In February 2024, reports of a planned Russian nuclear space weapon renewed Cold War-era fears of the militarization of Earth's orbit.
The furor began when U.S. House Intelligence Committee chair Mike Turner (R-Ohio) issued a public statement asking President Biden to declassify all information relating to a space-based nuclear weapon that Russia is reportedly developing. The next day, White House National Security Communications Advisor John F. Kirby assured the public that "though Russia's pursuit of this particular capability is troubling, there is no immediate threat to anyone's safety."
