The head of the European Space Agency Esa has warned of the consequences of spreading war into space. When a nation uses anti-satellite weapons, it creates debris that also endangers its own satellites, said Josef Aschbacher in Brussels. This is a concern “that we all have,” said the Austrian.
According to the US, Russia has sent a satellite into space that is probably a space weapon. The satellite can probably attack other satellites and is in low-Earth orbit, said Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder. The start took place on May 16th. There were similar Russian launches in 2019 and 2022.
In February, US reports about Russia’s nuclear ambitions in space caused a stir. The nuclear potential should be directed against satellites and could therefore pose a threat to national and international security, it was said at the time. Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to the reports and said he was against stationing nuclear weapons in space.
Numerous representatives from politics, business and space met in Brussels. At the meeting they also discussed a possible EU space law. “We have heard from member states that there is a strong interest in the Commission putting forward a proposal,” said a representative of the EU Commission. We will work intensively in the coming weeks to present the proposal.
ESA boss Aschbacher assured the EU Commission of support for the space law. It was not up to him to determine what should be included in the proposed law, but they were interested in strengthening the space industry by standardizing standards and activities.