Russian Space Object Speculated To Be A 'Satellite Killer'
- 9 years ago
As part of a May launch Russia sent a mysterious, undeclared object into space. Since then there’s been a great deal of speculation concerning what it could possibly be.
As part of a May launch Russia sent a mysterious, undeclared object into space. Since then there’s been a great deal of speculation concerning what it could possibly be.
Guesses range from the completely benign to the positively terrifying.
Among the more chilling thoughts is that the unidentified object is what’s known as a ‘satellite killer’.
Such a thing would allow for targeted attacks on any number of communication apparatuses floating around in space.
Everything from cell phones to military operations could be debilitated in matter of moments.
While several experts agree that such a measure is a plausible militarization path, others point out how unlikely it is that this particular Russian space object exists for nefarious purposes.
Patricia Lewis, an expert in space security, points out that going to such extremes to compromise communications is unlikely because it’s simply unnecessary.
Recent events, she says, have shown it’s possible to mess up a satellite from right here on Earth.
Some of the significantly less frightening possibilities for what the mysterious object could be include space debris, cleanup equipment ,and a repair and refueling vehicle for orbiting satellites.
As part of a May launch Russia sent a mysterious, undeclared object into space. Since then there’s been a great deal of speculation concerning what it could possibly be.
Guesses range from the completely benign to the positively terrifying.
Among the more chilling thoughts is that the unidentified object is what’s known as a ‘satellite killer’.
Such a thing would allow for targeted attacks on any number of communication apparatuses floating around in space.
Everything from cell phones to military operations could be debilitated in matter of moments.
While several experts agree that such a measure is a plausible militarization path, others point out how unlikely it is that this particular Russian space object exists for nefarious purposes.
Patricia Lewis, an expert in space security, points out that going to such extremes to compromise communications is unlikely because it’s simply unnecessary.
Recent events, she says, have shown it’s possible to mess up a satellite from right here on Earth.
Some of the significantly less frightening possibilities for what the mysterious object could be include space debris, cleanup equipment ,and a repair and refueling vehicle for orbiting satellites.