The US military is reportedly preparing for war in space using high-power lasers and kamikaze satellites. This scenario will most likely start with cyberattacks that disable satellites, resulting in a loss of communications. This prediction was made in the documentary War in Space: The Next Battleground.
"Wherever people go, there is always conflict," says General John Hayten, chief of US Strategic Command.
On this frontier, the United States may face China and Russia, both of which are major adversaries. Russia has already deployed an alleged kamikaze satellite called Kosmos-2499. Even China has its own combat space capabilities - the Shiyan satellites, which can easily launch satellites from their orbits.
Due to perceived "threats" from other countries, the US is also preparing. But can a war in space be prevented? Pentagon officials are reportedly working out space laws specifically in the event that a satellite is destroyed.
“Just like maritime laws, they will eventually have to lead to safer and more responsible behavior,” says Rear Admiral Brian Brown.
Even the United Nations established the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which bans all orbital or moon-based weapons. The treaty also establishes the principle that no country can claim any celestial body found in space as its own. Such an agreement has facilitated peaceful cooperation for decades.
However, updated space laws can help international cooperation when it comes to space exploration. Such updated laws in the future could greatly help reduce the likelihood of space war.
