Nuclear bomb in space could knock out Starlink in 15 days
A new simulation suggests a single nuclear detonation in orbit could disable satellites like Starlink within about 15 days.
SUMO· the number puzzle
Dialo· learn languages by speaking
ediviewer· read EDI files like documents
giftdetect· the right gift in minutesOne nuclear explosion in space, and satellite constellations like Starlink could be out of action in about two weeks. That is the result of a new simulation.
That a nuclear bomb detonated in space can do serious damage was already known. What the simulation adds is a sense of scale: how many satellites could be put out of commission, and how quickly. According to the headline finding, Starlink and similar networks would be disabled within 15 days.
Why does a nuclear bomb in space matter for Starlink?
Starlink is a network of satellites that beam internet access down to users on the ground. Other operators run similar constellations in low orbit. The simulation points to what happens when many such satellites share the same region of space: a single event can affect a large number of them.
The figures behind the simulation, including its assumptions and the exact number of satellites affected, were not part of the material available for this report, so they are not reproduced here.
What it means
For everyday users, satellite internet is a convenience. For governments and companies, constellations like these have become infrastructure. A simulation like this is a reminder of how exposed that infrastructure is to one deliberate act in orbit.
Apps worth a look
SUMO: the number puzzleTap the right tiles, add them up, hit the target. Easy to learn, hard to master. Free, for all ages.
Dialo: learn languages by speakingTalk to an AI conversation partner; every sentence comes back corrected and explained in your language. 9 languages, A1 to C2.
ediviewer: read EDI files like documentsOpen EDIFACT and X12 messages, see every segment explained, convert to JSON/XML, export PDF and Excel. Runs locally, no upload.
giftdetect: the right gift in minutesPick who it is for, the occasion and their personality. The search engine reads product descriptions from local shops and ranks what fits. Free, no sign-up.
More from this day
See all →
Microsoft's Lazarus attack turns an AI agent into a trojan with 7 neurons
Harbor: Claris, Apple's FileMaker subsidiary, builds a local AI app for Mac
ScanRuler: free browser tool turns 3D scans into CAD models
GTA 6 on Xbox One: It Works, but Only Through the Cloud
More in: Space
See all →
Nāpōwawāʻenakaulua: Webb Finds Earliest Quasar Pair Ever
Did comets bring life's building blocks to Earth? Probably not
TOI-2535 b: the Jupiter-sized exoplanet that vanished from TESS
