10 Most-Terrifying Space Weapons

9. Space-Dwelling Nuclear Missiles

fractional orbital bombardment system
Wikipedia

Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) may have been developed since the 1950s and may be able to reach targets more than 3,000miles away, yet the desire to have nuclear weapons that can attack targets from anywhere and everywhere means that space was always going to be the next destination for atomic bombs to reach.

During the Cold War, the USSR even deployed a "Fractional Orbital Bombardment System" between 1968 and 1983 - and, in theory, this allowed for a nuclear warhead to be placed in low-Earth orbit and later de-orbited and directed at any target on the surface of the planet.

Phased out from 1983 onwards following the SALT II international treaty of 1979, before this point the USSR did, at times, keep nuclear warheads orbiting the Earth's surface - primed and ready to strike any potential targets.

Various international treaties, including the "Outer Space Treaty", in theory make such actions as having nuclear warheads in space illegal - but when has international law ever stopped aggressor nations from acting irresponsibly?

 
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NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.