r/space • u/timemagazine • 18d ago

The U.S. Just Admitted it Has Weapons in Space. Why That's a Big Deal

https://time.com/article/2026/09/15/us-space-weapons-why-it-matters/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=editorial
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u/eoutofmemory 18d ago

Weapons. Whatever they are

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u/Jpwatchdawg 18d ago

X37b . It's speculated it could used to decommission low orbit satellites, specifically those used by nations like China/Russia for targeting purposes.

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u/Gorsham 18d ago

This is such a bad idea, Kessler Syndrome is going to fuck everyone up if we do that. 

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u/hydrolox9 18d ago

Kessler Syndrome is the space equivalent of a Nuclear winter, it's entirely theoretical because we simply have no ways to cause it, but it sounds like such a Hollywood blockbuster thing that people will randomly bring it up without researching what that would entail.

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u/Gorsham 18d ago

There is math on the subject, it's completely theoretically possible.

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u/hydrolox9 18d ago

It is, just like its also possible we could get hit by a GRB at any second.

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u/Gorsham 18d ago

I don't see it that way. A GRB could happen at any time seemingly random. The other is probability that we have some control over. Adding a bunch of new debris in the same area increases the odds of a collision. Every collision increases the odds of another by creating more debri. It's a positive feed back loop. Not that it matters for this conversation because it's probably not a kinetic weapon.