Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Nuclear Weapons in Space – Orbital Bombardment and Strategic Stability has been issued by the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI).

Written by Aaron Stein, President of the FPRI, this report points out that space technology is inherently dual-use.

“The platforms used to launch satellites can also be used to deliver atomic weapons. The same is true of defenses: The things built to shoot down incoming missiles can also be repurposed to shoot down satellites. The tensions between offense and defense have dominated how the United States has sought to manage access to space,” the report states.

Checklist suggestions

Stein proposes several checklist items:

Concept art for Project Excalibur (USAF)

• The U.S. should consider how to repurpose current missile defense interceptors to hold any Russian co-orbital satellites at risk
• Make explicit that any nuclear attack on U.S. origin satellites would invite retaliation
• Continue to invest in sensors to detect missile launch from adversary nations (including those fired south to travel over the South Pole)
• Be the insurer of last resort for private satellites that could be destroyed by a hostile act

To access the full report, go to:

https://www.fpri.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/stein_ona_91625.pdf