ARMED FIGHTING SATELLITES

The Soviet Polyus spacecraft, which crashed after failing to reach orbit in 1987, was designed to have a projectile firing cannon for self-defence [Grondine, E. 2019 Polyus. Astronautix]. The earlier 1975 arming of Soviet Salyut-3: OPS-2 (Almaz-2), used a specially adapted R-23M Kartech, originally an aircraft 23 millimetre autocannon used on the Tupolev Tu-22 Blinder Supersonic Bomber [Zak, A. 2015 Here is the Soviet Union’s Secret Space Cannon. Popular Mechanics (16 November]. Externally mounted, it was intended to defend against American Astronaut attacks [Reesman, R. Wilson, J.R. 2020 The Physics of Space War: How Orbital Dynamics Constrain Space-to-Space Engagements. The Aerospace Corporation (October)]. The once only firing of the Almaz autocannon in 1975, not being recoilless, had to be compensated for, as its firing had potential for shock and recoil:

“to damage the Station but, in the vacuum of Space, those forces raised the possibility that shooting the weapon could send it flying in a dangerously unpredictable fashion … [the solution was] … ignited its ... thrusters simultaneously with firing the cannon to counteract the weapon’s powerful recoil” [Zak, 2015; Trevithick, J. 2021 Here’s Our Best Look Yet at Russia’s Secretive Space Cannon, the Only Gun Ever Fired in Space. The War Zone (16 February].

Design drawings show Polyus spacecraft had provision for an, “anti-recoil exhaust system for … [a] … cannon” [Wade, M. 2019 Polyus Combat Satellite. Cutaway Drawing of the Polyus 1 Space Weapons Platform. Astronautix]. Which suggests the Soviets may have contemplated using the same version of the R-23M Kartech. It is also known, during the Cold War, the Soviets had designed a shotgun-style pellet cannon for use as an Antisatellite Weapon [Hendrickx, B. 2016 Naryad-V and the Soviet Antisatellite Fleet. Space Chronicle. Volume 69; Martin, M. Pfrang, K. Weeden, B. 2021 Russian Co-Orbital Antisatellite Testing. Secure World Foundation (April)]. In 2019, France was reported as having by 2030 military satellites armed with lasers and guns [Doffman, Z. 2019 Space Wars: Military Satellites Will Be Armed ‘With Lasers and Guns’ by 2030. Forbes (29 July)]. For a time, possible arming of French satellites was potentially contemplated in public commentaries, characterizing these weapons as: ‘machine guns’, that also use high-tech cameras to identify enemy satellites before spraying them with bullets in Space [Moynihan, Q. Goya, C. 2019 France’s Army Announced it will Develop ‘Space’ Machine Guns and Lasers to Counter Cyberattacks. Business Insider France (28 July)]. A Shoot-Back System either applies to a kinetic discharger, or a laser weapon [Harrison, T. Johnson, K. Young, M. 2021 Defense Against the Dark Arts in Space: Protecting Space Systems from Counterspace Weapons. A Report of the CSIS Aerospace Security Project. Rowman & Littlefield (February)]. Located on the satellite it is intended to defend, or be placed on a protective satellite in a similar or nearby orbit, or carried by a craft roaming among satellites, creating a Zone Defence with a weaponized satellite. The Shoot-Back System, is based on the concept: “Satellites can be equipped with systems that … fire a physical projectile at an incoming … [Antisatellite Weapons Technology] … to have physically destructive effects … The number of shots would be limited by the number of physical projectiles that could be stored on the satellite” [Harrison, 2021].

‘Space Bullets’: It can be broadly argued that once initial momentum is lost from a cannon used in Space, its projectile will begin to travel a path taking it into potential Earth Orbit. A projectile fired in Earth Orbit will be the equivalent of any nuts and bolts currently forming part of the growing Space debris: “[and] … they all travel at speeds up to 17,500 miles per hour, fast enough for a relatively small piece of orbital debris to damage a satellite or a spacecraft.” [Garcia, M. Editor. 2017 [-2013] Space Debris and Human Spacecraft. NASA (7 August)] It is known that the full-orbit of a Space debris nut or bolt is roughly-speaking, every 92 minutes. It is also plausible, that any projectile fired earlier, would be coming around, potentially passing through the position of the craft that had fire the projectile initially. Another variation of the Shoot-Back System is use of a laser. Said to be part of France’s ‘Mastering Space Plan,’ this is understood to call for an Active Defence using, “a constellation of miniature Space-Based guardians armed with lasers that could strike at other satellites if the country’s orbital assets come under attack, along with increased surveillance capabilities in orbit to spot potential threats.” [Trevithick, J. 2019 The French Have Plans for a Constellation of Laser-Armed Miniature Satellites. The Drive (26 July); Mackenzie, C. 2019 France Plans to Boost its Self-Defense Posture in Space. Defense News (26 July)]

‘War Satellite’: Currently, there is no distinct War Satellite classification, nevertheless the emerging phenomenon has been a satellite specifically designed to be in a combat situation in orbit around the Earth. In essence, an extension of Antisatellite Weapons Technology, the current notion of a Guardian-Bodyguard Satellite, used to protect more vulnerable craft in orbit from an attacker, is potentially a technology combination of: Armour-protection; Manoeuvrability - can travel and manoeuvre in orbit; Withstand an electromagnetic pulse, cyber, or other forms of laser and electronic warfare; and, Carry weapons to fight-off an attack from a variety of Antisatellite Weapons Technology.

GUARDIAN-BODYGUARD SATELLITES

Guardian-Bodyguard Satellite have both spacecraft and satellite characteristics as it has the ability to manoeuvre frequently in orbit. Intended to be used to protect other satellites:

“The concept of a Bodyguard satellite is a co-orbital satellite able to serve against increasing threats to satellites in orbit. It offers continuous monitoring of the environment of approaching objects, provides indicator and warning of threats prior to attack, and characterization of range, source, and capabilities. Bodyguard satellites can counteract and disrupt stalker satellite activity.” [Mowthorpe, M. 2022 The Russian Space Threat and a Defense Against it with Guardian Satellites. The Space Review (13 June)]

The concept is fundamentally linked to the notion of a Space Safety Zone. It is designed to prevent an attack reaching a vulnerable critical satellite. It has three tactical modes:

(1) Interposes itself between the target satellite (it is protecting), and the attacker;

(2) Manoeuvres to interdict the attacker; or,

(3) Counterattacks with its Shoot-Back System.

Guardian-Bodyguard Satellite’s role is to manoeuvre into a protective position in relation to a satellite that needs to be defended, that is likely to be a non-manoeuvrable kind, as it is mission critical that it stays in its orbital position [Chow, B.G. 2019 Two Ways to Ward-off Killer Spacecraft: One is Diplomatic; the Other, Technological. Defense One (30 July); Chow, B.G. Weeden, B. 2020 Securing Our Military Satellites Against Shadowing Spacecraft. Space Policy Workshop Panel II. Green, J. et al. Discussion Transcript (2 March)]. Guardian-Bodyguard Satellite are intended to be on station, with high-level manoeuvrability, pre-positioned to protect high-value military satellites [Chow, 2019; 2020]. Pre-positioning is essential given that orbital mechanics do not allow for last-minute launches or manoeuvres [Chow, 2019; 2020]. Currently, Guardian-Bodyguard Satellite do not exist, but could arise through inspection and robotic servicing spacecraft development:

“The United States should decide as soon as possible to acquire more of these robotic servicing spacecraft so that some can be used as bodyguard spacecraft during the first half of the 2020s. For use during the second half of the 2020s, the United States should quickly initiate a crash program to develop cheap but effective bodyguards by using small satellites. Bodyguards will be stationed near satellites we want to protect. Then, once there are invaders in our safety zones, these bodyguards will manoeuvre to put themselves between our satellites and potentially hostile satellites to prevent the latter from reaching our satellites.” [Chow, 2019]

Reversible Attacks: Guardian-Bodyguard Satellite can be weaponized. However, its potential weapons capabilities can be dialled-down operating only to temporarily disable an enemy craft. As a de-escalation strategy, the satellite is able to make Reversible Attacks: meaning attacks that do not permanently damage another satellite using non-kinetic means, including lasers, radio frequency jammers, and cyber-attacks. An aggressive stance, could see the same weapons dialled-up as a deterrent, and use of a projectile firing cannon as the ultimate act of aggression causing permanent or significant damage to a satellite that would be considered an act of war.

INSPECTION CRAFT (INSPECTOR SATELLITES)

Inspection and Robotic Servicing Spacecraft are part of a class of spacecraft capable of performing Rendezvous and Proximity Operations,

“Inspector satellites are satellites that approach other satellites and inspect them, by taking images or other data. They may be useful for maintenance of the satellite or for space law verification. Having an inspector satellite rendezvous with one satellite and then manoeuvre to rendezvous with a second satellite means that it must move between these two orbits. In general, this will require manoeuvring the inspector satellite to change its orbital plane, to change the size and shape of its orbit, and to change its position with respect to the other satellite in the orbit.” [Wright, D. Grego, L. Gronlund, L. 2005 The Physics of Space Security: A Reference Manual. American Academy of Arts and Sciences]

Inspection and Robotic Servicing Spacecraft are also part of, “Orbital Antisatellite Systems, inspector satellites, or manipulator satellites … [which] … are niche capabilities that have existed since the Cold War — albeit in low numbers and largely in an experimental rather than operational capacity.” [Drew, J.V. 2020 Space Operations: Lines, Zones, Options, and Dilemmas. Joint Forces Quarterly. Issue 99. 4th Quarter]

Guardian-Bodyguard Satellite may have characteristics, such as being part of an upper (second) stage vehicle that serves as a propulsion unit with large capacity fuel tank (this could allow it to maintain its fuel reserves), and fitted with manoeuvring thrusters. Perhaps designed for space-docking with service craft, allowing it to be refuelled, given repairs, get upgrades and replacements.

In 2019, the French Ministere des Armees announced the, “new generation of Syracuse Satellites would have cameras to help identify and monitor possible attackers.” [Clark, S. 2021 Arianespace Breaks Payload Mass Record on Final Ariane 5 Launch Before Webb. Space Flight Now (24 October)] Digital images and live feed are commonplace in International Space Station operations during rendezvous, and docking scenarios via the Engineering Camera Imaging System, and the Engineering Docking Camera.

Inspector satellite technology in regards to its mass and propellant requirements and the effect this could have on space manoeuvre tactics,

“designing an inspector satellite with enough manoeuvrability to inspect satellites in different orbital planes can lead to requirements for large increases in the mass of the inspector satellite. Whether this increase in propellant mass is a problem depends on the mass of the empty inspector satellite (i.e. without propellant).” [Wright, 2005]

The following table looks a two inspector satellite types, depending on their orbital use:

KEY POINTS ABOUT ORBITAL WARFARE

Space Bullets, Reversible Attacks, Guardian-Bodyguard Satellites, Inspection and Robotic Servicing Spacecraft.