Space warfare: Star Wars in a sober view

Countries that see space as an essential pillar in their security concept would do well to prepare ahead of time for space warfare for its various characteristics, for example: building anti-glare systems for observation satellites; shielding and hardening of essential parts in satellites; Achieving a rapid recovery capability from an attack on their space assets

Tal Inbar, "Galileo" magazine
Space warfare is no longer the domain of science fiction films along the lines of "Star Wars" alone, nor is it an item of historical trivia for space experts, poring over documents from the seventies and eighties of the last century, when space warfare was part of the inter-block struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union. Space warfare is with us here, today, and will be a central part of our lives in the years to come. I will present here the field of space warfare succinctly, and review its various developments. I will also focus on China's space warfare capabilities, as demonstrated in a controversial test in January of this year.

Space as a strategic asset
It seems that the average reader of the 21st century does not need to explain that space is an essential asset of the first rank, for every country in the world, especially for a technological country equipped with various space assets. Nevertheless, a brief background on the importance of space these days: space makes it possible to place aid arrays for armies operating on the ground.
Satellites today enable precise attack capabilities with the help of navigation and guidance of weapons. Advanced intelligence capabilities make extensive use of photography and imaging satellites (in a wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum), for listening and electronic surveillance. Satellites provide control, communication, control and command systems that can operate at any point on Earth. Communication satellites and meteorological satellites help the economy and development of many countries, and are an essential component of their military forces. It is impossible to imagine today a modern army that would give up the enormous advantages that satellites give it.
forms of space warfare
The field of space warfare can be divided into three categories:
1. Warfare into space
2. Space warfare
3. Warfare from space

Warfare into space will include a variety of offensive measures designed to damage enemy satellites, either permanently or temporarily. This category includes anti-satellite missiles; high energy weapons (mainly laser) to disrupt the activity of satellites and destroy them; combat satellites to be launched towards targets in space; and various jamming systems designed to interfere with the proper operation of the satellite. In this context, it is worth noting that during the war between the United States and Iraq in 2003, Iraq blocked GPS transmissions. The GPS jams are designed to prevent the GPS satellites from directing precision guided munitions to Iraqi ground targets.
Warfare into space can be conducted from ground, air, sea or spacecraft platforms. The best known nickname for anti-satellite warfare is ASAT (Anti SATellite). ASAT can be a missile, an energy weapon (such as a laser), a projectile weapon, or parasitic satellites. A parasitic satellite is a satellite capable of maneuvering in space and reaching a meeting with the target satellite, then interfering with it, blocking its field of vision, clinging to it and causing it to be taken off course and burned up in the atmosphere, etc.
Space warfare means space-space warfare, that is, the activation of combat systems permanently stationed in space, and their purpose is to attack other space assets. This category includes exploding satellites, space mines, attack satellites, laser satellites, cannons of various types, parasitic satellites and electromagnetic jamming systems that are in space and whose purpose is to disrupt the operation of satellites. Exploding satellites are satellites armed with explosives and used to attack enemy satellites. Satellites explode near the target or when they collide with it.
These satellites must have maneuverability, in order to get close to the enemy satellite. A space mine is a satellite placed in orbit and equipped with a target detection system, and capable of detonating when an enemy satellite passes near it. Attack satellites are used as a platform for weapons, but do not explode themselves.
A satellite armed with a nuclear warhead allows the destruction of satellites in a large area in space, as opposed to point destruction, which is carried out by combat satellites or space missiles. Satellites exposed to the electromagnetic pulse (EMP) created by the nuclear explosion will be damaged, even if spray from the explosion does not harm them. American experiments showed that after the explosion a belt of radioactive radiation remained, which also affects passing satellites. The weakness of this weapon comes from a wide impact radius and the indiscriminate impact between enemy satellites and friendly satellites.
Warfare from space means using combat systems stationed in space against targets on Earth. In this category we can name combat systems against anti-aircraft missiles (surface-to-surface missiles) that use a powerful laser; Placing nuclear warheads in orbit (in order to increase their survivability on the one hand and reduce the warning time of the adversary on the other hand); Kinetic weapons directed at ground targets; and disruption of ground combat systems by using various means from space.

A little history
In October 1963, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 1884, calling for the avoidance of placing weapons of mass destruction in space and on natural celestial bodies. In 1967, the "Outer Space Treaty" was signed at the UN, which established a ban on placing nuclear weapons in a fixed orbit in space.
In the sixties and seventies of the 20th century, ground missiles were tested against satellites in the United States and the Soviet Union. Some of these missiles had a nuclear warhead, which was capable of destroying satellites within a radius of tens or even hundreds of kilometers from the point of detonation in space. Other successful experiments were carried out in the United States with missiles launched from fighter planes, capable of reaching space and destroying a satellite.
The Soviet Union tried "suicide" combat satellites in the 1982s and 1983s, and even placed an operational system of these satellites, ready for a launch of a few hours. A last experiment in this system was carried out in XNUMX. The Strategic Defense Initiative of the United States, launched by President Reagan in XNUMX, resulted in budgetary investment in the design of space combat systems, most of which were abandoned over time due to funding and technological problems.
In the Soviet Union, several space warfare systems were designed, and some of them were even placed in space. In its military space stations, the Soviet Union installed a 23 mm cannon, which was converted from a fighter jet cannon. This cannon is designed to provide the space stations with a self-defense capability, in the event of an American attack on them using small, manned space planes ("mini space shuttles"). The Soviet Union also launched (a failed launch) a prototype military space station, designed to test space lasers and space-to-space missiles.

Space fighter in China
China is the only country that is currently - openly - testing space warfare systems. China extends the full range of space weapons, including jamming and jamming of commercial communications satellites that transmit unwanted content to the government; launch into space of a micro-satellite into geosynchronous orbit (the event is suspected to be the placement in space of a parasitic satellite or a manipulative space mine); Laser glare of an American observation satellite that passed over China - an action that caused the satellite to be temporarily unable to carry out its mission; And the highlight - destroying a satellite in orbit using an anti-satellite missile.
The destruction of the satellite (an old and non-functioning Chinese satellite) was carried out in January 2007, by a missile equipped with an explosive warhead. When the missile reached the height of the target (about 850 km) and near it, the missile's warhead exploded and dispersed a large metallic spray in space. The spray hit the target satellite and destroyed it, while creating another spray, known as Space Debris.
The United States Air Defense Command, which monitors space debris and debris, has so far identified and cataloged over 1,500 pieces of satellite debris 10 cm or larger, and over a million smaller pieces (see: Yoram Ored, "Global Warming Increases the amount of space junk", "Galileo" 102). This is the most severe space debris event ever, and in its one test, China created more hazardous space debris than all space debris events since the launch of Sputnik 1 50 years ago. Because of the height of the explosion, the debris will remain in space for many years - most fragments for over a hundred years.
China initially denied the test, but after a week announced that it had successfully tested a satellite interception system, "for defense purposes" only. It should be emphasized that the condemnation of China's move was rather weak, and some see this as a kind of "kosher" for other countries to walk the path to space warfare systems.

The debate about space warfare in the United States
Every few years a public debate rages in the United States between independent research institutes and the military and the Ministry of Defense. An old and familiar debate is the debate about the necessity of anti-ballistic missile defense systems. A "younger" debate, but loud, deals with the necessity and logic of systems for space warfare. The main argument of the space weapon cheaters that the United States wishes to develop and place is that there is currently no real threat to American space assets, while the entry of the United States into the field will cause a space arms race, which will endanger all satellite activity in space, including that of other countries.
Several research institutes propose a "code of conduct in space", according to which countries will refrain from developing and deploying space weapons systems. Several books that have recently been published present these views, and reason that the tremendous superiority of the United States in space on the one hand, and in weapons systems on the ground on the other hand, makes the need for a space defense system and space warfare systems redundant, since any rational country is deterred from attacking American satellites.
Furthermore, the argument was also raised that the United States might respond to an attack on its space assets with a nuclear attack (a completely improbable argument, which was also proven to be incorrect, when the American satellite was dazzled by a Chinese laser and the United States refrained from responding to it).

Looking ahead
There is no doubt that the attempts to turn space into a completely demilitarized zone of activity is noble and worthy, but the historical reality shows that it is impractical. In the coming years we will see more and more types of systems for space warfare, first from powers such as the United States, China and Russia, and then from other countries.
By the way, any country equipped with simple ballistic missiles can very easily turn them into primitive anti-satellite weapons - we must remember that at the height of the ballistic missile's flight, it is in space, and if it is equipped with an explosive warhead with a large amount of spray, the missile can scatter a cloud of fragments that will surround the Earth and damage the satellites Many, indiscriminately.
Countries that see space as an essential pillar in their security concept would do well to prepare ahead of time for space warfare for its various characteristics, for example: building anti-glare systems for observation satellites; shielding and hardening of essential parts in satellites; achieving a rapid recovery capability from an attack on their space assets (for example by preparing backup satellites, on the ground or in space); and other ways, according to the operational need and the political situation in these countries.

From the July issue of "Galileo" magazine