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With a purpose still unknown according to NASA, the Russian military satellite has been orbiting the Earth since May 2024 and raises fears about global space security.
The space race has entered a new chapter that seems to have come straight out of a science fiction movie. Russia has launched the military satellite Kosmos 2576, which, according to the US, could be a new nuclear weapon in space. Officially classified by NASA as a “satellite of unknown purpose”, Kosmos has been orbiting the Earth since May 2024 and is already raising international concerns about the future of space security.
Does Russia have an anti-satellite weapon?
Although the Russian government denies any military intent, experts in the United States believe that Kosmos 2576 was designed to destroy other satellites. Pavel Podvig of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research has suggested that the satellite was “chasing” USA 314, a US spy satellite from the Keyhole 11 series. The distance between them is only 50 km — insignificant in space, but extremely close in orbital terms.
According to Podvig, Russia often calls these satellites “inspectors,” but their proximity to American satellites has put the Pentagon and NASA on alert. The possibility that Kosmos has the capability to attack other satellites poses a direct threat to space security, analysts say.
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Russia's denial and international treaties
In February 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin categorically denied that Russia was developing nuclear weapons in space. He reiterated that his country is against the use of weapons of mass destruction in orbit and called on all governments to respect international disarmament treaties. However, actions speak louder than words. When Japan and the US proposed strengthening the Space Non-Weapons Treaty at the UN Security Council, Russia vetoed the measure, raising suspicions.
The lack of transparency surrounding Kosmos 2576 reinforces doubts. Robert Wood, the US ambassador to the UN, has called the satellite a “counterspace weapon,” claiming that it has the potential to attack satellites in low orbit. Kosmos’s proximity to Earth, if it were to carry a nuclear warhead, could cause devastating impacts, even without directly hitting the Earth’s surface.
The danger of a Russian nuclear weapon exploding in space
History shows us that nuclear explosions in space are not mere theories. In 1962, during the Cold War, the US conducted the Starfish Prime test, detonating a 1,4 megaton bomb at an altitude of 400 km — the same distance as the International Space Station. The result was catastrophic: power grids in Hawaii were blacked out, satellites were disabled, and a radiation belt was created around the Earth that took months to dissipate.
Soviet nuclear tests in space also caused enormous damage, such as the destruction of a power plant in Kazakhstan. Today, with more than 10 satellites orbiting the Earth, many responsible for essential services such as GPS, communications and meteorology, a nuclear attack in orbit could devastate civilian and military systems indiscriminately.
Why put nuclear weapons into space?
The idea of storing nuclear weapons in space may seem illogical at first glance. After all, launching a strike from orbit requires planning and time, which makes ground-based missiles a faster and more efficient option. The cost of space operations is astronomical, not to mention the collateral damage caused by an explosion in orbit.
Despite this, the militarization of space remains a growing concern. For countries like Russia, possessing technologies like Kosmos 2576 could be a way to demonstrate power and intimidate rivals. Even if the satellite is currently empty, as experts suggest, its mere existence raises questions about what might come next.
The US and NASA response
The presence of Kosmos 2576 in orbit generated immediate reactions in the US. NASA, although focused on space exploration, highlighted the risks of weaponization in orbit. The Pentagon, however, sees the satellite as a direct threat to national security, warning that its attack capability is similar to other devices launched by Russia in 2019 and 2022.
Michael Turner, chairman of the US House Intelligence Committee, has called Kosmos a “serious threat”, and the White House has been pushing for more international regulation to prevent the militarisation of space.
The future of space security
The presence of a satellite like Kosmos 2576 raises a warning about the dangers of the militarization of space. If in 1962 there were only a few dozen satellites orbiting the Earth, today there are thousands, many of which are essential for modern life. The possibility of a nuclear explosion in orbit represents an unprecedented risk, affecting not only technological systems, but also the very sustainability of space exploration.
Russia, the US and other powers must decide whether space will be a battlefield or a territory for peaceful collaboration. In the meantime, NASA and other international agencies must continue to monitor the situation, ensuring that scientific development is not hampered by geopolitical disputes.
Space has always been seen as the next step for humanity. The question now is: will it be a step towards progress or destruction?
