US Deploys Anti-Satellite Satellite
According to General Lance Lord of the U.S. Air Force Space Command, the weaponizing of space is afoot. The Air Force has recently deployed an electronic-warfare satellite into Earth’s orbit which is capable of jamming the signals from other satellites.
Disrupting enemy communications isn’t a directly destructive act, but loss of satellite communication has the potential to devastatingly cripple an enemy, so this move will no doubt motivate other countries to deploy their own anti-satellite weapons (with built-in anti-anti-satellite systems). And some of these systems are certain to be destructive rather than just interfering. Not cool.
From the article:
Russia also in the past has deployed anti-satellite weapons and is developing anti-satellite jamming weapons.
Gen. Lord dismissed assertions by critics that the Air Force’s plans to use small spacecraft for maintenance could include using the craft as anti-satellite ramming devices.
Aside: The article also mentions the spiffiest military unit name ever… The 76th Space Control Squadron.
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“The 76th Space Control Squadron”
Imagine trying to pick up chicks with that line.
“So where do you work?”
“I’m part of the 76th Space Control Squadron!”
“Ok Buzz Lightyear, get bent.”