US deploys weapons in space: What international law says on militarisation

The United States has publicly admitted to deploying active weapons in space, sparking international debate and concern from China and Russia, who advocate for space demilitarization. While the nature of these weapons is undisclosed, they can be kinetic (destroying targets) or non-kinetic (disrupting communications/cyber-networks). The article highlights that the capability for space weaponization is not new, with four countries (US, Russia, China, India) having demonstrated anti-satellite (ASAT) capabilities. Crucially, existing international law, primarily the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, prohibits only nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in space, remaining silent on conventional weapons or earth-to-space weapons. Attempts by China and Russia to propose a broader ban on all weapons in space have not materialized, and ongoing UN discussions have not led to new treaties. The Artemis Accords, a US-led initiative, promotes peaceful space exploration but does not prevent signatories from deploying weapons.