Space: Iran and Orbital Nukes

Archives

January29, 2007: Iran has converted one of its largest ballistic missiles, a 30 ton Shahab 3, into a satellite launcher. It's possible, with modern lightweight electronics, to build a 500 pound reconnaissance satellite, that the Shahab could lift into low earth orbit. More worrisome is the fact that, with a satellite that size, you can also put a nuclear warhead in orbit, and have it descend to anywhere on the planet. Such weapons, called FOBS (Fractional Orbital Bombardment System) were developed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s. A few of these FOBS carrying missiles were built and put into service, but no one was eager to have nuclear weapons in orbit. It was considered cheaper and safer to just use conventional ICBMs. Russia dismantled its FOBS missiles in the 1980s. But there's nothing to prevent Iran from building some FOBS missiles, as a way to threaten the United States with nuclear attack. North Korea could also build FOBS, because most of Irans long range ballistic missile comes from North Korea.

 


Article Archive

Space: Current 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 


X

ad
0
20

Help Keep Us Soaring

We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling. We need your help in reversing that trend. We would like to add 20 new subscribers this month.

Each month we count on your subscriptions or contributions. You can support us in the following ways:

  1. Make sure you spread the word about us. Two ways to do that are to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
  2. Subscribe to our daily newsletter. We’ll send the news to your email box, and you don’t have to come to the site unless you want to read columns or see photos.
  3. You can contribute to the health of StrategyPage. A contribution is not a donation that you can deduct at tax time, but a form of crowdfunding. We store none of your information when you contribute..
Subscribe   Contribute   Close