After Russia and China, North Korea has now joined the bandwagon in criticizing the proposed Golden Dome project, saying the space-based missile defense shield could “turn outer space into a potential nuclear war field.”
Earlier, China and Russia had described the move as “deeply destabilizing in nature.” In a statement, the two countries said the Golden Dome was “a complete and ultimate rejection to recognize the existence of the inseparable interrelationship between strategic offensive arms and strategic defensive arms.”
Meanwhile, China has warned that the program will fuel a space arms race.
“The project will heighten the risk of turning the space into a war zone and creating a space arms race, and shake the international security and arms control system,” Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said in a press briefing.
While the concerns about a space arms race seem valid, are the threats about a nuclear war in space exaggerated? Is the Golden Dome pushing us into an uncharted territory where nuclear war in space is no longer theoretical but a real possibility? Is the US the only country making nuclear moves in space, and what will happen if a nuclear bomb actually goes off in space?
Since US President Donald Trump announced his Golden Dome project with an ambitious timeline of 2029, these questions are no longer confined to the realm of abstract academic debate, but have become real geopolitical issues warranting serious discussion.
But for a realistic understanding of the dangers this path is fraught with, it is vital to understand what happens if a nuclear bomb goes off in space.
What Happens If A Nuclear Bomb Goes Off In Space
A nuclear blast in space might not result in the same kind of devastation as on Earth. Nevertheless, the results will be catastrophic and long-lasting.
Many people in this generation may have forgotten, but the world community is well aware of what a nuclear explosion in space is capable of. The reason being, there was not one but over a dozen nuclear explosions in the space between 1958 and 1962.
These explosions were not part of some space nuclear war; instead, they were controlled explosions conducted by the US and the Soviet Union to study precisely this question: what happens if a nuclear bomb goes off in space?
One such controlled explosion was conducted in space over Hawaii on the night of July 8, 1962. The explosion was conducted 250 miles above Earth’s surface, at an altitude in low-Earth orbit of most modern-day satellites.
The operation was called Starfish Prime. The blast generated a power surge over the Pacific Ocean that knocked out about 300 streetlights on the island of Oahu—and destroyed about a third of the roughly two dozen satellites then in orbit.
That night, the residents of Hawaii saw auroras in the sky, as bright as daylight, fading into green, yellow, and then orange.
This was the last nuclear blast in space, as in 1967, the US and the Soviet Union signed the Outer Space Treaty, forbidding putting weapons of mass destruction in orbit.
Now, more than 60 years after that nuclear blast in space, the dangers of nuclear war in space are once again real.
On Earth, the fallout of a nuclear explosion is well documented. There is an initial fireball that burns everything within its radius, followed by a shock wave resulting from the sudden change in air pressure and temperature —a shock wave that can level buildings in seconds. This is followed by a distinctive mushroom-shaped cloud, releasing deadly radioactive radiation. Millions can die in seconds. After effects can linger for decades.
A nuclear explosion in space is quite different. There is no fireball, no mushroom cloud; rather, all the energy is released as electromagnetic radiation, including gamma rays and X-rays. The satellites in line of sight will be knocked out immediately.
However, highly charged particles will linger in orbit along the Earth’s magnetic field for years, harming electronics in satellites for many years.
There were some two dozen satellites in orbit in 1962 during Operation Starfish Prime. Today, there are more than 10,000. More importantly, we depend on these satellites for our many day-to-day functions. For communication, internet, weather prediction, and GPS services.
Further, a nuclear blast in space could trigger a nuclear war on Earth.
Nuclear Moves In Space
The Golden Dome is just one among the many steps taken in recent years that have blurred the boundaries between conventional and nuclear deterrence.
In 2019, the US withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF).
The agreement, signed in December 1987 by U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, limited both nations from fielding both “short-range” and “intermediate-range” land-based ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and missile launchers that could be used to house either nuclear or conventional payloads.
In 2020, the US withdrew from the Open Skies Treaty, which was signed in 1992. It gave countries the right to conduct unarmed aerial surveillance over the territory of others.
The treaty aimed to enhance transparency and reduce the risk of miscalculations that could lead to conflict.
Similarly, in 2023, Russia suspended the New START Treaty. The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) is the last major nuclear arms control agreement between the US and Russia. It limited each side to 1,550 deployed strategic nuclear warheads, 700 deployed delivery systems (ICBMs, SLBMs, and heavy bombers), and 800 total launchers (deployed and non-deployed). It included robust verification measures, such as on-site inspections and data exchanges.
The treaty is set to expire on February 5, 2026.
In October 2024, the US alleged that Russia is developing yet another new type of nuclear weapon, specifically designed to attack satellites. After being launched, it could remain in orbit for a long time. When detonated, it would wreak “indiscriminate” destruction on the satellites that orbit closest to the Earth.
The US alleged that the Russian Cosmos 2553 satellite (launched in 2022) is serving as a test platform carrying a dummy warhead.
Earlier this month, the US alleged that Russia was working on a nuclear-tipped air-to-air missile.
In May last year, U.S. Space Operations Commander Chance Saltzman accused Russia of deploying a satellite (Cosmos 2576) capable of “aggressive maneuvers” and potentially acting as a kinetic weapon in orbit, raising concerns about its ability to target U.S. satellites.
Last year, Russia launched a nuclear-capable intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile (IRBM) at Ukraine. The missile was named Oreshnik.
In April 2024, Russia vetoed a US and Japan-sponsored UN Security Council resolution to reaffirm the 1967 Outer Space Treaty’s ban on nuclear weapons in space, raising concerns about Russia’s plans.
China has developed its own anti-satellite weapon systems and is also working on the Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (FOBS). These orbiting missiles could also carry nuclear warheads.
Now, with the Golden Dome, the US is also planning to place its sensors and missile interceptors in space.
When successful, the US’ Golden Dome can offset the tactical advantages countries like Russia, China, and even North Korea have achieved in hypersonic weapons and FOBS. This could push these countries to develop new weapon systems that can bypass the American Golden Dome. Further, this could also incentivize these countries to fall back upon nuclear weapons to offset the advantage the US will have after deploying the Golden Dome.
Cumulatively, all these steps in the last decade have intensified the space arms race, and blurred the boundaries between Nuclear and conventional warfare and deterrence.
However, despite the strong protests from North Korea, China, and Russia, it is clear that no single country and no single weapons program is responsible for this precarious situation.
The threat of nuclear war in space is definitely much higher today than a decade ago, and many countries share the blame for that.
- Sumit Ahlawat has over a decade of experience in news media. He has worked with Press Trust of India, Times Now, Zee News, Economic Times, and Microsoft News. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Media and Modern History from the University of Sheffield, UK.
- THIS IS AN OPINION ARTICLE. VIEWS PERSONAL OF THE AUTHOR.
- He can be reached at ahlawat.sumit85 (at) gmail.com
