Various Threats of Space Systems

Abstract

For roughly two decades, orbital systems, beyond their traditional strategic value, have gained a pivotal role in modern conventional security and defense activities. As a consequence, they have been considered as possible new targets in military confrontations, and the recent years have indeed demonstrated a renewed activity in the field of antisatellite researches and tests. This piece attempts to put these efforts in perspective and detail their different forms. It appears that besides the traditional kinetic destruction of satellites, leading to uncontrolled long-lived debris, other threats may have equally destructive consequences with more limited side effects. Directed energy weapons in orbit or even cyberattacks may become weapons of choice in the new space landscape. These likely perspectives must lead the international community to rethink the reality of threats related to space systems.