Could smaller satellites weaponise space?
A satellite, no bigger that a domestic fridge, blasts into orbit from a secret military launch site. Controlled from the ground, it stealthily moves towards the satellite of a rogue enemy country. Suddenly it explodes, destroying the second satellite and shutting down the communication capability of the country instantly. It may sound like the beginning of a James Bond film, but scientists in the US have warned about the potential misuse of satellite technology. Commercial companies, universities, space research agencies such as Nasa and Esa, are all in the development of a new spacecraft generation called microsatellites. Weighing less than 100kg, they provide GPS navigation, weather predictions, and Earth observation just like traditional satellites; but they are faster to build and much cheaper. A typical microsatellite can cost as little as 10 million euros as opposed to hundreds of millions for traditional satellites. About 400 microsatellites have been launched in orbit over the
