Ex-NASA astronaut offers grim warning over likeliness of war in space
It's not just the United States government that's worried about future wars in space, with one former NASA astronaut sounding the alarm over where things are heading next.
We previously warned about how various high-tech weapons could be used in future wars fought here on Earth, but that battle is already heading upward. The recent arguments between Elon Musk and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky over the use of the former's Starlink satellites have proved this, but when it comes to President Donald Trump, he seems determined that things will actually be moving to the stars.
The President of the United States recently went on an AI-fueled rampage, showing off Starship Troopers-inspired Space Force uniforms and similar AI imagery that showed him watching epic space battles from his own orbital command center.
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While it all feels very Star Wars, one former NASA astronaut has shared his own fears that we aren't too far away from wars taking place in space.
In the aftermath of Trump dropping the seventh batch of UFO files after vowing to reveal everything the government has on aliens, former NASA astronaut Winston Scott spoke to "Jesse Watters Primetime" and explained his thoughts on what's going on up in the stars.
Reiterating that he's a numbers person, Scott explained: "I do believe there is life someplace else out there in the universe. Now, whether or not it’s visiting us here on Earth or not is a topic of discussion. I think E.T. is out there someplace."
Believing in little green dudes is one thing, but looking at a potentially more immediate threat, Scott mused on whether wars are moving into space.
When Watters asked if he thinks we're going to see war in space, Scott said: "I sure hope not, but I tell you, we live in a world where there is a strong disagreement."
Saying that Russia is our partner in the International Space Program, Scott quickly qualified: "But they are not our ally."
He went on to say we're in a space race with China, with that race being much more military-oriented. He then referred to Air Force secretary Troy Meink confirming the USA has weapons in orbit, which we previously mentioned as experts shared their fears that it could trigger an orbital war.
Scott clarified: "We live in a world where we have to be prepared to defend ourselves militarily. We hope we don’t see conflict and combat in space, but I would not rule it out."
Having served as a mission specialist on 1996's STS-72 and 1997's STS-87, Scott knows a lot more about space than most of us, but still, he hopes that we can keep our various conflicts confined to Earth, as he concluded: "I certainly hope that space can be a unifying place that brings people together. But we will see what happens."
Winston's words were echoed by a military spokesperson, who told the Daily Mail that the United States is conscious of potential threats from 'hostile satellites' in orbit: "The US has warned about Russian and Chinese weapons testing and operationalization since 2007. Due to their actions, it is no longer a question that space is a warfighting domain."
The 1967 Outer Space Treaty should keep us safe for now, with the US signing and ratifying the agreement that states countries can't place nuclear devices or similar weapons in Earth's orbit.
Still, there are questions about how the treaty holds up in 2026, especially with potential loopholes allowing conventional weapons, signal jammers, missile interceptors, and military satellites.
While the world continues to worry about Kessler Syndrome clogging up low Earth orbit, there could be much bigger threats on the horizon.