Russia is thought to be developing a satellite capable of launching a nuclear weapon that could unleash World War 3 in space.
Days before Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Russia blasted a secretive new satellite into space from its Plesetsk Cosmodrome.
Known as “Cosmos 2553”, the satellite positioned itself at the very edge of low-Earth orbit (LEO) some 2000 kilometres (1240 miles) up.
The area is saturated with radiation from the Van Allen belts that can scramble and degrade satellite components.
It is nicknamed the “graveyard orbit”, because this is the place where decommissioned satellites end up.
As a result, suspicions were immediately raised when the Russian satellite entered the zone.
US officials told the New York Times that they fear Cosmos 2553 could be a testing platform for a future space-based weapon.
It is believed Cosmos 2553 could eventually be equipped with a nuclear bomb or missile that would be able to wipe out satellites belonging to Nato countries.
Pavel Podvig, a senior researcher at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research in Geneva, said the satellite was likely collecting data for use in the design and deployment of a future weapon.
“My best guess right now is that there is an experiment that studies shielding of various electronic equipment,” he told Breaking Defense.
“The US IC [Intelligence Community] seems to believe that this equipment has something to do with a nuclear weapon.
“But it’s nearly impossible to prove or disprove.”
The shockwaves from a nuclear explosion in low-Earth orbit could also have serious repercussions down below on the planet’s surface.
If a modern atomic device detonated at an altitude of 250 miles above the Earth, then this would almost certainly impact the functioning of phone towers, the internet, GPS, banking systems and power grids.
Russia vetoed a UN resolution earlier this tear, which called on all nations to prevent a dangerous nuclear arms race in outer space.
Putin’s decision has led Western lawmakers to conclude the Kremlin has decided to push ahead with the militarisation of space.