Russian Space Agency "Nuclear Power Plant on the Moon in 10 Years"
Threat of Space Nuclear Weapon Satellite Interception Grows
Russian President Vladimir Putin has sparked controversy by stating that building a nuclear power plant (NPP) in outer space is the first priority of the space program. As Russia concretizes plans to install a joint manned base and nuclear power plant on the Moon with China, concerns about the threat of 'space nuclear weapons' raised mainly by the United States and Western countries are expected to intensify.
According to Russia's TASS news agency on the 14th (local time), President Putin said at a cabinet meeting, "Building a nuclear power plant in space should be the priority of space projects," emphasizing, "Russia has good technological capabilities, and nuclear power plants will operate well in space. However, funding for construction must be secured in a timely manner."
President Putin's remarks on constructing a space nuclear power plant are interpreted as referring to the lunar surface nuclear power plant project announced by Yuri Borisov, head of the Russian Federal Space Agency, on the 5th. Earlier, at the World Youth Festival (WYF) held in Sirius, Russia, Borisov stated, "We are seriously considering jointly building a nuclear power plant on the lunar surface with China between 2033 and 2035," adding, "Nuclear power will be the solution to supply the energy needed for lunar settlement."
Currently, Russia, which is planning to build a manned base on the far side of the Moon together with China, holds the position that a nuclear power plant is necessary as an energy source for operating the manned base. Borisov said, "It will be difficult to meet the required energy demand with solar power alone," and added, "To build a nuclear power plant, we must first solve the technical issue of reactor cooling."
However, the plan by China and Russia to build a nuclear power plant on the Moon is viewed by the United States and other Western countries as having the risk of being repurposed into space nuclear weapons. CNN, citing U.S. government sources, reported, "Russia's recent space projects ultimately involve placing nuclear electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapons in satellite orbits, threatening existing satellite communication networks," and warned, "If nuclear weapons are deployed in space and Russia uses them to intercept satellites, it could cause severe disruption."
In fact, if Russia uses nuclear EMP weapons in space as satellite interception weapons or if an accident occurs due to technical or management issues causing an explosion, there is a risk that the global satellite communication network could suddenly be paralyzed. According to the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, as of April last year, approximately 7,800 artificial satellites were counted in Earth's orbit. If some of these satellites are destroyed or rendered inoperable, satellite navigation systems (GPS), broadcasting, and communication networks could be severely damaged, and nuclear fallout could spread worldwide through the atmosphere.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
