Media Contact
The U.S. has informed Congress about Russian advances on a new, space-based nuclear weapon which it claims is designed to threaten America’s extensive satellite network.
Gregory Falco
Assistant professor in Cornell Engineering
Gregory Falco is an assistant professor and director of the Aerospace ADVERSARY Lab at Cornell University. His lab develops next-generation, secure and resilient space infrastructure.
Falco says:
“Russia’s potential deployment of nuclear weapons in space with anti-satellite capabilities marks a triple-threat scenario that combines space warfare, nuclear weapons and cyberattacks. This move could deny access to space through the use of a high-altitude electromagnetic pulse by a nuclear explosion, disabling any nearby spacecraft electronics.
“Our research into cyber vulnerabilities of space systems, including the development of the WannaFly ransomware, underscores the feasibility of a cyberattack against such a weapon.
“Russia aims to enhance its negotiation leverage with the U.S., potentially targeting American commercial satellites supporting Ukraine. To counter this, the adoption of both active and passive defense strategies is recommended, alongside the development of U.S.-based requirements and regulations for satellite launch and operation, including protections against electronic threats, to maintain access to space in this new threat landscape.”
