Russia launched a satellite into space in February 2022 that is designed to test components for a potential antisatellite weapon that would carry a nuclear device, U.S. officials said.
The satellite that was launched doesn’t carry a nuclear weapon. But U.S. officials say it is linked to a continuing Russian nuclear antisatellite program that has been a growing worry for the Biden administration, Congress and experts outside government in recent months. The weapon, if deployed, would give Moscow the ability to destroy hundreds of satellites in low-Earth orbit with a nuclear blast.
The satellite in question, known as Cosmos-2553, was launched on Feb. 5, 2022, and is still traveling around the Earth in an unusual orbit. It has been secretly operating as a research and development platform for nonnuclear components of the new weapon system, which Russia has yet to deploy, other officials said.
Russia says that the spacecraft is intended for scientific research, a claim U.S. officials say isn’t plausible. Though the U.S. has been aware that Russia was interested in a nuclear antisatellite capability for years, it has only recently been able to better determine the program’s progress, U.S. officials have said.
@Madeline1208 2wks2W
"scientific research" my *** If nuclear war happens you all owe me five bucks
@Freedom762wks2W
One sure way to provoke nuclear war with Russia is to keep printing hundreds of billions of stolen dollars to send to Dictator Zelensky and prolong an un-winnable conflict seven thousand miles from our shores.
@SadOppositionPatriot2wks2W
Russian "culture" at its "best".
Russians are very creative when it comes to create ways to kill , to maim, to destroy people and things. (Did you know during the Cold War one Russian engineer tried to come up with a sonic boom aircraft that would fly at Mach 2+ speed but create giant sonic boom underneath that would pierce lungs, brains etc... of soldiers under its path? A Concorde of death. What stopped him from realizing that macabre vision was the invention of Stinger and Patriot)
American engineers invent things to improve life.
Russian engineers invent things to destroy… Read more
@Freedom762wks2W
Someone seems to have deep-seated anti-Russian prejudices!
@SugaryFederalistForward2wks2W
Just another reminder that Russia is an enemy of the United States and Free World and must be countered and contained everywhere.
We keep getting these wake up calls, but few still seem to be listening or taking the escalating aggression and threat from Moscow as seriously as needed.
I for one am not worried about them.
The US has so much hardware and other things we don’t know about, we had to create another branch of the military for it.
Space Force…..
I seriously doubt we are behind.
After the 1st Nuke is fired…. You cannot just stop at one.
A nuke fired in space will emit enough of an EMP pulse that will take much of the electronics that are visible to it both in space and on the ground.
Sure will put an end to text and drive problems.
@KindZealousConstitution2wks2W
I don't know why we sign treaties like that. It's like everyone agreeing to give up guns on the assumption that the criminals will do the same. Countries like China and Russia use these treaties to tie our hands but even if they sign such treaties, they ignore them when it's advantageous to do so. I suppose it lets politicians claim something like "peace in our time". But signing treaties that limit military capabilities with countries that are expansionist and predatory is foolish.
Another Biden screw up. Admitting he has failed to address the issue during his Presidency. is not an excuse.
@AlertF3deralistPatriot2wks2W
1) Not surprised. 2) Yes its a threat to satellites. Its more of a threat for producing an EMP over a huge swath of the country.
@BadgerJayRepublican2wks2W
So this was launched two years ago and we are just now figuring it out. The level of incompetence is staggering.
@ISIDEWITH2wks2W
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