Space War Hub: ASAT Weapons, Space Forces and Photos

War Room · Theater 8

Satellites, anti-satellite weapons and the forces fighting over orbit

Space War is the War Room’s eighth theater. This hub explains the weapons, the space forces and the treaties, with official photos and the latest daily reports.

4countries have destroyed a satellite with a missileU.S., Russia, China, India

2,773pieces of ASAT test debris still in orbitof 6,904 cataloged · Secure World Foundation

13countries assessed for counterspace weaponsSecure World Foundation, 2026

510+Chinese ISR-capable satellitesU.S. Space Force

154satellites in the SDA’s first warfighting trancheSpace Development Agency

155UN votes to stop destructive ASAT testsResolution 77/41, 2022

What is the space war?

Satellites guide missiles, relay drone video, warn of launches and carry most military communications. That dependence has turned orbit into a contested domain. The U.S. Space Force’s Space Threat Fact Sheet says China and Russia are “testing and fielding sophisticated counterspace capabilities with the intent to disrupt and degrade U.S. space-enabled capabilities.”

On Oct. 26, 2026, the Defense Intelligence Agency released the third edition of Challenges to Security in Space, its unclassified assessment of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea in orbit. The private Secure World Foundation reaches a similar picture from open sources. It finds broad research into weapons that can destroy satellites, but says “only non-destructive counterspace capabilities are being used in active military conflicts.”

Types of counterspace weapons

Analysts sort these weapons into the same five families the Secure World Foundation uses, plus a sixth, nuclear, that U.S. officials have warned about.

Direct-ascent missiles

A missile launched from the ground, sea or air hits a satellite. China (2007), the U.S. (2008), India (2019) and Russia (2021) have all destroyed satellites this way. The Space Force says China’s system is now operational against low-orbit satellites.

Co-orbital “killer” satellites

A satellite maneuvers close to a target to inspect, grab, jam or strike it. China’s SJ-21 towed a dead BeiDou satellite to a graveyard orbit in 2022, and Russia has placed probable orbital ASAT prototypes beside U.S. national security satellites.

Lasers and dazzlers

Ground-based lasers blind or damage satellite sensors. The Space Force says Russia deployed its Peresvet laser to five strategic missile divisions starting in 2018, and the PLA has “multiple ground-based laser weapons.”

Jamming and spoofing

Radio signals drown out or fake satellite communications and GPS. This is the most widely used counterspace weapon today, and the U.S. fields its own ground-based jammers.

Cyberattacks

Hackers target satellite ground stations, user terminals and software. The Space Force says Russia has used cyberattacks against commercial space systems during the Ukraine war.

Nuclear in space

A nuclear blast in orbit would damage satellites indiscriminately. The Space Force says Russia is developing a satellite “designed to carry a nuclear weapon,” which the Outer Space Treaty forbids placing in orbit.

Russian Peresvet mobile laser weapon deployed in firing position in a forest — Russia’s Peresvet ground-based laser in firing position. The Space Force says Russia has deployed it to blind satellite sensors. Russian Ministry of Defence, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Space Force officers with the Counter Communications System satellite jammer antenna — The 4th Space Control Squadron receives the Counter Communications System Block 10.2, a ground-based satellite communications jammer, on March 12, 2020. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Andrew Bertain

ASAT test timeline

2007 · China: A ground-based missile destroys a defunct weather satellite in low Earth orbit (Space Force).
Feb. 20, 2008 · United States: In Operation Burnt Frost, the cruiser USS Lake Erie fires a modified SM-3 and hits a failing reconnaissance satellite about 247 km (133 nautical miles) above the Pacific (NORAD).
2013 · China: A ballistic object peaks at 30,000 km, suggesting a basic ASAT capability against higher orbits (Space Force).
March 27, 2019 · India: Mission Shakti uses a DRDO missile-defense interceptor to hit an Indian satellite in low orbit (India’s Ministry of External Affairs).
Nov. 2021 · Russia: A Nudol missile destroys a defunct Soviet satellite, creating about 1,500 pieces of trackable debris (Space Force).
April 18, 2022 · United States: The U.S. commits not to conduct destructive direct-ascent ASAT missile tests (U.S. Space Command).
Dec. 7, 2022 · United Nations: The General Assembly calls on all states to make the same commitment, 155 to 9 with 9 abstentions (UN vote record).
May 2024 · Russia: U.S. Space Command assesses that Cosmos 2576 is likely a counterspace weapon placed in the same orbit as a U.S. government satellite (Reuters).
May 2026 · Russia: Four military satellites, Cosmos 2610 through 2613, maneuver close to a Western commercial radar satellite used by Ukraine (Space Force).

Test	Country	Weapon	Debris
2007	China	Ground-launched missile	Long-lived debris field
2008 (Burnt Frost)	U.S.	Ship-launched SM-3	Most burned up on reentry
2019 (Mission Shakti)	India	Missile-defense interceptor	India says it decays “within weeks”
2021 (Nudol)	Russia	Ground-launched missile	About 1,500 trackable pieces

Across all four countries’ tests, the Secure World Foundation counts 6,904 cataloged debris pieces, 2,773 of them still in orbit.

Photo gallery: space weapons and systems

SM-3 missile launches from USS Lake Erie to destroy a failing satellite, 2008 — A Standard Missile-3 launches from the cruiser USS Lake Erie on Feb. 20, 2008, in Operation Burnt Frost, the U.S. intercept of a failing reconnaissance satellite. U.S. Navy photo

X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle on the runway after its sixth mission — The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle-6 on the flightline at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center after landing on Nov. 12, 2022. U.S. Space Force photo by Staff Sgt. Adam Shanks

Ground-based interceptor missile in its silo at Fort Greely, Alaska — An operational ground-based interceptor in its silo at the Missile Defense Complex on Fort Greely, Alaska, in 2009. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jack W. Carlson III

Space Force Guardian monitors a space effects display at the Combined Space Operations Center — A Guardian with Combat Delta 1-5 monitors a space effects command and control display at the Combined Space Operations Center, Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., on May 28, 2026. U.S. Space Force photo by David Dozoretz

Space Force electromagnetic warfare Guardians at workstations during Space Flag 26-1 — Guardians and Airmen of the 4th Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron train during Space Flag 26-1 at Peterson Space Force Base, Colo., on Dec. 12, 2025. U.S. Space Force photo by David Grim

Falcon 9 rocket launches the GPS III SV09 navigation satellite at night — A Falcon 9 rocket launches the GPS III-SV09 satellite from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla., on Jan. 27, 2026. U.S. Space Force photo by Gwendolyn Kurzen

Who has a space force?

Country	Force	Notes
United States	U.S. Space Force	Created Dec. 20, 2019, as the sixth armed service (Space Force); U.S. Space Command fights in the domain.
China	PLA Aerospace Force	Organizes China’s military space units and was aligned directly under the Central Military Commission in 2024 (Space Force).
Russia	Space Troops of the Aerospace Forces (VKS)	Operates Nudol, Peresvet and the inspector satellites listed above.
France	Commandement de l’Espace	Created Sept. 3, 2019, in Toulouse; the air force became the Air and Space Force (French Armed Forces Ministry).
United Kingdom	UK Space Command	Formed April 1, 2021, as a joint command of all three services (GOV.UK).
Others	Varies	India, Japan, Germany, Australia, Israel, Iran and both Koreas are among the 13 countries the Secure World Foundation assesses.

U.S. space weapons and defense systems

GPS III

GPS III is the newest generation of the navigation satellites that guide U.S. munitions. GPS III-SV09 launched from Cape Canaveral on Jan. 27, 2026.

SBIRS missile warning

The Space-Based Infrared System watches from geosynchronous orbit for the heat of missile launches.

X-37B spaceplane

The uncrewed Orbital Test Vehicle flies long, secretive missions. Its sixth flight ended at Kennedy Space Center on Nov. 12, 2022. China has flown four reusable spaceplane missions of its own, according to the Space Force.

Illustration of a SBIRS GEO missile-warning satellite in orbit above Earth — Illustration of a Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) GEO missile-warning satellite in orbit. U.S. Space Force illustration

GSSAP

The Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program satellites patrol near geosynchronous orbit to watch other nations’ spacecraft.

Counter Communications System

A transportable ground jammer that can deny an adversary’s satellite communications without creating debris. The 4th Space Control Squadron received Block 10.2 in 2020. See our report on the Remote Modular Terminal jammers.

Illustration of two GSSAP satellites watching geosynchronous orbit above Earth — Artist’s rendering of Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) satellites, which watch other spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit. U.S. Air Force illustration

Space Development Agency constellation

The Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture is a low-orbit network of small satellites. Its first warfighting tranche has 154 operational satellites, 126 for data transport and 28 for missile tracking, at about $14 million per transport satellite. They will be flown from operations centers at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., and Redstone Arsenal, Ala. (SDA fact sheet).

Golden Dome

Golden Dome is the planned layered U.S. missile shield led by Gen. Michael Guetlein. Reuters reported in March 2026 that its cost estimate rose to $185 billion (Reuters). In April 2026 House testimony, Guetlein said space-based interceptors would not enter production unless they prove affordable. The current homeland shield relies on ground-based interceptors, including those at Fort Greely, Alaska.

Space in today’s wars

Ukraine. Ukrainian drone units rely on commercial satellite internet and imagery, which is why the Starlink disputes linked below matter on the battlefield. The Space Force says Russia told regulators that European satellites aiding Ukraine’s military are “legitimate targets.”

Europe and the Baltic. Russian electronic attacks on GPS and satellite communications across Europe were called “extremely worrisome and unacceptable” by the International Telecommunication Union, and UK Space Command says Russian ground jammers persistently target British satellites (Space Force).

Middle East. The Secure World Foundation says jamming in Iran “has increased extensively,” including spoofing of Starlink.

Treaties and rules

The 1967 Outer Space Treaty is the basic law of space. It bars states from placing nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit, reserves the Moon and other celestial bodies for peaceful purposes, and makes states liable for damage their space objects cause. It does not ban conventional weapons in orbit or missiles fired from Earth.

The U.S. ASAT test pledge of April 2022 led to UN General Assembly Resolution 77/41. China and Russia voted against it, and India abstained (UN vote record). The resolution is not legally binding.

Latest Space War reports

Space War Update Oct 28, 2026: China’s Spy Satellites, Rassvet ClaimOctober 28, 2026
Space War Oct 28: US intelligence says China has over 510 spy satellites, the Pentagon backs a new launch pad and Putin touts Russia’s Starlink rival.

All Space War reports →

Daily reports

Space War Update Oct 28, 2026: China’s Spy Satellites, Rassvet Claim

Guides and explainers

Weapons and systems

Country space forces

The U.S. Space Force and U.S. Space Command are covered in Branches of the Military and Combatant Commands Explained. China’s and Russia’s military space programs are tracked in the daily Space War reports.

Related War Room coverage

FAQ

What is the space war?

It is the military competition in and through orbit: satellites for spying, navigation and communications, and the weapons built to jam, blind or destroy them. The U.S. Space Force says China and Russia are testing and fielding counterspace systems meant to disrupt U.S. space capabilities.

What is an anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon?

Any weapon that disables or destroys a satellite. The main types are ground-launched missiles, co-orbital satellites, lasers, jammers and cyberattacks. A nuclear blast in orbit is a sixth, indiscriminate option.

Which countries have shot down a satellite?

Four: China in 2007, the United States in 2008, India in 2019 and Russia in 2021. Each used a missile against a satellite of its own.

Is Russia putting a nuclear weapon in space?

The U.S. Space Force says Russia is developing a satellite designed to carry a nuclear weapon. Placing one in orbit would break the 1967 Outer Space Treaty.

How are satellites used in the Ukraine war?

Ukrainian drone units rely on commercial satellite internet and imagery. The Space Force says Russia has jammed GPS and satellite communications across Europe and has called European satellites aiding Ukraine’s military legitimate targets.

Are space weapons illegal?

Only partly. The Outer Space Treaty bans nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in orbit. A 2022 UN resolution asks states to stop destructive missile tests against satellites, but it is not binding.

Does China have a space force?

Yes. China’s military space units sit under the PLA Aerospace Force, which was aligned directly under the Central Military Commission in 2024, according to the U.S. Space Force.

Where can I read the official threat assessment?

The Defense Intelligence Agency released the 2026 edition of Challenges to Security in Space on Oct. 26, 2026. It covers China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.

Sources

Photos are U.S. government works in the public domain unless credited otherwise; the Peresvet photo is from the Russian Ministry of Defence under CC BY 4.0.

By Peter, with AI assistance.

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