Warning of a New War Erupting, No Country Can Avoid It
The Chief of Space Operations for the United States Space Force, General Chance Saltzman, has warned that if armed conflict expands into outer space, no country or military will be able to avoid the impact. He delivered the warning during his final address at the Global Air and Space Chiefs Conference 2026 before his retirement in August.
“If conflict extends into space, none of us will be able to avoid the war zone. Unlike combat zones in the air, on land, or at sea, we will not be able to steer clear of it,” Saltzman said. “Whether we want to be in the combat zone or not, orbital mechanics will place all of our space capabilities into the space war zone.”
The warning relates to the finite nature of Earth’s orbit, where certain paths are already congested with thousands of satellites and spacecraft. The destruction of a single satellite could create a hazardous debris field threatening other spacecraft, including those carrying humans. Russia demonstrated this risk in 2022 by destroying a satellite with a missile during a test, generating a dangerous debris field that persists today and has forced the International Space Station to perform avoidance manoeuvres multiple times.
If armed conflict were to break out or extend into space involving the destruction of just one satellite, the impact could trigger a chain reaction. In a worst-case scenario, parts of Earth’s orbit could become unusable. Despite the serious warning, Saltzman emphasised that the shared nature of space requires all spacefaring nations to prioritise cooperation. “We will share the consequences, therefore we must share the responsibility to realise a safe, secure, and stable space domain,” he stated, adding that the broad consequences of conflict in space should make prevention a universal goal.
Saltzman has previously called for international collaboration, describing the effort to maintain the peaceful use of space as the “ultimate team sport” when introducing the Space Force’s International Partnership Strategy in 2025. He noted that the domain is too vast, complex, and dynamic for any single nation to secure alone. During his tenure, the Space Force has developed into a force with real combat capability, moving beyond theory and planning to actual combat operations and space effects in warfare.