On January 3, the Dallas Morning News published a piece by Scowcroft Center senior advisor Nate Morris arguing that a Russian anti-satellite missile test highlights a growing threat to US space superiority. Moreover, the article warns that space waste poses a severe threat to US assets in low-earth orbit.
But the most serious threat to American space dominance may not be Russia’s capabilities, but the accidental effects they could create. As worrisome as the potential for lost satellites may be, the creation of a massive field of space waste is downright terrifying.