Save Manned Space uniquely looks at the strategic side of space exploration and threats to free world access to orbital and cis-lunar and the lunar surface.
The Russians under Putin could render orbital space unusable by anyone for centuries if they start WW-III, by creating a never-ending 'Kessler-syndrome' cascade of collisions from destroyed satellites.
"We'll destroy the entire group of enemy's space satellites during the first air operation, he told the program Vremya Pakazhet (Time will Tell) on Wednesday.
"No-one will care if they are American or British, we would see them all as NATO," he said, adding, that Russia would then "mitigate the entire system of anti-missile defense" and that "we certainly won't start from Warsaw, Paris or Berlin.
Andrey Gurulyov, a former deputy commander of Russia's southern military district, made the threat during a discussion about Lithuania's blockade of the neighboring Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
"We'll destroy the entire group of enemy's space satellites during the first air operation, he told the program Vremya Pakazhet (Time will Tell) on Wednesday.
"No-one will care if they are American or British, we would see them all as NATO," he said, adding, that Russia would then "mitigate the entire system of anti-missile defense" and that "we certainly won't start from Warsaw, Paris or Berlin.
Gurulvov went on to threaten to atom bomb London.
Such a barbaric attack could create a cold-war-magnitude nuclear exchange, and Russia would not be a victor--nobody would. But that rarely causes totalitarian leaders to come to their senses. In addition to killing millions and destroying cities, humanity's use of orbital space could be rendered essentially useless from billions of lethal particles enveloping the earth, each particle impacting others to create a never-ending swarm of particles covering the earth. This is known as the Kessler syndrome.
China may have made similar calculations. Both might consider a launching a 'space Pearl Harbor' for short-term terrestrial gains, each hoping they would win effective control of the world, and wouldn't need access to space.
China may have made similar calculations. Both might consider a launching a 'space Pearl Harbor' for short-term terrestrial gains, each hoping they would win effective control of the world, and wouldn't need access to space.
Russian war planners may have made the calculation that destroying orbital space for centuries would be worth it if they won a nuclear war. Make no mistake, since the Cold War, Russian/Soviet military doctrine includes 'winning' a limited nuclear war. Bizarrely, Russian war planners actually call their first use of nuclear weapons “de-escalation.”
A city-sized bunker in the Ural mountains would shelter Putin, his elite and military leaders, and enough Russian citizens to keep the elite living in luxury, oblivious to the end of their dreams of reconstituting the Soviet Union. China has similar underground cities to keep their dictators safe after a nuclear war.
Is the Russian threat designed to gain concessions? A genuine intent to start WW-III regardless of the costs to humanity or the costs to their own economy? Would China object to some of their satellites being destroyed in the process, or be glad the free world became defenseless in space?
We can't answer those questions, but our leaders must restore deterrence against Russia, China, Iran (foolish to believe they don't already have a nuclear arsenal) and North Korea--the cabal of nuclear-armed tyrannies with ICBMs. Let's restore peace through strength.
