--- title: "This Is What a Space War Would Look Like, According to Experts" description: "A future space war won't look like \"Star Wars.\" Instead it'll be almost imperceptible on the planet's surface." date: "2019-10-24" modified: "2019-10-24" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/space-war-look-like-experts" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "laser weapon" - "nuclear warfare" - "space warfare" - "the digest" --- # This Is What a Space War Would Look Like, According to Experts ![A future space war won't look like "Star Wars." Instead it'll be almost imperceptible on the planet's surface.]() *\Image: U.S. Navy\* ## Space Wars A future space war won't look like "Star Wars." Instead, according to a new [essay in *The Conversation*]() by a pair of British physics and space researchers, it'll be almost imperceptible on the planet's surface — yet potentially deadly to Earth-based infrastructure. "Any observers on the surface would be unlikely to directly see any effects from space warfare, unless a kinetic kill actually breaks a spacecraft up — with debris lighting up as it re-enters the atmosphere," wrote University of Birmingham researcher Gareth Dorrian and Nottingham Trent University physicist Ian Whittaker. "That said, attacks could still affect our lives on Earth, disturbing GPS, television services and even cash withdrawals." ## Orbital Chaos Military powers, according to the essay, are likely to use energy weapons that are capable of disabling, radio jamming, or even destroying other countries' satellites. Countries including [France]() and [Russia]() are already developing technologies that could soon move their satellites into defensive and even offensive positions. World powers could also use kinetic energy projectiles to blow up enemy satellites. India most recently [performed such a feat]() back in March. If all fails, countries could even resort to nuclear weapons in space. A 1960s experiment called Starfish Prime attempted such a feat — but the resulting radiation belts could have a devastating effect on low Earth orbit satellites for years after the event, Dorrian and Whittaker point out. **READ MORE:** [Space may soon become a war zone – here’s how that would work]() \[*The Conversation*\] **More on space war:** *[The Pentagon Wants Sentinel Satellites to Deter Space Warfare]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()