Nuclear-resistant satellites occupy a central place in the US space force strategy

Amid rising tensions in space, the U.S. Space Force is stepping up efforts to strengthen spacecraft defenses against potential nuclear attacks and improve missile tracking capabilities.

The Space Force is evaluating how to ensure these spacecraft can withstand a nuclear threat, DefenseNews reported. The Space Force is working with the Space Warfare Analysis Center (SWAC) to determine the next generation of these capabilities, according to Col. Rob Davis, who manages space sensor acquisitions.

The defense agency is embarking on a long-term plan to boost its missile-tracking capabilities, particularly in response to hypersonic threats from China and Russia. Both countries are developing hypersonic missiles that travel at Mach 5 and are building or testing anti-satellite weapons that could disrupt orbital operations.

The Space Force uses large, expensive space-based infrared satellites to warn of missiles. These satellites are radiation-resistant and can withstand a nuclear attack.

Deploying large numbers of small satellites in lower orbits

So far, the Space Development Agency (SDA) has successfully placed eight missile-tracking satellites into low-Earth orbit, and the Space Systems Command (SSC) is preparing to launch its first spacecraft into medium-Earth orbit (MEO) in 2026. Both organizations are deploying the satellites in batches and plan to release new versions every few years.

The Space Force plans to retire older systems and rely solely on new satellite architectures. In the near future, the service is working with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to build five radiation-hardened Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next-Gen OPIR) satellites to replace the Space-Based Infrared System.

Colonel Davis also said the Space Force has prioritized improving tracking of fast, hard-to-detect targets over ensuring the survivability of new satellites in a nuclear attack, a decision that is driven by the urgent need for better tracking capabilities and the significant costs associated with making spacecraft more survivable.

Nuclear Protection Options in Long-Term Plans

Additionally, Davis added that the goal of ongoing studies is to identify nuclear protection options consistent with the service’s long-term architectural plans.

“We can’t forget about these other important requirements. With an agile development approach, we will look at the results of this study. And it may impact future eras or potentially future tranches of both SDA’s work and our work to make sure we are meeting the full requirements for the country,” David emphasized.

Interestingly, the SDA intends to launch about 500 satellites over four years as part of its Proliferated Warfighting Space Architecture (PWSA) to increase resilience against anti-satellite threats. The agency plans to invest about $9 billion every two years in PWSA, which includes a transport layer for data communications and a tracking layer for sensors that warn against missiles.

But there are also potential hurdles that SDA must overcome, as highlighted in a recent study by Andrew Berglund, senior policy analyst at the Aerospace Corporation’s Center for Space Policy and Strategy. The study notes that while SDA has shown early promise, it has yet to demonstrate the capabilities of its systems at scale and prove the effectiveness of its distributed satellite architecture, which is a key step in securing further support and funding.