One of the least document aspect of military technology is space based weapons. With more countries having the ability to launch satellites, I thought i would post some known space weapons.
Due to the nature of these high end platforms, secrecy is at the highest level. These are some of the known weapons to exist, only a select few would know what is out there today.
If you do know some more please post some details or lets have a chat about what the future holds for this technology.
Almaz
The Almaz (Russian: Алмаз - "Diamond") program was a series of military space stations (or "Orbital Piloted Station" - OPS) launched by the Soviet Union under cover of the civilian Salyut DOS-17K (Orbital space station) program after 1971.
Three Almaz stations were launched: Salyut 2, Salyut 3 and Salyut 5.
Salyut 2 failed shortly after achieving orbit, but Salyut 3 and Salyut 5 both conducted successful manned testing. Following Salyut 5, the Soviet Ministry of Defense judged in 1978 that the time consumed by station maintenance outweighed the benefits relative to automatic reconnaissance satellites.
Almaz was promoted by Vladimir Chelomei as a response to the USAF's MOL project. In its original configuration, Almaz and MOL were very similar.
The station was launched on a Proton rocket with a two-man crew who would return to earth in a descent capsule after a month of military observation. Following the delays to the Soyuz project, Almaz also assumed the role of intercepting military satellites. Once launched Almaz would be resupplied by the TKS spacecraft that also used Chelomei's Proton booster.
Orbital Piloted Stations (OPS)
The OPS spaceframes were used with little modification on the military Almaz stations. Basic design features are 4.15 meters in diameter and a weight of 20 tonnes. From 1965 to 1970, 8 test models and 2 flight ready spaceframes were built.
OPS-1 (Salyut 2)
The first Almaz station (OPS-1 or Almaz 101.1), announced as Salyut 2, it was launched on April 3, 1973. For purposes of military secrecy, it was publicly designated Salyut 2 upon reaching orbit. A crew was prepared to fly to the station but an accident days after the launch left OPS-1 disabled and depressurized.
OPS-2 (Salyut 3)
OPS-2 (or Almaz 101.2), announced as Salyut 3, was launched on June 25, 1974. The crew of the Soyuz 14 spacecraft spent 15 days aboard the station in July 1974. A second expedition was launched toward OPS-2 in August 1974, but failed to reach the station. The station successfully test-fired an onboard aircraft cannon at a target satellite while the station was unmanned. Salyut-3 was deorbited in January 1975, the day after the cannon test. Aiming the cannon meant pointing the whole spacecraft. It is speculated the cannon firing significantly altered the orbit of the platform. As one commentator put it, "It wouldn't do to fire at an attacker only to discover you have deorbited yourself!"
OPS-3 (Salyut 5)
OPS-3 (or Almaz 103), announced after launch as Salyut 5, entered orbit on June 22, 1976. It was visited by two crews in the summer of 1976 and winter of 1977.
OPS-4
The next Almaz station, OPS-4, was to be the first station launched with a three panel Mech-A Synthetic Aperture Radar and a manned VA capsule, however the VA was replaced by a second TKS docking port. This station's Shchit-1 23 mm defense cannon was also to be replaced with an advanced Shchit-2 space-to-space cannon. The Shchit-2 was reported to be a two projectile system, although no photographs of it have ever been published and it is doesn't appear that this system was ever installed on the station. OPS-4 was grounded when the Almaz manned program was cancelled.
In addition to reconnaissance equipment, the Almaz had an on-board cannon derived from the 23mm Nudelman aircraft cannon (other sources say it was a Nudelman NR-30 30mm gun). Salyut 3 conducted a successful test firing on a target satellite remotely with the station unmanned (due to concerns over excessive vibration). OPS-4 featured two unguided missiles instead of the aircraft cannon.
Polyus
The Polyus spacecraft, also known as Polus, Skif-DM, or 17F19DM, was a prototype orbital weapons platform designed to defend against anti-satellite weapons with recoilless cannon. It had an FGB (the Russian acronym for Functional Cargo Block, similar to the Zarya FGB that was the first component of the International Space Station) space resupply tug, derived from a TKS spacecraft, attached to control its orbit. It was also equipped with a sensor blinding laser to confuse approaching weapons and could launch test targets to validate the fire control system.
Polyus was launched May 15, 1987, as part of the first flight of the Energia system.
According to Yuri Kornilov, Chief Designer of the Salyut Design Bureau, shortly before Polyus' launch, Mikhail Gorbachev visited the Baikonur Cosmodrome and expressly forbade the on-orbit testing of its capabilities. Kornilov claims that Gorbachev was worried that it would be possible for Western governments to view this activity as an attempt to create a weapon in space and that such an attempt would contradict the country's previous statements on the USSRs peaceful intent.
For technical reasons, the payload was launched upside down. It was designed to separate from the Energia, rotate 180 degrees, then complete its boost to orbit. The Energia functioned perfectly. However, after disconnecting from Energia, the Polyus spun a full 360 degrees instead of the planned 180 degrees. When the rocket fired, it slowed and fell into the south Pacific ocean.
Parts of the Polyus project hardware were re-used in Kvant-2, Kristall, Spektr and Priroda Mir modules, as well as in ISS Zarya FGB.
* Length: 37.00 m (121.00 ft)
* Maximum Diameter: 4.10 m (13.40 ft)
* Mass: 80000 kg (176000 lb)
* Associated Launch Vehicle: Energia.
* Intended orbit: 280 km, inclination of 64º
* Radar and optical sighting system guided ASAT defensive cannon.
* Barium cloud generation system, to confuse enemy ASAT satellites.
* Black matte painting for camouflage, probable stealth radar observing properties.
* Communications possible through usage of laser communication link, allowing operation in radio silence.
Have a look at the weight of this thing 80 tons!! pretty amazing, the Buran booster was the only launcher capable of carrying that thing into space.
Space Shuttle
Guess it cant be considered a traditional based space weapon but the shuttle sure has some great capabilities. Ever wondered why the cargo bay of the shuttle is so large? Sure would be great to launch satellites, but even better for plucking other countries satellites out of orbit and bringing them back to earth for study. This was a major concern for the USSR during the cold war, military satellites were subsequently redesigned as a result.
Due to the nature of these high end platforms, secrecy is at the highest level. These are some of the known weapons to exist, only a select few would know what is out there today.
If you do know some more please post some details or lets have a chat about what the future holds for this technology.
Almaz
The Almaz (Russian: Алмаз - "Diamond") program was a series of military space stations (or "Orbital Piloted Station" - OPS) launched by the Soviet Union under cover of the civilian Salyut DOS-17K (Orbital space station) program after 1971.
Three Almaz stations were launched: Salyut 2, Salyut 3 and Salyut 5.
Salyut 2 failed shortly after achieving orbit, but Salyut 3 and Salyut 5 both conducted successful manned testing. Following Salyut 5, the Soviet Ministry of Defense judged in 1978 that the time consumed by station maintenance outweighed the benefits relative to automatic reconnaissance satellites.
Almaz was promoted by Vladimir Chelomei as a response to the USAF's MOL project. In its original configuration, Almaz and MOL were very similar.
The station was launched on a Proton rocket with a two-man crew who would return to earth in a descent capsule after a month of military observation. Following the delays to the Soyuz project, Almaz also assumed the role of intercepting military satellites. Once launched Almaz would be resupplied by the TKS spacecraft that also used Chelomei's Proton booster.
Orbital Piloted Stations (OPS)
The OPS spaceframes were used with little modification on the military Almaz stations. Basic design features are 4.15 meters in diameter and a weight of 20 tonnes. From 1965 to 1970, 8 test models and 2 flight ready spaceframes were built.
OPS-1 (Salyut 2)
The first Almaz station (OPS-1 or Almaz 101.1), announced as Salyut 2, it was launched on April 3, 1973. For purposes of military secrecy, it was publicly designated Salyut 2 upon reaching orbit. A crew was prepared to fly to the station but an accident days after the launch left OPS-1 disabled and depressurized.
OPS-2 (Salyut 3)
OPS-2 (or Almaz 101.2), announced as Salyut 3, was launched on June 25, 1974. The crew of the Soyuz 14 spacecraft spent 15 days aboard the station in July 1974. A second expedition was launched toward OPS-2 in August 1974, but failed to reach the station. The station successfully test-fired an onboard aircraft cannon at a target satellite while the station was unmanned. Salyut-3 was deorbited in January 1975, the day after the cannon test. Aiming the cannon meant pointing the whole spacecraft. It is speculated the cannon firing significantly altered the orbit of the platform. As one commentator put it, "It wouldn't do to fire at an attacker only to discover you have deorbited yourself!"
OPS-3 (Salyut 5)
OPS-3 (or Almaz 103), announced after launch as Salyut 5, entered orbit on June 22, 1976. It was visited by two crews in the summer of 1976 and winter of 1977.
OPS-4
The next Almaz station, OPS-4, was to be the first station launched with a three panel Mech-A Synthetic Aperture Radar and a manned VA capsule, however the VA was replaced by a second TKS docking port. This station's Shchit-1 23 mm defense cannon was also to be replaced with an advanced Shchit-2 space-to-space cannon. The Shchit-2 was reported to be a two projectile system, although no photographs of it have ever been published and it is doesn't appear that this system was ever installed on the station. OPS-4 was grounded when the Almaz manned program was cancelled.
In addition to reconnaissance equipment, the Almaz had an on-board cannon derived from the 23mm Nudelman aircraft cannon (other sources say it was a Nudelman NR-30 30mm gun). Salyut 3 conducted a successful test firing on a target satellite remotely with the station unmanned (due to concerns over excessive vibration). OPS-4 featured two unguided missiles instead of the aircraft cannon.
Polyus
The Polyus spacecraft, also known as Polus, Skif-DM, or 17F19DM, was a prototype orbital weapons platform designed to defend against anti-satellite weapons with recoilless cannon. It had an FGB (the Russian acronym for Functional Cargo Block, similar to the Zarya FGB that was the first component of the International Space Station) space resupply tug, derived from a TKS spacecraft, attached to control its orbit. It was also equipped with a sensor blinding laser to confuse approaching weapons and could launch test targets to validate the fire control system.
Polyus was launched May 15, 1987, as part of the first flight of the Energia system.
According to Yuri Kornilov, Chief Designer of the Salyut Design Bureau, shortly before Polyus' launch, Mikhail Gorbachev visited the Baikonur Cosmodrome and expressly forbade the on-orbit testing of its capabilities. Kornilov claims that Gorbachev was worried that it would be possible for Western governments to view this activity as an attempt to create a weapon in space and that such an attempt would contradict the country's previous statements on the USSRs peaceful intent.
For technical reasons, the payload was launched upside down. It was designed to separate from the Energia, rotate 180 degrees, then complete its boost to orbit. The Energia functioned perfectly. However, after disconnecting from Energia, the Polyus spun a full 360 degrees instead of the planned 180 degrees. When the rocket fired, it slowed and fell into the south Pacific ocean.
Parts of the Polyus project hardware were re-used in Kvant-2, Kristall, Spektr and Priroda Mir modules, as well as in ISS Zarya FGB.
* Length: 37.00 m (121.00 ft)
* Maximum Diameter: 4.10 m (13.40 ft)
* Mass: 80000 kg (176000 lb)
* Associated Launch Vehicle: Energia.
* Intended orbit: 280 km, inclination of 64º
* Radar and optical sighting system guided ASAT defensive cannon.
* Barium cloud generation system, to confuse enemy ASAT satellites.
* Black matte painting for camouflage, probable stealth radar observing properties.
* Communications possible through usage of laser communication link, allowing operation in radio silence.
Have a look at the weight of this thing 80 tons!! pretty amazing, the Buran booster was the only launcher capable of carrying that thing into space.
Space Shuttle
Guess it cant be considered a traditional based space weapon but the shuttle sure has some great capabilities. Ever wondered why the cargo bay of the shuttle is so large? Sure would be great to launch satellites, but even better for plucking other countries satellites out of orbit and bringing them back to earth for study. This was a major concern for the USSR during the cold war, military satellites were subsequently redesigned as a result.
