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#lowearthorbit — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #lowearthorbit, aggregated by home.social.

  1. What Happens if a Nuke Goes Off in Space?

    Russia may be planning to put a nuclear weapon in orbit. We have known since the 1960s why that is a bad idea

    By Allison Parshall, June 13, 2024

    "The auroras over Hawaii on the night of July 8, 1962, were unlike any that humans had ever witnessed. 'N-Blast Tonight May Be Dazzling; Good View Likely,' read a headline in the Honolulu Advertiser beforehand. Nine seconds after 11 P.M., a startling flash set the sky aglow like eerie daylight, slowly fading from green to yellow to orange before settling on a vivid, unsettling red.

    "The U.S. had just detonated a thermonuclear bomb 100 times more powerful than the one dropped on Hiroshima. Launched on a missile from Johnston Atoll, a U.S. unincorporated territory between the Marshall Islands and Hawaii, the bomb exploded at 250 miles above Earth’s surface—around the altitude in #LowEarthOrbit of most modern-day satellites. This event, called #StarfishPrime, wasn’t the first or last time that the U.S. or Soviet Union tested nuclear weapons in space (there were more than a dozen tests between 1958 and 1962), but it was the most impactful. The blast generated a power surge over the Pacific Ocean that knocked out about 300 streetlights on the island of Oahu—and destroyed or damaged about a third of the roughly two dozen satellites then in orbit.

    " 'The Starfish Prime shot is sort of the poster child for why we don’t like nukes blowing up in space,' says Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. Indeed, only a few years later, in 1967, both the U.S. and the Soviet Union signed on to the Outer Space Treaty, which forbade putting weapons of mass destruction in orbit.

    "Now, some six decades after the last nuclear detonation in Earth orbit, the threat of another has emerged with the Department of Defense warning about a potential Russian program to place a nuke in space. When the United Nations Security Council recently put forward a resolution to reaffirm the ban on such weapons, Russia vetoed the measure. U.S. officials have said there is no 'imminent threat' because no warheads are known to be in space.* But they have deemed the prospect 'deeply troubling' because a nuclear detonation there today would be far more destructive than even Starfish Prime."

    Read more:
    scientificamerican.com/article

    #NukesInSpace #NoNukesInSpace #LEO #KesslerEffect #KesslerSyndrome #NoNukes #NoWar #NuclearWeapons #Satellites

  2. What Happens if a Nuke Goes Off in Space?

    Russia may be planning to put a nuclear weapon in orbit. We have known since the 1960s why that is a bad idea

    By Allison Parshall, June 13, 2024

    "The auroras over Hawaii on the night of July 8, 1962, were unlike any that humans had ever witnessed. 'N-Blast Tonight May Be Dazzling; Good View Likely,' read a headline in the Honolulu Advertiser beforehand. Nine seconds after 11 P.M., a startling flash set the sky aglow like eerie daylight, slowly fading from green to yellow to orange before settling on a vivid, unsettling red.

    "The U.S. had just detonated a thermonuclear bomb 100 times more powerful than the one dropped on Hiroshima. Launched on a missile from Johnston Atoll, a U.S. unincorporated territory between the Marshall Islands and Hawaii, the bomb exploded at 250 miles above Earth’s surface—around the altitude in #LowEarthOrbit of most modern-day satellites. This event, called #StarfishPrime, wasn’t the first or last time that the U.S. or Soviet Union tested nuclear weapons in space (there were more than a dozen tests between 1958 and 1962), but it was the most impactful. The blast generated a power surge over the Pacific Ocean that knocked out about 300 streetlights on the island of Oahu—and destroyed or damaged about a third of the roughly two dozen satellites then in orbit.

    " 'The Starfish Prime shot is sort of the poster child for why we don’t like nukes blowing up in space,' says Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. Indeed, only a few years later, in 1967, both the U.S. and the Soviet Union signed on to the Outer Space Treaty, which forbade putting weapons of mass destruction in orbit.

    "Now, some six decades after the last nuclear detonation in Earth orbit, the threat of another has emerged with the Department of Defense warning about a potential Russian program to place a nuke in space. When the United Nations Security Council recently put forward a resolution to reaffirm the ban on such weapons, Russia vetoed the measure. U.S. officials have said there is no 'imminent threat' because no warheads are known to be in space.* But they have deemed the prospect 'deeply troubling' because a nuclear detonation there today would be far more destructive than even Starfish Prime."

    Read more:
    scientificamerican.com/article

    #NukesInSpace #NoNukesInSpace #LEO #KesslerEffect #KesslerSyndrome #NoNukes #NoWar #NuclearWeapons #Satellites

  3. What Happens if a Nuke Goes Off in Space?

    Russia may be planning to put a nuclear weapon in orbit. We have known since the 1960s why that is a bad idea

    By Allison Parshall, June 13, 2024

    "The auroras over Hawaii on the night of July 8, 1962, were unlike any that humans had ever witnessed. 'N-Blast Tonight May Be Dazzling; Good View Likely,' read a headline in the Honolulu Advertiser beforehand. Nine seconds after 11 P.M., a startling flash set the sky aglow like eerie daylight, slowly fading from green to yellow to orange before settling on a vivid, unsettling red.

    "The U.S. had just detonated a thermonuclear bomb 100 times more powerful than the one dropped on Hiroshima. Launched on a missile from Johnston Atoll, a U.S. unincorporated territory between the Marshall Islands and Hawaii, the bomb exploded at 250 miles above Earth’s surface—around the altitude in #LowEarthOrbit of most modern-day satellites. This event, called #StarfishPrime, wasn’t the first or last time that the U.S. or Soviet Union tested nuclear weapons in space (there were more than a dozen tests between 1958 and 1962), but it was the most impactful. The blast generated a power surge over the Pacific Ocean that knocked out about 300 streetlights on the island of Oahu—and destroyed or damaged about a third of the roughly two dozen satellites then in orbit.

    " 'The Starfish Prime shot is sort of the poster child for why we don’t like nukes blowing up in space,' says Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. Indeed, only a few years later, in 1967, both the U.S. and the Soviet Union signed on to the Outer Space Treaty, which forbade putting weapons of mass destruction in orbit.

    "Now, some six decades after the last nuclear detonation in Earth orbit, the threat of another has emerged with the Department of Defense warning about a potential Russian program to place a nuke in space. When the United Nations Security Council recently put forward a resolution to reaffirm the ban on such weapons, Russia vetoed the measure. U.S. officials have said there is no 'imminent threat' because no warheads are known to be in space.* But they have deemed the prospect 'deeply troubling' because a nuclear detonation there today would be far more destructive than even Starfish Prime."

    Read more:
    scientificamerican.com/article

    #NukesInSpace #NoNukesInSpace #LEO #KesslerEffect #KesslerSyndrome #NoNukes #NoWar #NuclearWeapons #Satellites

  4. What Happens if a Nuke Goes Off in Space?

    Russia may be planning to put a nuclear weapon in orbit. We have known since the 1960s why that is a bad idea

    By Allison Parshall, June 13, 2024

    "The auroras over Hawaii on the night of July 8, 1962, were unlike any that humans had ever witnessed. 'N-Blast Tonight May Be Dazzling; Good View Likely,' read a headline in the Honolulu Advertiser beforehand. Nine seconds after 11 P.M., a startling flash set the sky aglow like eerie daylight, slowly fading from green to yellow to orange before settling on a vivid, unsettling red.

    "The U.S. had just detonated a thermonuclear bomb 100 times more powerful than the one dropped on Hiroshima. Launched on a missile from Johnston Atoll, a U.S. unincorporated territory between the Marshall Islands and Hawaii, the bomb exploded at 250 miles above Earth’s surface—around the altitude in #LowEarthOrbit of most modern-day satellites. This event, called #StarfishPrime, wasn’t the first or last time that the U.S. or Soviet Union tested nuclear weapons in space (there were more than a dozen tests between 1958 and 1962), but it was the most impactful. The blast generated a power surge over the Pacific Ocean that knocked out about 300 streetlights on the island of Oahu—and destroyed or damaged about a third of the roughly two dozen satellites then in orbit.

    " 'The Starfish Prime shot is sort of the poster child for why we don’t like nukes blowing up in space,' says Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. Indeed, only a few years later, in 1967, both the U.S. and the Soviet Union signed on to the Outer Space Treaty, which forbade putting weapons of mass destruction in orbit.

    "Now, some six decades after the last nuclear detonation in Earth orbit, the threat of another has emerged with the Department of Defense warning about a potential Russian program to place a nuke in space. When the United Nations Security Council recently put forward a resolution to reaffirm the ban on such weapons, Russia vetoed the measure. U.S. officials have said there is no 'imminent threat' because no warheads are known to be in space.* But they have deemed the prospect 'deeply troubling' because a nuclear detonation there today would be far more destructive than even Starfish Prime."

    Read more:
    scientificamerican.com/article

    #NukesInSpace #NoNukesInSpace #LEO #KesslerEffect #KesslerSyndrome #NoNukes #NoWar #NuclearWeapons #Satellites

  5. What Happens if a Nuke Goes Off in Space?

    Russia may be planning to put a nuclear weapon in orbit. We have known since the 1960s why that is a bad idea

    By Allison Parshall, June 13, 2024

    "The auroras over Hawaii on the night of July 8, 1962, were unlike any that humans had ever witnessed. 'N-Blast Tonight May Be Dazzling; Good View Likely,' read a headline in the Honolulu Advertiser beforehand. Nine seconds after 11 P.M., a startling flash set the sky aglow like eerie daylight, slowly fading from green to yellow to orange before settling on a vivid, unsettling red.

    "The U.S. had just detonated a thermonuclear bomb 100 times more powerful than the one dropped on Hiroshima. Launched on a missile from Johnston Atoll, a U.S. unincorporated territory between the Marshall Islands and Hawaii, the bomb exploded at 250 miles above Earth’s surface—around the altitude in #LowEarthOrbit of most modern-day satellites. This event, called #StarfishPrime, wasn’t the first or last time that the U.S. or Soviet Union tested nuclear weapons in space (there were more than a dozen tests between 1958 and 1962), but it was the most impactful. The blast generated a power surge over the Pacific Ocean that knocked out about 300 streetlights on the island of Oahu—and destroyed or damaged about a third of the roughly two dozen satellites then in orbit.

    " 'The Starfish Prime shot is sort of the poster child for why we don’t like nukes blowing up in space,' says Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. Indeed, only a few years later, in 1967, both the U.S. and the Soviet Union signed on to the Outer Space Treaty, which forbade putting weapons of mass destruction in orbit.

    "Now, some six decades after the last nuclear detonation in Earth orbit, the threat of another has emerged with the Department of Defense warning about a potential Russian program to place a nuke in space. When the United Nations Security Council recently put forward a resolution to reaffirm the ban on such weapons, Russia vetoed the measure. U.S. officials have said there is no 'imminent threat' because no warheads are known to be in space.* But they have deemed the prospect 'deeply troubling' because a nuclear detonation there today would be far more destructive than even Starfish Prime."

    Read more:
    scientificamerican.com/article

    #NukesInSpace #NoNukesInSpace #LEO #KesslerEffect #KesslerSyndrome #NoNukes #NoWar #NuclearWeapons #Satellites

  6. Orbiting Armageddon: Russia’s #EMP Threat from Space and Transatlantic Responses

    Apr 17, 2025

    Excerpt: "If a #NuclearBomb were detonated in orbit, the physical effects would be unlike a typical terrestrial nuclear blast. There would be no mushroom cloud or shock wave in the vacuum of space. Instead, the weapon’s energy would be released as intense radiation and electromagnetic pulses (Scientific American).

    "#Satellites within line of sight of the explosion would be instantly subjected to a blinding flash of gamma rays and X-rays, likely frying their electronics on contact (Scientific American). Moments after, a powerful #EMP would form as the bomb’s gamma radiation ionizes the upper atmosphere. This process, known as the #ComptonEffect, releases billions of high-energy electrons that race along Earth’s magnetic field lines (Scientific American). The result is an expanding wave of electromagnetic energy.

    "U.S. defense officials have described this kind of space-triggered EMP as a 'massive energy wave' that could 'destroy satellites' and disrupt a vast swath of the satellites that the world depends on for communication and commerce (Carnegie). In essence, one orbital blast could simultaneously knock out numerous satellites – military and civilian – that are crucial to GPS navigation, telephone and internet links, financial transactions, weather forecasting, and more.

    "An EMP from space could also induce chaos on the ground. The pulse would interact with Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field to send geomagnetically induced currents surging through power lines and electronic networks (Aerospace America). In 1962, the U.S. #StarfishPrime test proved this danger: although detonated 400 kilometers above the Pacific, its EMP caused voltage spikes that blew out 300 streetlights and knocked out telephone lines in Hawaii, nearly 1,500 kilometers away (Scientific American , Aerospace America).

    "An orbital detonation today, especially if positioned over populated regions, could overload electrical grids across vast areas. Transformers and grid infrastructure could be destroyed by the sudden, uncontrolled currents (Aerospace America). The scale of blackout could range over one or several countries, depending on the weapon’s altitude and yield. Experts warn that such a scenario would be devastating.

    "A U.S. Congressional commission on EMP found that a nationwide power outage caused by a high-altitude nuclear blast could collapse critical infrastructure – an outcome it described as a potential
    'civilization killer' if power and services were not restored quickly (Carnegie). In addition to massive economic damage, the disruption of communication and radar networks would impair defense capabilities, complicating crisis management during the very moment it’s most needed.

    "Beyond the immediate blast and pulse, a space-based nuclear explosion would have a long-duration effect that could be even more damaging to space infrastructure. The explosion’s charged particles would become trapped by Earth’s magnetic field, forming an artificial radiation belt encircling the planet (Scientific American).

    "This is exactly what happened after Starfish Prime: a man-made #RadiationBelt lingered for years, eventually destroying a third of all satellites in orbit at the time (Scientific American). In today’s environment, with thousands of satellites, the consequences would be dire. The intense radiation would bathe #LowEarthOrbit, causing surviving satellites to degrade and fail over the ensuing days, weeks, and months (Aerospace America). Many satellites that weren’t immediately destroyed would succumb to this enhanced radiation environment.

    "Nearly 10,000 active satellites now orbit Earth, and most are not designed to withstand extreme nuclear radiation (Aerospace America). Critical constellations – for example, #SpaceX’s #Starlink network of small satellites (over 6,000 in orbit) that provides high-speed broadband, including to Ukrainian forces – would likely be heavily degraded or completely knocked offline (Scientific American). Replacement of satellites would be hampered as well: the orbital 'fallout' zone could remain dangerous for new satellites for years, denying space to any fresh deployments (Aerospace America). Even astronauts and cosmonauts in space could be in peril."

    Read more:
    ieu-monitoring.com/editorial/o

    Archived version:
    archive.ph/PPMrQ

    #NoNukesInSpace #LEO #KesslerEffect
    #KesslerSyndrome #NoNukes #NoWar #NuclearWeapons #Satellites

  7. Orbiting Armageddon: Russia’s #EMP Threat from Space and Transatlantic Responses

    Apr 17, 2025

    Excerpt: "If a #NuclearBomb were detonated in orbit, the physical effects would be unlike a typical terrestrial nuclear blast. There would be no mushroom cloud or shock wave in the vacuum of space. Instead, the weapon’s energy would be released as intense radiation and electromagnetic pulses (Scientific American).

    "#Satellites within line of sight of the explosion would be instantly subjected to a blinding flash of gamma rays and X-rays, likely frying their electronics on contact (Scientific American). Moments after, a powerful #EMP would form as the bomb’s gamma radiation ionizes the upper atmosphere. This process, known as the #ComptonEffect, releases billions of high-energy electrons that race along Earth’s magnetic field lines (Scientific American). The result is an expanding wave of electromagnetic energy.

    "U.S. defense officials have described this kind of space-triggered EMP as a 'massive energy wave' that could 'destroy satellites' and disrupt a vast swath of the satellites that the world depends on for communication and commerce (Carnegie). In essence, one orbital blast could simultaneously knock out numerous satellites – military and civilian – that are crucial to GPS navigation, telephone and internet links, financial transactions, weather forecasting, and more.

    "An EMP from space could also induce chaos on the ground. The pulse would interact with Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field to send geomagnetically induced currents surging through power lines and electronic networks (Aerospace America). In 1962, the U.S. #StarfishPrime test proved this danger: although detonated 400 kilometers above the Pacific, its EMP caused voltage spikes that blew out 300 streetlights and knocked out telephone lines in Hawaii, nearly 1,500 kilometers away (Scientific American , Aerospace America).

    "An orbital detonation today, especially if positioned over populated regions, could overload electrical grids across vast areas. Transformers and grid infrastructure could be destroyed by the sudden, uncontrolled currents (Aerospace America). The scale of blackout could range over one or several countries, depending on the weapon’s altitude and yield. Experts warn that such a scenario would be devastating.

    "A U.S. Congressional commission on EMP found that a nationwide power outage caused by a high-altitude nuclear blast could collapse critical infrastructure – an outcome it described as a potential
    'civilization killer' if power and services were not restored quickly (Carnegie). In addition to massive economic damage, the disruption of communication and radar networks would impair defense capabilities, complicating crisis management during the very moment it’s most needed.

    "Beyond the immediate blast and pulse, a space-based nuclear explosion would have a long-duration effect that could be even more damaging to space infrastructure. The explosion’s charged particles would become trapped by Earth’s magnetic field, forming an artificial radiation belt encircling the planet (Scientific American).

    "This is exactly what happened after Starfish Prime: a man-made #RadiationBelt lingered for years, eventually destroying a third of all satellites in orbit at the time (Scientific American). In today’s environment, with thousands of satellites, the consequences would be dire. The intense radiation would bathe #LowEarthOrbit, causing surviving satellites to degrade and fail over the ensuing days, weeks, and months (Aerospace America). Many satellites that weren’t immediately destroyed would succumb to this enhanced radiation environment.

    "Nearly 10,000 active satellites now orbit Earth, and most are not designed to withstand extreme nuclear radiation (Aerospace America). Critical constellations – for example, #SpaceX’s #Starlink network of small satellites (over 6,000 in orbit) that provides high-speed broadband, including to Ukrainian forces – would likely be heavily degraded or completely knocked offline (Scientific American). Replacement of satellites would be hampered as well: the orbital 'fallout' zone could remain dangerous for new satellites for years, denying space to any fresh deployments (Aerospace America). Even astronauts and cosmonauts in space could be in peril."

    Read more:
    ieu-monitoring.com/editorial/o

    Archived version:
    archive.ph/PPMrQ

    #NoNukesInSpace #LEO #KesslerEffect
    #KesslerSyndrome #NoNukes #NoWar #NuclearWeapons #Satellites

  8. Orbiting Armageddon: Russia’s #EMP Threat from Space and Transatlantic Responses

    Apr 17, 2025

    Excerpt: "If a #NuclearBomb were detonated in orbit, the physical effects would be unlike a typical terrestrial nuclear blast. There would be no mushroom cloud or shock wave in the vacuum of space. Instead, the weapon’s energy would be released as intense radiation and electromagnetic pulses (Scientific American).

    "#Satellites within line of sight of the explosion would be instantly subjected to a blinding flash of gamma rays and X-rays, likely frying their electronics on contact (Scientific American). Moments after, a powerful #EMP would form as the bomb’s gamma radiation ionizes the upper atmosphere. This process, known as the #ComptonEffect, releases billions of high-energy electrons that race along Earth’s magnetic field lines (Scientific American). The result is an expanding wave of electromagnetic energy.

    "U.S. defense officials have described this kind of space-triggered EMP as a 'massive energy wave' that could 'destroy satellites' and disrupt a vast swath of the satellites that the world depends on for communication and commerce (Carnegie). In essence, one orbital blast could simultaneously knock out numerous satellites – military and civilian – that are crucial to GPS navigation, telephone and internet links, financial transactions, weather forecasting, and more.

    "An EMP from space could also induce chaos on the ground. The pulse would interact with Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field to send geomagnetically induced currents surging through power lines and electronic networks (Aerospace America). In 1962, the U.S. #StarfishPrime test proved this danger: although detonated 400 kilometers above the Pacific, its EMP caused voltage spikes that blew out 300 streetlights and knocked out telephone lines in Hawaii, nearly 1,500 kilometers away (Scientific American , Aerospace America).

    "An orbital detonation today, especially if positioned over populated regions, could overload electrical grids across vast areas. Transformers and grid infrastructure could be destroyed by the sudden, uncontrolled currents (Aerospace America). The scale of blackout could range over one or several countries, depending on the weapon’s altitude and yield. Experts warn that such a scenario would be devastating.

    "A U.S. Congressional commission on EMP found that a nationwide power outage caused by a high-altitude nuclear blast could collapse critical infrastructure – an outcome it described as a potential
    'civilization killer' if power and services were not restored quickly (Carnegie). In addition to massive economic damage, the disruption of communication and radar networks would impair defense capabilities, complicating crisis management during the very moment it’s most needed.

    "Beyond the immediate blast and pulse, a space-based nuclear explosion would have a long-duration effect that could be even more damaging to space infrastructure. The explosion’s charged particles would become trapped by Earth’s magnetic field, forming an artificial radiation belt encircling the planet (Scientific American).

    "This is exactly what happened after Starfish Prime: a man-made #RadiationBelt lingered for years, eventually destroying a third of all satellites in orbit at the time (Scientific American). In today’s environment, with thousands of satellites, the consequences would be dire. The intense radiation would bathe #LowEarthOrbit, causing surviving satellites to degrade and fail over the ensuing days, weeks, and months (Aerospace America). Many satellites that weren’t immediately destroyed would succumb to this enhanced radiation environment.

    "Nearly 10,000 active satellites now orbit Earth, and most are not designed to withstand extreme nuclear radiation (Aerospace America). Critical constellations – for example, #SpaceX’s #Starlink network of small satellites (over 6,000 in orbit) that provides high-speed broadband, including to Ukrainian forces – would likely be heavily degraded or completely knocked offline (Scientific American). Replacement of satellites would be hampered as well: the orbital 'fallout' zone could remain dangerous for new satellites for years, denying space to any fresh deployments (Aerospace America). Even astronauts and cosmonauts in space could be in peril."

    Read more:
    ieu-monitoring.com/editorial/o

    Archived version:
    archive.ph/PPMrQ

    #NoNukesInSpace #LEO #KesslerEffect
    #KesslerSyndrome #NoNukes #NoWar #NuclearWeapons #Satellites

  9. Orbiting Armageddon: Russia’s #EMP Threat from Space and Transatlantic Responses

    Apr 17, 2025

    Excerpt: "If a #NuclearBomb were detonated in orbit, the physical effects would be unlike a typical terrestrial nuclear blast. There would be no mushroom cloud or shock wave in the vacuum of space. Instead, the weapon’s energy would be released as intense radiation and electromagnetic pulses (Scientific American).

    "#Satellites within line of sight of the explosion would be instantly subjected to a blinding flash of gamma rays and X-rays, likely frying their electronics on contact (Scientific American). Moments after, a powerful #EMP would form as the bomb’s gamma radiation ionizes the upper atmosphere. This process, known as the #ComptonEffect, releases billions of high-energy electrons that race along Earth’s magnetic field lines (Scientific American). The result is an expanding wave of electromagnetic energy.

    "U.S. defense officials have described this kind of space-triggered EMP as a 'massive energy wave' that could 'destroy satellites' and disrupt a vast swath of the satellites that the world depends on for communication and commerce (Carnegie). In essence, one orbital blast could simultaneously knock out numerous satellites – military and civilian – that are crucial to GPS navigation, telephone and internet links, financial transactions, weather forecasting, and more.

    "An EMP from space could also induce chaos on the ground. The pulse would interact with Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field to send geomagnetically induced currents surging through power lines and electronic networks (Aerospace America). In 1962, the U.S. #StarfishPrime test proved this danger: although detonated 400 kilometers above the Pacific, its EMP caused voltage spikes that blew out 300 streetlights and knocked out telephone lines in Hawaii, nearly 1,500 kilometers away (Scientific American , Aerospace America).

    "An orbital detonation today, especially if positioned over populated regions, could overload electrical grids across vast areas. Transformers and grid infrastructure could be destroyed by the sudden, uncontrolled currents (Aerospace America). The scale of blackout could range over one or several countries, depending on the weapon’s altitude and yield. Experts warn that such a scenario would be devastating.

    "A U.S. Congressional commission on EMP found that a nationwide power outage caused by a high-altitude nuclear blast could collapse critical infrastructure – an outcome it described as a potential
    'civilization killer' if power and services were not restored quickly (Carnegie). In addition to massive economic damage, the disruption of communication and radar networks would impair defense capabilities, complicating crisis management during the very moment it’s most needed.

    "Beyond the immediate blast and pulse, a space-based nuclear explosion would have a long-duration effect that could be even more damaging to space infrastructure. The explosion’s charged particles would become trapped by Earth’s magnetic field, forming an artificial radiation belt encircling the planet (Scientific American).

    "This is exactly what happened after Starfish Prime: a man-made #RadiationBelt lingered for years, eventually destroying a third of all satellites in orbit at the time (Scientific American). In today’s environment, with thousands of satellites, the consequences would be dire. The intense radiation would bathe #LowEarthOrbit, causing surviving satellites to degrade and fail over the ensuing days, weeks, and months (Aerospace America). Many satellites that weren’t immediately destroyed would succumb to this enhanced radiation environment.

    "Nearly 10,000 active satellites now orbit Earth, and most are not designed to withstand extreme nuclear radiation (Aerospace America). Critical constellations – for example, #SpaceX’s #Starlink network of small satellites (over 6,000 in orbit) that provides high-speed broadband, including to Ukrainian forces – would likely be heavily degraded or completely knocked offline (Scientific American). Replacement of satellites would be hampered as well: the orbital 'fallout' zone could remain dangerous for new satellites for years, denying space to any fresh deployments (Aerospace America). Even astronauts and cosmonauts in space could be in peril."

    Read more:
    ieu-monitoring.com/editorial/o

    Archived version:
    archive.ph/PPMrQ

    #NoNukesInSpace #LEO #KesslerEffect
    #KesslerSyndrome #NoNukes #NoWar #NuclearWeapons #Satellites

  10. Orbiting Armageddon: Russia’s #EMP Threat from Space and Transatlantic Responses

    Apr 17, 2025

    Excerpt: "If a #NuclearBomb were detonated in orbit, the physical effects would be unlike a typical terrestrial nuclear blast. There would be no mushroom cloud or shock wave in the vacuum of space. Instead, the weapon’s energy would be released as intense radiation and electromagnetic pulses (Scientific American).

    "#Satellites within line of sight of the explosion would be instantly subjected to a blinding flash of gamma rays and X-rays, likely frying their electronics on contact (Scientific American). Moments after, a powerful #EMP would form as the bomb’s gamma radiation ionizes the upper atmosphere. This process, known as the #ComptonEffect, releases billions of high-energy electrons that race along Earth’s magnetic field lines (Scientific American). The result is an expanding wave of electromagnetic energy.

    "U.S. defense officials have described this kind of space-triggered EMP as a 'massive energy wave' that could 'destroy satellites' and disrupt a vast swath of the satellites that the world depends on for communication and commerce (Carnegie). In essence, one orbital blast could simultaneously knock out numerous satellites – military and civilian – that are crucial to GPS navigation, telephone and internet links, financial transactions, weather forecasting, and more.

    "An EMP from space could also induce chaos on the ground. The pulse would interact with Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field to send geomagnetically induced currents surging through power lines and electronic networks (Aerospace America). In 1962, the U.S. #StarfishPrime test proved this danger: although detonated 400 kilometers above the Pacific, its EMP caused voltage spikes that blew out 300 streetlights and knocked out telephone lines in Hawaii, nearly 1,500 kilometers away (Scientific American , Aerospace America).

    "An orbital detonation today, especially if positioned over populated regions, could overload electrical grids across vast areas. Transformers and grid infrastructure could be destroyed by the sudden, uncontrolled currents (Aerospace America). The scale of blackout could range over one or several countries, depending on the weapon’s altitude and yield. Experts warn that such a scenario would be devastating.

    "A U.S. Congressional commission on EMP found that a nationwide power outage caused by a high-altitude nuclear blast could collapse critical infrastructure – an outcome it described as a potential
    'civilization killer' if power and services were not restored quickly (Carnegie). In addition to massive economic damage, the disruption of communication and radar networks would impair defense capabilities, complicating crisis management during the very moment it’s most needed.

    "Beyond the immediate blast and pulse, a space-based nuclear explosion would have a long-duration effect that could be even more damaging to space infrastructure. The explosion’s charged particles would become trapped by Earth’s magnetic field, forming an artificial radiation belt encircling the planet (Scientific American).

    "This is exactly what happened after Starfish Prime: a man-made #RadiationBelt lingered for years, eventually destroying a third of all satellites in orbit at the time (Scientific American). In today’s environment, with thousands of satellites, the consequences would be dire. The intense radiation would bathe #LowEarthOrbit, causing surviving satellites to degrade and fail over the ensuing days, weeks, and months (Aerospace America). Many satellites that weren’t immediately destroyed would succumb to this enhanced radiation environment.

    "Nearly 10,000 active satellites now orbit Earth, and most are not designed to withstand extreme nuclear radiation (Aerospace America). Critical constellations – for example, #SpaceX’s #Starlink network of small satellites (over 6,000 in orbit) that provides high-speed broadband, including to Ukrainian forces – would likely be heavily degraded or completely knocked offline (Scientific American). Replacement of satellites would be hampered as well: the orbital 'fallout' zone could remain dangerous for new satellites for years, denying space to any fresh deployments (Aerospace America). Even astronauts and cosmonauts in space could be in peril."

    Read more:
    ieu-monitoring.com/editorial/o

    Archived version:
    archive.ph/PPMrQ

    #NoNukesInSpace #LEO #KesslerEffect
    #KesslerSyndrome #NoNukes #NoWar #NuclearWeapons #Satellites

  11. [Thread] In the news... #NukesInSpace!!!

    A new US military wargame series began by simulating a #NuclearWeapon in orbit

    US officials have said a nuclear detonation would render portions of low-Earth orbit useless for up to a year.

    Stephen Clark – May 13, 2026

    "US Space Command is inviting commercial companies to participate in a new series of classified wargames. The first exercise simulated a scenario involving a potential nuclear detonation in orbit."

    arstechnica.com/space/2026/05/

    #NoNukesInSpace #LEO #LowEarthOrbit #KesslerEffect #KesslerSyndrome #NoNukes #NoWar #NuclearWeapons #Satellites

  12. [Thread] In the news... #NukesInSpace!!!

    A new US military wargame series began by simulating a #NuclearWeapon in orbit

    US officials have said a nuclear detonation would render portions of low-Earth orbit useless for up to a year.

    Stephen Clark – May 13, 2026

    "US Space Command is inviting commercial companies to participate in a new series of classified wargames. The first exercise simulated a scenario involving a potential nuclear detonation in orbit."

    arstechnica.com/space/2026/05/

    #NoNukesInSpace #LEO #LowEarthOrbit #KesslerEffect #KesslerSyndrome #NoNukes #NoWar #NuclearWeapons #Satellites

  13. [Thread] In the news... #NukesInSpace!!!

    A new US military wargame series began by simulating a #NuclearWeapon in orbit

    US officials have said a nuclear detonation would render portions of low-Earth orbit useless for up to a year.

    Stephen Clark – May 13, 2026

    "US Space Command is inviting commercial companies to participate in a new series of classified wargames. The first exercise simulated a scenario involving a potential nuclear detonation in orbit."

    arstechnica.com/space/2026/05/

    #NoNukesInSpace #LEO #LowEarthOrbit #KesslerEffect #KesslerSyndrome #NoNukes #NoWar #NuclearWeapons #Satellites

  14. [Thread] In the news... #NukesInSpace!!!

    A new US military wargame series began by simulating a #NuclearWeapon in orbit

    US officials have said a nuclear detonation would render portions of low-Earth orbit useless for up to a year.

    Stephen Clark – May 13, 2026

    "US Space Command is inviting commercial companies to participate in a new series of classified wargames. The first exercise simulated a scenario involving a potential nuclear detonation in orbit."

    arstechnica.com/space/2026/05/

    #NoNukesInSpace #LEO #LowEarthOrbit #KesslerEffect #KesslerSyndrome #NoNukes #NoWar #NuclearWeapons #Satellites

  15. [Thread] In the news... #NukesInSpace!!!

    A new US military wargame series began by simulating a #NuclearWeapon in orbit

    US officials have said a nuclear detonation would render portions of low-Earth orbit useless for up to a year.

    Stephen Clark – May 13, 2026

    "US Space Command is inviting commercial companies to participate in a new series of classified wargames. The first exercise simulated a scenario involving a potential nuclear detonation in orbit."

    arstechnica.com/space/2026/05/

    #NoNukesInSpace #LEO #LowEarthOrbit #KesslerEffect #KesslerSyndrome #NoNukes #NoWar #NuclearWeapons #Satellites

  16. Canada Updates Space Launch and Re-Entry Regulations in Canada Space Launch Act.

    New regulations have strict de-orbiting mandates for controlled re-entries for non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) within five years after operational life.

    Includes potential liability for debris affecting Canadian airspace, and Operators must submit debris mitigation plans, register for space situational awareness, and prove compliance. satnews.com/2026/04/29/canada- #Canada #Space #SpaceLaunchAct #Satellites #SpaceCraft #Re_Entry #De_Orbit #SpaceJunk #SpaceDebris #Liability #LowEarthOrbit #NGSO

  17. Low Earth orbit satellite network to become battleground for defense

    Operating in low Earth orbit, typically below 1,250 miles, modern satellite constellations rely on hundreds or even thousands…
    #NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Space #China #Defense&Military #lowEarthorbit #Satellites #Science #spacewarfare #Starlink #Ukraine #Venezuela
    newsbeep.com/us/608993/

  18. Low Earth orbit satellite network to become battleground for defense

    Operating in low Earth orbit, typically below 1,250 miles, modern satellite constellations rely on hundreds or even thousands…
    #NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Space #China #Defense&Military #lowEarthorbit #Satellites #Science #spacewarfare #Starlink #Ukraine #Venezuela
    newsbeep.com/us/608993/

  19. FYI: Delta signs Amazon Leo deal for 1 Gbps in-flight Wi-Fi starting 2028: Amazon Leo will bring 1 Gbps in-flight Wi-Fi to 500 Delta aircraft from 2028, using low Earth orbit satellites just 370 miles up - here is what that means. ppc.land/delta-signs-amazon-le #DeltaAirlines #AmazonLeo #InFlightWiFi #SpaceTechnology #LowEarthOrbit

  20. FYI: Delta signs Amazon Leo deal for 1 Gbps in-flight Wi-Fi starting 2028: Amazon Leo will bring 1 Gbps in-flight Wi-Fi to 500 Delta aircraft from 2028, using low Earth orbit satellites just 370 miles up - here is what that means. ppc.land/delta-signs-amazon-le #DeltaAirlines #AmazonLeo #InFlightWiFi #SpaceTechnology #LowEarthOrbit

  21. ICYMI: Delta signs Amazon Leo deal for 1 Gbps in-flight Wi-Fi starting 2028: Amazon Leo will bring 1 Gbps in-flight Wi-Fi to 500 Delta aircraft from 2028, using low Earth orbit satellites just 370 miles up - here is what that means. ppc.land/delta-signs-amazon-le #DeltaAirlines #AmazonLeo #InFlightWiFi #SpaceTechnology #LowEarthOrbit

  22. ICYMI: Delta signs Amazon Leo deal for 1 Gbps in-flight Wi-Fi starting 2028: Amazon Leo will bring 1 Gbps in-flight Wi-Fi to 500 Delta aircraft from 2028, using low Earth orbit satellites just 370 miles up - here is what that means. ppc.land/delta-signs-amazon-le #DeltaAirlines #AmazonLeo #InFlightWiFi #SpaceTechnology #LowEarthOrbit

  23. NASA announces a big shake-up of the Artemis Moon program

    As we wait for the historic Artemis II mission — with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen on board —…
    #NewsBeep #News #Science #Artemis #artemisii #Artemisiii #ArtemisIV #artemisprogram #CA #Canada #landhumans #lowEarthorbit #NASA
    newsbeep.com/ca/510022/

  24. NASA Puts 21-Year-Old Spacecraft on Pause to Keep It From Crashing Into Earth

    NASA is racing to save an aging space telescope before it burns up in Earth’s atmosphere. To do…
    #NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Space #gammarays #lowEarthorbit #NASA #Science
    newsbeep.com/us/465932/

  25. NASA Puts 21-Year-Old Spacecraft on Pause to Keep It From Crashing Into Earth

    NASA is racing to save an aging space telescope before it burns up in Earth’s atmosphere. To do…
    #NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Space #gammarays #lowEarthorbit #NASA #Science
    newsbeep.com/us/465932/

  26. NASA Puts 21-Year-Old Spacecraft on Pause to Keep It From Crashing Into Earth

    NASA is racing to save an aging space telescope before it burns up in Earth’s atmosphere. To do…
    #NewsBeep #News #Science #CA #Canada #GammaRays #lowEarthorbit #NASA
    newsbeep.com/ca/471292/

  27. This #SpaceX Situation: Not Good!

    by Jason Koebler, Feb 5, 2026

    Excerpt: "There are many reasons that 'AI data centers in space' may be a pipe dream and may not happen, but what he is proposing is a magnitude of #SpaceJunk that no other company could plausibly promise to launch. Data centers or not, SpaceX is now dominating #LowEarthOrbit in a way no other company or country has. While Musk has been gutting the federal government, interfering in #elections, allowing people to generate #CSAM, engaging in white supremacy, planning trips to #EpsteinsIsland, implanting #chips into people’s brains, siphoning off taxpayer money to build ridiculous tunnels, giving his sperm to whoever will take it, turning his cars into experimental robot taxis, and pretending to build #HumanoidRobots, #SpaceX has somewhat (?) quietly #colonized and dominated low earth orbit.

    "Musk has taken this space for his own use, concerns about #LightPollution, satellite collisions, and telecom #monopolies be damned. This has always been concerning, but explicitly intertwining the aspirations and fate of SpaceX with Musk’s CSAM generating social media website, his #AIBullshitMachines, and his right wing political project is horrifying and monopolistic. What happens next, I have no idea."

    Read more:
    404media.co/this-spacex-situat

    Archived version:
    archive.ph/vUubi

    #TechBros #Technopoly #DarkSkies #SpacePollution #AISucks #DataCenters #SkyNet #KesslerEffect #KesslerSyndrome #USPol #WorldPol #SpaceNews #EpsteinFiles

  28. Counterintuitively, ultra-low Earth Orbits are not about less sustainable, but rather about more sustainable and eco-friendly spaceflight. If done, right: which would mean real air-breathing thrusters, which could (theoretically) allow satellites to stay in low orbit indefinitely, without needing more propellant.

    The problem with New Orbit startup is that while they declare this intention, their actual Aura thruster is xenon powered, so the demonstration mission won't actually be sustainable (as I understand it).

    The low orbit has numerous advantages - eg. reducing impact on astronomy, because low flying satellites would pass overhead very quickly and most of the time would not be illuminated by sun. There is also zero risk of Kessler syndrome, because most satellites would re-enter quickly. But prolonged lifetime of such satellites is essential, to reduce dangerously high number of launches and re-entries.

    neworbit.space/news/can-a-humb

    #lowearthorbit #space

  29. #SpaceX acquires #xAI, plans to launch a massive #SatelliteConstellation to power it

    “This marks not just the next chapter, but the next book in SpaceX and xAI’s mission.”

    Eric Berger – Feb 2, 2026

    "SpaceX has formally acquired another one of Elon Musk’s companies, xAi, the space company announced on Monday afternoon.

    “SpaceX has acquired xAI to form the most ambitious, vertically-integrated innovation engine on (and off) Earth, with AI, rockets, space-based internet, direct-to-mobile device communications and the world’s foremost real-time information and free speech platform,' the company said. 'This marks not just the next chapter, but the next book in SpaceX and xAI’s mission: scaling to make a sentient sun to understand the Universe and extend the light of consciousness to the stars!' [How much Special-K did you take, dude?]

    "The merging of what is arguably Musk’s most successful company, SpaceX, with the more speculative xAI venture is a risk. Founded in 2023, xAI’s main products are the generative AI chatbot Grok and the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter. The company aims to compete with OpenAI and other artificial intelligence firms. However, Grok has been controversial, including the sexualization of women and children through AI-generated images, as has Musk’s management of Twitter."

    Read more:
    arstechnica.com/ai/2026/02/spa

    #USPol #WorldPol #ElonSucks #SkyNet #AISucks #DarkSkies #SpacePollution #SatellitePollution #LowEarthOrbit #KesslerEffect #KesslerSyndrom

  30. It's like #ElonMusk wants there to be a #KesslerEffect! Hard to launch a space program if we can't leave Earth!

    #SpaceX seeks go-ahead from the #FCC to put up to a million #DataCenter satellites in orbit

    by Alan Boyle on Jan 31, 2026

    Excerpt: "SpaceX founder Elon Musk wasn’t kidding about his plans to go big with orbital data centers: The company is asking the Federal Communications Commission to approve a plan to put up to a million satellites in orbit to process data for artificial intelligence applications.

    " 'Launching a constellation of a million satellites that operate as orbital data centers is a first step towards becoming a #Kardashev II-level civilization — one that can harness the sun’s full power — while supporting #AI-driven applications for billions of people today and ensuring humanity’s #multiplanetary future amongst the stars,' SpaceX said in an application filed with the FCC on Friday."

    Read more:
    geekwire.com/2026/spacex-fcc-m

    #AISatellites #SkyNet #DarkSkies #Starlink #LowEarthOrbit #LEO #KesslerSyndrome #SolarFlares #Grounded

  31. Elon Musk reacts to SpaceX’s FCC application for space AI data centre satellite: Oops, did I say…

    SpaceX has applied to launch a million satellites for orbital data centres to power AI computing, claiming it’s…
    #UnitedStates #US #USA #AIcomputing #ElonMusk #FCCapproval #KardashevII-levelcivilization #lowEarthorbit #Musk #orbitaldatacentres #satellitelaunch #spacedebris #SpaceX #Starlink
    europesays.com/2746847/

  32. RE: scicomm.xyz/@JohnBarentine/115

    #Satellites in #Earth #orbit play a major role in everyday life on Earth and make the global #connectivity via our media possible in the first place. However, the increasing number of satellites in #lowEarthorbit (#LEO) can also #brighten the #nightsky in places and interfere with #astronomical #observations. Degen et al. (2026) recommend #retroreflective #coatings on satellites to #redirect #sunlight in order to reduce brightness.
    ©this text#StefanFWirth 2026

    Ref doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.20

  33. Oh great, more companies competing to hasten #KesslerSyndrome !

    #Starlink-rival Eutelsat signs deal with Europe's #MaiaSpace to launch satellites

    By Gianluca Lo Nostro
    Fri, January 16, 2026 at 7:11 AM EST

    "#Eutelsat, which acquired OneWeb in 2023, plans to ⁠launch 440 Airbus-built #LEO #satellites in the coming years to replenish and expand its constellation."

    Read more:
    yahoo.com/news/articles/starli

    #LEO #LowEarthOrbit #SpaceJunk #Satellites #KesslerEffect #DarkSkies #SpaceTrash

  34. #Starlink satellites lift off on #SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral (video)

    By Robert Z. Pearlman, Wednesday (Jan. 14).

    Excerpt: "SpaceX added 29 more Starlink satellites to its low Earth orbit #megaconstellation today (Jan. 14).

    "A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the broadband internet relay units launched from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Wednesday. The rocket reached its preliminary orbit about nine minutes after the 1:08 p.m. EST (1808 GMT) liftoff."

    Read more / watch video:
    space.com/space-exploration/la

    #LEO #KesslerSyndrome #KesslerEffect #SpaceJunk #SpaceDebris #Satellites #LowEarthOrbit

  35. UK’s Open Cosmos beats Thiel-backed Rivada to a European satellite licence.

    UK satellite company Open Cosmos has won a Liechtenstein low-Earth orbit contract, a highly contested satellite spectrum licence, beating out companies backed by US tech billionaire Peter Thiel and Chinese investors.

    mediafaro.org/article/20260114

    #Satellites #LowEarthOrbit #OpenCosmos #Rivada

  36. Can you say “Deconfliction”? The Risk of Satellite Collisions is going Parabolic – Not a good thing.

    The latest TechAptitude post is is live - reviews the current state of Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and the growing risk of spacecraft collisions.
    open.substack.com/pub/techapti #Space #Satellites #SSA #SatelliteCollision #Deconfliction #TechAptitude #LowEarthOrbit

  37. Tech giants and billionaire investors are racing to build data centers on the ground and in low‑Earth orbit. From SpaceX’s Starcloud to Google’s Aetherflux, the push could reshape cloud computing and satellite networks. How will this affect privacy, costs, and the future of the internet? Read the full story. #DataCenters #LowEarthOrbit #SpaceX #Starcloud

    🔗 aidailypost.com/news/billionai