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Scientists in China simulate a nuclear explosion to take out enemy satellites
A space scientist located in Beijing claims that the simulation does not indicate that China will employ such a weapon.
TN Science DeskUpdated Oct 21, 2022 | 02:06 PM IST
October 21, 2022: According to a recent computer simulation performed by a team of Chinese military scientists, a nuclear explosion in close space might produce a radioactive cloud over a region the size of New York State, disabling or killing satellites in near-Earth orbit.
Researchers at the People's Liberation Army-run Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology in Xian created a model that can assess the performance of nuclear anti-satellite missiles at various altitudes and yields with unparalleled depth and accuracy.
According to modelling results, a 10-megaton warhead, which is relatively weak by today's standards, may pose a severe threat to satellites if it explodes at an altitude of 80 kilometres (50 miles).
Nuclear physicist Liu Li and his colleagues predicted that the explosion may produce a cloud that resembled an upside-down pear and convert air molecules into radioactive particles. Their findings were published on October 15 in the peer-reviewed journal Nuclear Techniques.
The cloud may cover more than 140,000 sq km in just five minutes and ascend to an altitude of about 500 km.
“The strong residual radiation of the debris cloud may cause failures of spacecraft moving in it, such as satellites, or even cause direct damage that can lead to destruction,” the researchers said.
The use of nuclear bombs against satellites has been the subject of several computer models, but most of these simulations, according to Liu's team, have concentrated on an explosion that occurs in space.
Due to the absence of air, a space-based explosion would not generate much of a cloud. The majority of the high-energy particles produced by the event would be trapped by the Earth's magnetic field and spread out as a radiation belt, endangering a variety of spacecraft. This might make using nuclear bombs to destroy satellites excessively risky and ineffectual.
But according to Liu, an explosion very close to space would produce a cloud with a total mass much higher than the bomb itself because of the air molecules present in the Earth's atmosphere.
“Due to the high concentration of fission products inside the debris cloud, the released gamma rays and beta particles are strong, making their effects on spacecraft and communications within the affected area stronger,” Liu’s team wrote.
The cloud would rise straight up at a speed of up to 2.3 km/s just after the explosion, creating a massive trap for target satellites. According to the simulation, the majority of the air molecules would fall back to Earth instead of staying in orbit, eliminating the radiation belt effect and drastically lowering the risk to other satellites or spacecraft.
According to a Chinese military research released in May, SpaceX's Starlink communication network may pose a threat to China's national security, and it was recommended that tools be developed to shut it down or take it offline.
A few high-value targets could be eliminated by conventional defences like anti-satellite missiles, but Starlink's operations wouldn't be impacted if a few low-cost satellites were lost.
Therefore, some Chinese academics have suggested attacking a small number of carefully chosen targets that could result in space debris. The debris would disrupt the Starlink network by colliding with other satellites in the same orbit and producing more debris. But it would be difficult to keep the trash away from helpful satellites.
A space scientist located in Beijing claims that the simulation does not indicate that China will employ such a weapon.
The researcher, who asked to remain anonymous due to the delicate nature of the subject, stated “International law has banned the testing or use of nuclear weapons in both space and the atmosphere.”
According to the researcher, the simulation's findings are applicable to both satellites and hypersonic weapons, many of which are made to fly great distances at close to space altitudes.
“Whether it is legal to use nuclear weapons as a defence measure against a hypersonic weapon attack remains a subject of debate in the research community,” he added.
A nuclear bomb has never been tested in close space by China.
The Teak test, an experiment carried out by the US on August 1, 1958, involved the explosion of a 3.8-megatonne bomb over the Johnston Atoll, west of Hawaii, at a height of 77 kilometres.
According to several Honolulu locals, the explosion produced a fireball that changed colour from light yellow to red, and a massive cloud that rose from the blaze and was visible for about 30 minutes.
As per Liu's team, their computer modelling closely resembled the outcomes of the Teak test, which ultimately led to the creation of a cloud that was more than 700 km across.
The new model could, they noted, generate an estimation of the range and magnitude of damage "with high confidence" in just a few minutes, despite the fact that the physical mechanism involved in a near-space explosion is exceedingly complex.
Scientists in China simulate a nuclear explosion to take out enemy satellites
A space scientist located in Beijing claims that the simulation does not indicate that China will employ such a weapon.
