USA-193]], while it was 247 kilometers (133 [[nautical mile]]s) above the Pacific Ocean.<ref>{{cite web|title=Satellite Shoot Down: How It Will Work|url=http://www.space.com/news/080219-satellite-shootdown.html|publisher=[[Space.com]]|date=February 19, 2008|access-date=February 21, 2008|archive-date=September 11, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100911171033/http://www.space.com/news/080219-satellite-shootdown.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Navy Hits Satellite With Heat-Seeking Missile|url=http://www.space.com/news/080220-satellite-hit.html|publisher=[[Space.com]]|date=February 21, 2008|access-date=February 21, 2008|archive-date=November 28, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101128205022/http://www.space.com/news/080220-satellite-hit.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=DoD-Navy-20080220>{{cite press release|title=DoD Succeeds In Intercepting Non-Functioning Satellite (Release No. 0139-08)|url=http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=11704|date=February 20, 2008|publisher=[[U.S. Department of Defense]]|access-date=February 20, 2008|archive-date=February 26, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080226105236/http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=11704|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|title=Navy Succeeds In Intercepting Non-Functioning Satellite (Release NNS080220-19)|url=http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=35114|publisher=[[U.S. Navy]]|date=February 20, 2008|access-date=February 20, 2008|archive-date=February 25, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080225234718/http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=35114|url-status=live}}</ref>

Japan fields the U.S.-made SM-3 missile, and there have been plans to base the land-based version in Romania and Vietnam.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}}

In March 2019, India shot down a satellite orbiting in a [[low Earth orbit]] using an [[ASAT missile]] during an operation code named [[Mission Shakti]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/the-hindu-explains-what-is-significant-about-mission-shakti/article26652980.ece|title=The Hindu Explains: What is significant about Mission Shakti?|last=Koshy|first=Jacob|date=March 27, 2019|work=The Hindu|access-date=December 5, 2019|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X|archive-date=January 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200129080435/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/the-hindu-explains-what-is-significant-about-mission-shakti/article26652980.ece|url-status=live}}</ref> thus making its way to the list of space warfare nations,<ref>{{cite web|title=India tests anti-satellite missile by destroying one of its satellites|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2197903-india-tests-anti-satellite-missile-by-destroying-one-of-its-satellites/|publisher=[[New Scientist]]|date=March 27, 2019|access-date=March 27, 2019|archive-date=March 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327135110/https://www.newscientist.com/article/2197903-india-tests-anti-satellite-missile-by-destroying-one-of-its-satellites/|url-status=live}}</ref> establishing the [[Defence Space Agency|Defense Space Agency]] the following month, followed by its first-ever simulated space warfare exercise on July 25 which would inform a joint military space doctrine.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/India_to_begin_first_ever_simulated_space_warfare_exercise_999.html |title=India to begin first-ever simulated space warfare exercise |access-date=February 24, 2024 |archive-date=October 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003074319/https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/India_to_begin_first_ever_simulated_space_warfare_exercise_999.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In July 2019 [[Emmanuel Macron]] "called for a space high command to protect" France's satellites. This was followed by a plan released by military officials. French Defense Minister, [[Florence Parly]], announced a space weapons program that would move the country's space surveillance strategy towards active protection of its assets in space, e.g., satellites. The projects outlined include: patrolling [[Small satellite#Nanosatellites|nano-satellites]] swarms, ground-based laser systems to blind spying satellites, and machine guns mounted on satellites.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Berger |first1=Eric |title=To protect its satellites, France outlines ambitious space-weapons program |url=https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/07/france-says-it-will-create-its-own-space-based-weapons-program/ |website=ars Technica |date=July 25, 2019 |access-date=August 11, 2019 |archive-date=August 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190811224543/https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/07/france-says-it-will-create-its-own-space-based-weapons-program/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Starlink]], [[SpaceX]]'s large low Earth orbit satellite constellation, [[Starlink in the Russo-Ukrainian War|was extensively used for warfare following Russia's invasion of Ukraine]] after the country's previous satcom provider Viasat [[Viasat hack|were cyberattacked]] in the first few days of the invasion.<ref name=":28">{{Cite web |last=Sheetz |first=Michael |date=February 28, 2022 |title=Viasat believes 'cyber event' is disrupting its satellite-internet service in Ukraine |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/28/ukraine-updates-viasat-says-cyber-event-disrupting-satellite-internet-service.html |access-date=September 9, 2023 |website=CNBC |language=en |archive-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230918163332/https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/28/ukraine-updates-viasat-says-cyber-event-disrupting-satellite-internet-service.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sheetz |first=Amanda Macias,Michael |date=June 1, 2023 |title=Pentagon awards SpaceX with Ukraine contract for Starlink satellite internet |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/01/pentagon-awards-spacex-with-ukraine-contract-for-starlink-satellite-internet.html |access-date=September 16, 2023 |website=CNBC |language=en |archive-date=September 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230915160713/https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/01/pentagon-awards-spacex-with-ukraine-contract-for-starlink-satellite-internet.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Starlink was used for defense and attacks on Russian positions, with Starlink terminals being namely strapped on [[Drone warfare|strike drones]] and [[Unmanned surface vehicle|sea drones]].<ref name=":11">{{Cite news |title=How Elon Musk's satellites have saved Ukraine and changed warfare |newspaper=The Economist |url=https://www.economist.com/briefing/2023/01/05/how-elon-musks-satellites-have-saved-ukraine-and-changed-warfare |access-date=June 6, 2023 |issn=0013-0613 |archive-date=September 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230923091659/https://www.economist.com/briefing/2023/01/05/how-elon-musks-satellites-have-saved-ukraine-and-changed-warfare |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":51">{{Cite news |last=Luxmoore |first=Matthew |date=February 10, 2023 |title=Soldiers in Ukraine Say Some Drones Affected After SpaceX Limits Starlink |language=en-US |work=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/soldiers-in-ukraine-say-some-drones-affected-after-spacex-limits-starlink-321a9dd7 |access-date=September 27, 2023 |issn=0099-9660 |archive-date=September 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927193539/https://www.wsj.com/articles/soldiers-in-ukraine-say-some-drones-affected-after-spacex-limits-starlink-321a9dd7 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":33">{{Cite web |last=Gault |first=Matthew |date=September 26, 2022 |title=Mysterious Sea Drone Surfaces in Crimea |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/xgy4q7/mysterious-sea-drone-surfaces-in-crimea |access-date=September 10, 2023 |website=Vice |language=en |archive-date=February 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240224155621/https://www.vice.com/en/article/xgy4q7/mysterious-sea-drone-surfaces-in-crimea |url-status=live }}</ref> SpaceX vowed and acted against the use of their Starlink service for active warfare,<ref name=":38">{{Cite web |last=Kay |first=Grace |title=SpaceX president was reportedly upset that Elon Musk kept financing Starlink in Ukraine before Pentagon deal: 'Elon succumbed to the bullshit on Twitter' |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-shotwell-mad-elon-musk-continued-financing-ukraine-starlink-report-2023-9 |access-date=September 10, 2023 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US |archive-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230918163331/https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-shotwell-mad-elon-musk-continued-financing-ukraine-starlink-report-2023-9 |url-status=live }}</ref> while Russia launched cyberattacks against Starlink and threatened of striking Starlink satellites directly in retaliation.<ref name=":11" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=October 27, 2022 |title=Russia warns West: We can target your commercial satellites |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/russia-says-wests-commercial-satellites-could-be-targets-2022-10-27/ |access-date=September 27, 2023 |archive-date=October 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221027070217/https://www.reuters.com/world/russia-says-wests-commercial-satellites-could-be-targets-2022-10-27/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

On October 31, 2023, as part of the [[Israel–Hamas War]], [[Israel]] [[Red Sea crisis|intercepted]] a [[Houthi movement|Houthi]] [[ballistic missile]] with its [[Arrow 2]] missile defense system. According to Israeli officials, the interception occurred above Earth's atmosphere above the [[Negev Desert]], making it the first instance of space combat in history.<ref>{{cite news |title=The deadly missile race in the Middle East |url=https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/11/07/the-deadly-missile-race-in-the-middle-east |access-date=November 8, 2023 |work=The Economist |date=November 7, 2023 |archive-date=November 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231108001801/https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/11/07/the-deadly-missile-race-in-the-middle-east |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Barber |first1=Harriet |title=How Israel shot down a ballistic missile in space for the first time |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/11/04/how-israel-shot-down-ballistic-missile-in-space-houthis/ |access-date=November 8, 2023 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |date=November 5, 2023 |archive-date=November 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231123171808/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/11/04/how-israel-shot-down-ballistic-missile-in-space-houthis/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Theoretical space weaponry ==

=== Ballistic warfare ===
[[File:Trident II missile image.jpg|thumb|right|A [[Trident missile]] launched from a [[Royal Navy]] {{Sclass|Vanguard|submarine|0}} [[ballistic missile submarine]] ]]
In the late 1970s and through the 1980s, the Soviet Union and the United States theorized, designed and in some cases tested a variety of weaponry designed for warfare in outer space. Space warfare was seen primarily as an extension of [[nuclear warfare]], and many theoretical systems were based around the destruction or defense of ground and sea-based [[guided missile|missiles]]. Space-based missiles were not attempted due to the [[Outer Space Treaty]], which banned the use, testing or storage of [[nuclear weapon]]s outside the Earth's atmosphere. When the U.S. gained "interest in utilizing space-based lasers for ballistic missile defense", two facts emerged. One being that the ballistic missiles are fragile and two, chemical lasers project missile killing energy (3,000 kilometers). This meant that lasers could be put into space to intercept a [[ballistic missile]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Militarization and Weaponization of Space|last=Mowthorpe|first=Matthews|publisher=Lexington Books|year=2004|isbn=0-7391-0713-5|location=Lanham, Maryland|pages=140–141}}</ref>

Systems proposed ranged from measures as simple as ground and space-based anti-missiles to [[railgun]]s, space based lasers, orbital mines and similar weaponry. Deployment of these systems was seriously considered in the mid-1980s under the banner of the [[Strategic Defense Initiative]] announced by [[Ronald Reagan]] in 1983, using the term "evil empire" to describe the Soviets (hence the popular nickname "Star Wars").<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Dead Hand|last=Hoffman|first=David|publisher=DoubleDay|year=2009|isbn=978-0-385-52437-7|location=New York, New York|pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780385524377/page/71 71]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780385524377/page/71}}</ref> If the [[Cold War]] had continued, many of these systems could potentially have seen deployment: the United States developed working railguns, and a laser that could destroy missiles at range, though the power requirements, range, and firing cycles of both were impractical. Weapons like the space-based laser was rejected, not just by the government, but by universities, moral thinkers, and religious people because it would have increased the waging of the arms race and questioned the United States' role in the Cold War.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Second Nuclear Age|last=Bracken|first=Paul|publisher=Times Books, Henry Holt and Company, LLC|year=2012|isbn=978-0-8050-9430-5|location=New York, New York|pages=37–38}}</ref>

=== Electronic warfare ===
With the end of the Cold War and continued development of satellite and electronics technology, attention was focused on space as a supporting theatre for conventional warfare. Currently, military operations in space primarily concern either the vast tactical advantages of satellite-based [[Spy satellite|surveillance]], [[Communications satellite|communications]], and [[Global Positioning System|positioning systems]] or mechanisms used to deprive an opponent of said tactical advantages.

Accordingly, most space-borne proposals which would traditionally be considered "weapons" (a communications or reconnaissance satellite may be useful in warfare but isn't generally classified as a weapon) are designed to jam, sabotage, and outright destroy enemy satellites, and conversely to protect friendly satellites against such attacks. To this end, the US (and presumably other countries) is researching groups of small, highly mobile satellites called "microsats" (about the size of a refrigerator) and "picosats" (approximately 1 cubic foot (≈27 litres) in volume) nimble enough to maneuver around and interact with other orbiting objects to repair, sabotage, hijack, or simply collide with them. {{Citation needed|date=August 2015}}[[File:SM-3 ignition for a satellite destruction mission.jpg|thumb|A SM-3 missile is launched from a U.S. ship to intercept a failing spy satellite.]]

=== Kinetic bombardment ===
Another theorized use involves the extension of conventional weaponry into orbit for deployment against ground targets. Though international treaties ban the deployment of nuclear missiles outside the atmosphere, other categories of weapons are largely unregulated. Traditional ground-based weapons are generally not useful in orbital environments, and few if any would survive [[re-entry]] even if they were, but as early as the 1950s, the United States has toyed with [[kinetic bombardment]], i.e. orbiting magazines of non-explosive projectiles to be dropped onto hardened targets from [[low Earth orbit]].[[File:President Ronald Reagan addresses the Nation from the oval office on National Security (SDI Speech).jpg|thumb|Ronald Reagan revealing the idea for the Strategic Defense Initiative on March 23, 1983]]Kinetic weapons have always been widespread in conventional warfare—bullets, arrows, swords, clubs, etc.—but the energy a projectile would gain while falling from orbit would make such a weapon rival all but the most powerful explosives.{{Citation needed|date=October 2008}} A direct hit would presumably destroy all but the most hardened targets without the need for nuclear weapons.

Such a system would involve a 'spotter' satellite, which would identify targets from orbit with high-power sensors, and a nearby 'magazine' satellite to de-orbit a long, needle-like [[tungsten]] dart onto it with a small rocket motor or just dropping a very big rock from orbit (such as an asteroid, cf. [[Ivan's hammer]]).{{Citation needed|date=October 2008}} This would be more useful against a larger but less hardened target (such as a city). Though a common device in science fiction, there is no publicly available evidence that any such systems have actually been deployed by any nation.

=== Directed-energy weapons ===
[[File:Gerichteter-laser-dod-zeichnung 1-960x640.jpg|thumb|A vision for the future of the US Space Command for 2020: a space-based high-energy laser destroys a terrestrial target]]
[[File:YAL-1A Airborne Laser unstowed crop.jpg|thumb|right|A [[USAF]] [[Boeing]] [[YAL-1]] airborne laser]]
Weapon systems that fall under this category include [[laser]]s, [[linear particle accelerator]]s or [[Particle-beam weapon|particle-beam based weaponry]], [[microwave]]s and [[Plasma weapon|plasma-based weaponry]]. [[Particle beam]]s involve the acceleration of charged or neutral particles in a stream towards a target at extremely high velocities, the impact of which creates a reaction causing immense damage. Most of these weapons are theoretical or impractical to implement currently, aside from lasers which have been used to blind satellites<ref name=":0">Challenges_Security_Space_2022.pdf (dia.mil)

https://www.dia.mil/Portals/110/Documents/News/Military_Power_Publications/Challenges_Security_Space_2022.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220081640/https://www.dia.mil/Portals/110/Documents/News/Military_Power_Publications/Challenges_Security_Space_2022.pdf |date=February 20, 2024 }}</ref> and are starting to be used in terrestrial warfare. That said, directed-energy weapons are more practical and more effective in a vacuum (i.e. space) than in the Earth's atmosphere, as in the atmosphere the particles of air interfere with and disperse the directed energy. Nazi Germany had a project for such a weapon, considered a [[wunderwaffe]], the [[sun gun]], which would have been an orbital [[concave mirror]] able to concentrate the sun's energy on a ground target.

In the context of space-based deployment, directed-energy weapons can be distinguished as either “high-powered” or “dazzler.” High-powered satellite-operated lasers are intended to deal irreversible damage to the sensitive parts, mainly optics, on satellites and have the advantage of being difficult to attribute to an actor. Though, it is difficult to confirm the success of an attack. Dazzlers are not intended to deal irreversible damage but rather disable a target satellite. It maintains the same advantages and disadvantages as the high-powered variant. Though such systems not yet functional, the US [[Defense Intelligence Agency]] notes that several actors, including the United States, PRC, Russia, and France, are actively pursuing these capabilities.<ref name=":0" />

== Practical considerations ==
{{Original research|section|date=April 2014}}
Space warfare is likely to be done at far larger distances and speeds than combat on Earth. The vast distances pose big challenges for targeting and tracking, as even light requires a few seconds to cover hundreds of thousands of kilometers. For example, if trying to fire on a target at the distance of the [[Moon]] from the Earth, one sees the position of the target slightly more than a second earlier. Thus even a laser would need ~1.28 seconds, meaning a laser-based weapon system would need to lead a target's apparent position by 1.28×2 = 2.56 seconds. A projectile from a railgun recently tested by the US Navy would take over 18 hours to cross that distance, if it travels in a straight line at a constant velocity of 5.8&nbsp;km/s along its entire trajectory.

Three factors make engaging targets in space very difficult. First, the vast distances mean that an error of even a fraction of a degree in the [[firing solution]] can mean a miss by thousands of kilometers. Second, spaceflight involves tremendous speeds by terrestrial standards—a [[geostationary orbit|geostationary satellite]] moves at  3.07&nbsp;km/s, and objects in [[low Earth orbit]] move at ~8&nbsp;km/s. Third, though distances are huge, targets remain relatively small. The [[International Space Station]], currently the largest artificial object in Earth orbit, measures slightly over 100m at its largest span. Other satellites can be vastly smaller, e.g., [[Quickbird]] measures only 3.04m. [[External ballistics]] for stationary terrestrial targets is enormously complicated—some of the earliest [[Mark I Fire Control Computer|analog computers]] were used to calculate firing solutions for naval artillery, as the problems were already beyond manual solutions in any reasonable time—and targeting objects in space is far harder. And, though not a problem for orbital kinetic weapons, any directed energy weapon would need huge amounts of electricity. So far the most practical batteries are [[Lithium battery|lithium]], and the most practical means of generating electricity in space is [[photovoltaic module]]s, which are currently only up to 30% efficient,<ref name=spectrolab14>{{cite web|title=photovoltaics|url=http://www.spectrolab.com/space.htm|work=Spectrolab|publisher=Spectrolab, Inc.|access-date=April 4, 2014|date=2009|archive-date=May 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527145349/http://www.spectrolab.com/space.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> and fuel cells, which have limited fuel. Current technology might not be practical for powering effective lasers, particle beams, and railguns in space. In the context of the [[Strategic Defense Initiative]], the [[Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory]] in the United States worked on a project for expandable space-based x-ray lasers powered by a nuclear explosion, [[Project Excalibur]], a project canceled in 1992 for lack of results.<ref name=dies>{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Gordon |title='Star Wars' X-Ray Laser Weapon Dies as Its Final Test Is Canceled |newspaper=The New York Times |date=July 20, 1992 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/07/21/us/star-wars-x-ray-laser-weapon-dies-as-its-final-test-is-canceled.html |access-date=February 24, 2024 |archive-date=May 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150522054119/http://www.nytimes.com/1992/07/21/us/star-wars-x-ray-laser-weapon-dies-as-its-final-test-is-canceled.html |url-status=live }}</ref> SDI projects included [[Zenith Star]], using the Alpha chemical laser.

General [[William L. Shelton]] has said that in order to protect against attacks, Space Situational Awareness is much more important than additional hardening or armoring of satellites.<ref>[http://www.defensenewstv.com/video.php?bctid=1866650787001 "Future of USAF Space Command."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121002081838/http://www.defensenewstv.com/video.php?bctid=1866650787001 |date=October 2, 2012 }} ''Defense News'', September 30, 2012.</ref> The [[Air Force Space Command]] has indicated that their defensive focus will be on "Disaggregated Space Architectures".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.defense.gov/Explore/Inside-DOD/|title=Inside DOD|website=U.S. Department of Defense|access-date=February 24, 2024|archive-date=May 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190524184624/http://www.dodlive.mil/2017/03/12/this-moh-soldier-wasnt-honored-until-decades-after-heroics/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Space debris===
Anti-satellite attacks, especially ones with kinetic [[kill vehicle]]s, can form [[space debris]] which can stay in orbit for many years and could interfere with future space activity or in a worst case trigger [[Kessler syndrome]].<ref name="aviationweek1">{{cite news |last=Covault |first=Craig |url=http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=awst&id=news/aw012207p2.xml |title=China's Asat Test Will Intensify U.S.-Chinese Faceoff in Space |publisher=[[Aviation Week]] |date=January 21, 2007 |access-date=January 21, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070127122105/http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=awst&id=news%2Faw012207p2.xml |archive-date=January 27, 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref> In January 2007 [[2007 Chinese anti-satellite missile test|China did a satellite knock out]] whose detonation alone caused more than 40,000 new chunks of debris with a diameter > 1&nbsp;cm and a sudden increase in the total amount of debris in orbit.<ref>{{cite news |title=Problem Weltraumschrott: Die kosmische Müllkippe |url=http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/weltall/weltraumschrott-esa-tagung-in-darmstadt-ohne-ergebnisse-a-1144174.html |website=[[Spiegel Online]] |date=April 22, 2017 |access-date=April 22, 2017 |last1=Seidler |first1=Christoph |archive-date=April 23, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170423013706/http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/weltall/weltraumschrott-esa-tagung-in-darmstadt-ohne-ergebnisse-a-1144174.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The PRC is reported to be developing "soft-kill" techniques such as jamming and vision kills that do not generate much debris.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.usni.org/2014/01/29/u-s-dependence-space-assets-liability-conflict-china |title=U.S. Dependence on Space Assets Could be a Liability in a Conflict with China |last1=Grady |first1=John |date=January 29, 2014 |website=usni.org |publisher=[[United States Naval Institute]] |access-date=January 29, 2014 |archive-date=January 30, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140130172841/http://news.usni.org/2014/01/29/u-s-dependence-space-assets-liability-conflict-china |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Possible warfare over space ==
[[File:Challenges Security Space 2022.jpg|thumb|Counterspace Threat Continuum]]
Most of the world's communications systems rely heavily on the presence of satellites in orbit around Earth. Protecting these assets might seriously motivate nations dependent upon them to consider deploying more space-based weaponry, especially in conflicts involving advanced countries with access to space.

Since 2017, the [[United States Air Force]] has run an annual [[military exercise]] called "Space Flag" at [[Peterson Space Force Base]], which involves a [[red team]] simulating attacks on U.S. satellites.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org/u-s-air-force-to-expand-space-flag-satellite-war-game/ |publisher=[[American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics]] |title=U.S. Air Force to expand Space Flag satellite war game |first=Tom |last=Risen |date=July 3, 2018 |access-date=February 24, 2024 |archive-date=October 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003072933/https://aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org/u-s-air-force-to-expand-space-flag-satellite-war-game/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Robert Zubrin]], [[Aerospace engineering|aerospace engineer]] and advocate for [[human exploration of Mars]], stated that [[anti-satellite weapon]]s capabilities of nations increases, [[space infrastructure]]s must be able to defend itself using other satellites that can destroy such weapons. Or else, he states, [[Satellite navigation|satellite-based navigation]], [[Communications satellite|communications]] and [[Reconnaissance satellite|reconnaissance]] capabilities would be severely limited and easily influenced by adversaries.<ref name=":13">{{Cite book |last=Zubrin |first=Robert |title=The Case for Space: How the Revolution in Spaceflight Opens Up a Future of Limitless Possibility |date=May 14, 2019 |publisher=[[Prometheus Books]] |isbn=978-1-63388-534-9 |location=Amherst, New York |oclc=1053572666 |author-link=Robert Zubrin}}</ref>{{Rp|pages=63–66}}

=== Direct Ascent ===
The modern incarnations of the [[ASM-135 ASAT#Test launches|ASM-135 ASAT]] program are the so-called direct-ascent anti-satellite weapons. These weapons are usually either [[ballistic missile|ballistic]] or [[Anti-ballistic missile|anti-ballistic interceptor missiles]], which ascend directly from Earth to intercept their target and have  been adapted to the anti-satellite role. To date, four countries have demonstrated their ability to launch these weapons, the USA, the PRC, India, and Russia, but so far none have conducted such an attack on another country’s satellites.<ref>230414_Bingen_SpaceThreatAssessment_2023_UPDATED-min.pdf (csis.org)

http://aerospace.csis.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/230414_Bingen_SpaceThreatAssessment_2023_UPDATED-min.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222084939/http://aerospace.csis.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/230414_Bingen_SpaceThreatAssessment_2023_UPDATED-min.pdf |date=February 22, 2024 }}</ref>

Direct-ascent [[Anti-satellite weapon|ASATs]] leverage existing technologies and launch platforms to neutralize both space-based and ground-based targets. This option tends to be highly destructive and indiscriminate as any attack will produce [[space debris]], which can indiscriminately affect other satellites in similar orbits. While this option comes with the benefit of leveraging existing technologies and a certain element of surprise, as an attack cannot be detected until a missile has exited its silo, there are significant downsides. Firstly, there is the cost disparity of using an [[Intercontinental ballistic missile|ICBM]] or [[Anti-ballistic missile|ABM]] to kill a small and inexpensive satellite. Additionally, these missiles are not designed to send payloads out to geocentric orbit, as such they can only affect targets in low earth orbit and only in a target area centered around the static location of the missile itself.

=== Co-Orbital ===
Co-orbital systems come with a few potential kill mechanisms: in guided kinetic vehicles, like the [[Multiple Kill Vehicle]], or in the form of a satellite that can release a kinetic interceptor or a cloud of debris. The first co-orbital system, [[Istrebitel Sputnikov]], was developed by the Soviet Union in the 1970s and reportedly utilized one of these mechanisms.

There are allegations that Russia continues to test co-orbital ASAT weapons as recently as 2020. In 2020 the [[United States Department of State|U.S. State Department]] claimed that a Russian satellite, Cosmos-2519, exhibited behavior “inconsistent” with its intended mission. While in orbit, [[Kosmos (satellite)|Kosmos]]-2519 deployed a smaller satellite, which Russian state media claimed: “conducted autonomous flight, a change in orbit, and a satellite inspection before returning to the base station”.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 15, 2018 |title=Is Russia's Mysterious New Satellite a Space Weapon? |url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a22739471/is-russias-mysterious-new-satellite-a-space-weapon/ |access-date=June 26, 2023 |website=Popular Mechanics |language=en-US |archive-date=June 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230626225715/https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a22739471/is-russias-mysterious-new-satellite-a-space-weapon/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Another incident back in 2019 involved two Russian satellites, Kosmos 2542 and 2543, one of which appeared to begin following a U.S. national security satellite.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=February 10, 2020 |title=Exclusive: Russian Craft Shadowing U.S. Spy Satellite, Space Force Commander Says |url=https://time.com/5779315/russian-spacecraft-spy-satellite-space-force/ |access-date=June 26, 2023 |magazine=Time |language=en |archive-date=June 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230628134928/https://time.com/5779315/russian-spacecraft-spy-satellite-space-force/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Such “inspector” satellites can be armed with lasers to provide non-destructive interference or deadly kinetic interceptors.

While these co-orbital systems provide more utility when compared to more direct and destructive options, their advantages are contingent on being maneuverable and inconspicuous. Given the increasing paranoia surrounding co-orbital anti-satellite, it is hard to believe that the major players in space will fail to notice the deployment of “research” satellites.

== Space warfare in science fiction==
{{Main|Space warfare in science fiction}} {{Further|Space opera|Military science fiction|Space Western}}
{{See also|Alien invasion|Interstellar war|Galactic empire}}
Space warfare is a staple of [[science fiction]], where it is shown with a wide range of realism and plausibility. Fictional space warfare includes anticipated future technology and tactics, and fantasy- or history-based scenarios in a scifi setting. Some portray a space military as like an [[air force]]; others depict a more [[navy|naval]] framework. Still others suggest forces more like [[space marine]]: highly mobile forces doing interplanetary and [[interstellar war]] but most of the conflict happens in terrestrial environments. The main sub-genres of the [[Space warfare in science fiction]] thematic genre are [[space opera]], [[Military science fiction|Military]] and [[Space Western]]. Though [[sword and planet]] stories like [[Finisterre universe]] by [[C. J. Cherryh]] might be considered, they rarely feature such technologies. These three genres often intertwine and have themes that are common to all. Written Space Westerns are often based directly on existing established scifi space opera franchises with [[expanded universe]]s like [[Star Wars expanded universe|Star Wars]] and Star Trek,<ref>{{cite web|url = https://screenrant.com/tabletop-rpg-space-western-game-settings-like-firefly/|title = Tabletop RPGs With Space Western Settings & Themes {{!}} Screen Rant|website = [[Screen Rant]]|date = March 10, 2021|access-date = February 24, 2024|archive-date = July 21, 2023|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230721172208/https://screenrant.com/tabletop-rpg-space-western-game-settings-like-firefly/|url-status = live}}</ref> including ''[[Warhammer 40,000]]'': the most popular space opera military [[Miniature wargaming|miniature wargame]] which spawned successful [[Warhammer 40,000#Spin-off games and other media|spin-off media]]: [[List of Warhammer 40,000 novels|novels]], [[List of Games Workshop video games|video-games]] and on-going live adaption based on books by [[Dan Abnett]].<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.grimdarkmagazine.com/review-alpharius-head-of-the-hydra/|title = REVIEW: Alpharius: Head of the Hydra - Grimdark Magazine|date = May 11, 2021|access-date = February 24, 2024|archive-date = January 18, 2024|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240118100129/https://www.grimdarkmagazine.com/review-alpharius-head-of-the-hydra/|url-status = live}}</ref>

Both kinetic and [[directed energy weapons]] are often seen, along with various military space vessels. [[E. E. Smith]]'s ''[[Lensman]]'' is an early example, which also inspired the term [[space opera]] due to the grandiose scale of the stories. [[Orson Scott Card]]'s ''[[Ender's Game (series)|Ender's Game]]'' series is a notable example in that it makes a conjecture as to what sort of tactics and training would be needed for war in outer space. Other scifi authors have also delved into the tactics of space combat, such as [[David Weber]] in his ''[[Honorverse]]'' series, and [[Larry Niven]] and [[Jerry Pournelle]] in their ''[[Mote in God's Eye]]'' series. A more recent example is [[Alastair Reynolds]]' [[Revelation Space universe]], which explores combat at [[General relativity|relativistic speed]]. [[Robert A. Heinlein]]'s ''[[Starship Troopers]]'' is perhaps one of the best-known and earliest explorations of the "[[space marine]]" idea.

Space-based vehicular combat is portrayed in many movies and video games, most notably ''[[Star Wars]]'', [[Stargate]], ''[[Halo (series)|Halo]]'', ''[[Descent (video game)|Descent]]'', ''[[Gundam]]'', ''[[Macross]]'', ''[[Babylon 5]]'', and ''[[Star Trek]]''. Games such as the ''[[Homeworld]]'' series have interesting concepts for space warfare, such as 3D battle formations, plasma-based projectors that get their energy from a ship's propulsion system, and automated uncrewed space combat vehicles. Other series, such as ''Gundam'', prominently show vehicular combat in and among many near future concepts, such as [[O'Neill habitat|O'Neill cylinders]].

Fictional galaxies with space warfare are far too many to list, but popular examples include ''Star Trek'' (in all of its forms), ''Star Wars'', ''Halo'', ''[[Stargate]]'', ''Warhammer 40,000'', ''[[Babylon 5]]'', ''[[Buck Rogers]]'', ''[[Flash Gordon]]'', ''[[Battlestar Galactica]]'', ''[[Mass Effect]]'', ''[[Freespace]]'' and many [[comic book]] franchises. Video games often touch the subject; the ''[[Wing Commander (video game)|Wing Commander]]'' franchise is a prototypical example. Few games try to simulate realistic distance and speed, though ''[[I-War (Independence War)|Independence War]]'' and ''[[Frontier: Elite II]]'' both do, as does the board game ''[[Attack Vector: Tactical]]''.

Many authors have either used a [[galactic empire|galaxy-spanning fictional empire]] as background or written about the growth and/or decline of such an empire. Said empire's capital is often a core world, such as a planet relatively close to a galaxy's supermassive black hole. Characterization can vary wildly from malevolent forces attacking sympathetic victims to apathetic bureaucracies to more reasonable entities focused on social progress, and anywhere in between. Scifi writers generally posit some form of [[faster-than-light]] drive in order to facilitate [[interstellar war]]. Writers such as [[Larry Niven]] have developed plausible interplanetary conflict based on human colonization of the [[asteroid belt]] and outer planets via technologies using currently known physics.

== See also ==
* [[Asteroid impact avoidance]]
* [[Beijing–Washington space hotline]]
* [[Militarisation of space]]
* [[Space force]]
* [[Space weapon]]
* [[Starlink satellite services in Ukraine]], instance of a satellite constellation being used for warfare
* [[Sun outage]]

Related to specific countries and facilities:
* [[Department of Defense Manned Space Flight Support Office]]
* [[European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company|European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company]]
* [[Joint Functional Component Command for Space and Global Strike]] ([[US Strategic Command]])
* [[National Missile Defense]]
* [[Pine Gap]] (Australia)
* [[United States Air Force Space Command]]
* [[United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==

* Hobbes, D (1986): ''An Illustrated Guide to Space Warfare'' Salamander Books Ltd. {{ISBN|0-86101-204-6}}.
* Macvey, John W.: ''Space Weapons, Space War.'' New York: 1979 Stein and Day (written by a professional [[astronomer]]). {{isbn|978-0812861112}}.
* David Jordan: ''Air and Space Warfare'', pp.&nbsp;178–223, in:''Understanding modern warfare.'' Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge 2008, {{ISBN|978-0-521-87698-8}}.
* John J. Klein: ''Space Warfare: Strategy, Principles and Policy.'' Routledge, Oxford 2006, {{ISBN|978-0-415-40796-0}}.
* Joan Johnson-Freese: ''Space Warfare in the 21st Century – Arming the Heavens.'' Routledge, Oxford 2016,  {{ISBN|978-1-138-69388-3}}.

{{Inspace}}
{{Politics of outer space}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Space Warfare}}
[[Category:Space warfare| ]]
[[Category:Space applications|Warfare]]