U.S. Space Command Commander Gen. Stephen Whiting called for the development of space weapons while announcing new initiatives during his Tuesday address at the Space Symposium held at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.
“Fighting in space requires credible, acknowledged, kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities, fires and weapons,” Whiting told the packed audience. “Acknowledging this reinforces a distinct space warfighting ethos ensures that threats are met with the right capabilities and restores credible deterrence in space.”
Although Whiting didn’t elaborate on what he meant by “fires” during his speech, recent military documentation uses the term to refer to offensive actions that can disable satellites, such as cyberattacks.
The Colorado Springs-based Space Command, which coordinates troops from various service branches to protect the region 62 miles above Earth, is separate from the Space Force. Whiting emphasized that the U.S. must be prepared to restore its orbital assets during potential conflicts.
“We must prepare for a protracted conflict to be successful,” he stated.
The concept of space warfare presents unique challenges, as destroying satellites creates dangerous orbital debris that threatens other spacecraft and space stations. However, concerns about Russia’s potential orbital nuclear weapons and China’s growing space capabilities have intensified the focus on deterrence measures.
During his presentation, Whiting announced the first-ever joint U.S.-France space exercise, which included a rendezvous and demonstration near a “strategic competitor spacecraft,” though he provided no further details about this operation.
He also revealed a new funding initiative from Space Command and the Space Force’s SpaceWERX to develop satellite refueling solutions. The program will provide $1.9 million each to 10 proposals over a 15-month period.
“This effort will continue to invest in the most promising technology from commercial industry to help us solve the sustained space maneuver challenge,” Whiting explained, noting that satellite operations are currently constrained by fuel preservation concerns.
The Space Force is already planning launches to test in-orbit refueling technology, an area that has sparked innovative concepts from commercial companies, including ideas described as “gas stations in space” and “jet packs for satellites.”
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