Amidst China and Russia’s development of missiles and lasers capable of destroying satellites and disrupting communication systems, the Pentagon is preparing for a possible space-based conflict.

The U.S. military has abandoned the idea of deploying crewed orbiting space weapons, as the challenges of supporting humans beyond Earth’s atmosphere are daunting.

Furthermore, the physics of space make it difficult to launch surprise attacks or execute sudden changes in orbit or direction, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Strategies that work on Earth are ineffective in space, where the U.S., China, and Russia are relying on satellites and sensors to conduct and triumph over any potential conflict.

The U.S. Space Force has been proposed a budget of $30 billion annually by the White House this month, which is almost $4 billion higher than the previous year’s budget.

This budget increase is higher than that proposed for other services, including the Air Force and Navy.

The Space Force was established as the sixth branch of the military in 2019, taking over duties that were previously part of the Air Force, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Its primary objective is to plan, equip and protect U.S. interests in space, for all branches of the military, while focusing on emerging threats.

Written by staff