[Reading Science] US Tense Over China and Russia... Developing New Concept Space Weapons

US DARPA Launches Open Call for Ideas

The United States, the strongest power in the space sector, has begun pushing for the development of a new concept space weapon. This move is analyzed to be due to the growing sense of crisis in the U.S. following the active development of space weapons by hostile countries such as China and Russia.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), an advanced weapons and science technology research agency under the U.S. Department of Defense, disclosed this fact on its official website on the 18th (local time) through a document titled "Call for Innovative Ideas for Space Superiority." This is the second topic of DARPA's ongoing 'BRIDGES' initiative, a program promoting secret innovations in defense and government systems.

The aim is to obtain innovative ideas to maintain space superiority from 'nontraditional' defense contractors such as small and medium-sized enterprises or startups with fresh technologies and ideas, rather than large defense contractors. The ultimate goal is the development of new concept space weapons. It seeks new methods and technologies to protect key U.S. assets in space?such as reconnaissance, surveillance, communication, and attack satellites?from attacks by hostile nations and to attack opposing systems.

U.S. Air Force Colonel Michael Orbit Nayak explained, "While massive innovation is occurring in the private space industry, the public sector space procurement market (defense and government) may have limited acceptance of new innovations due to long timelines and restrictions allowing only a few participants." He added, "This means potentially innovative concepts in space-based national security may be overlooked or not adopted." He further stated, "We plan to gather innovators who can provide the best ideas on many unresolved issues and the unique potential of the space domain to discuss. We want to find solutions that are necessary to establish and maintain superiority in space but have been unknown."

DARPA plans to receive initial proposals for these 'new concept space weapons' by the 1st of next month, with additional submissions accepted until March 15 of next year. At the same time, ideas will be evaluated to decide on research support and actual development.

According to the U.S. Space Force under the Air Force, currently developed space weapons include ground-launched anti-satellite missiles, space-based laser weapons that disable the optical systems of enemy satellites, ground-based radio jamming, cyber attacks, lasers, and attack satellites. The concept of attack satellites involves attacking opposing satellites using high-power microwaves, radio interference, lasers, chemical sprays, physical collisions, robotic arms, or capture nets.

China and Russia, which are opposing the United States, are known to have already developed and weaponized many of these. In fact, in February last year, before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, it persistently disrupted the European Union's (EU) satellite activities through radio jamming. When the U.S. supported the Starlink space internet system via Elon Musk's SpaceX, Russia intensified hacking efforts, causing a temporary emergency. In November 2021, Russia successfully conducted an experiment by launching a satellite interception missile to shoot down its own malfunctioning satellite. China also successfully conducted a similar experiment in 2007. Both countries already possess considerable ground-based radio and laser jamming capabilities and are developing orbital launch vehicle weapon technologies equipped with robotic arms under the pretext of space debris and reusable spacecraft development.