A Hidden Nuclear Weapon Could Already Be Orbiting Earth. This MIT Physicist Has a Plan to Find It

Key Points:

• The Outer Space Treaty, signed by 118 countries, bans nuclear weapons in space but currently lacks any means to verify if satellites carry such weapons, posing a significant security challenge as space militarization increases.
• MIT associate professor Areg Danagoulian proposes a satellite-based sensor system that could detect neutrons emitted by thermonuclear weapons in orbit, using the interaction of high-energy protons in the Van Allen belt with uranium to identify nuclear material signatures.
• Danagoulian’s "inspector" satellite would orbit near a suspect satellite, filtering out background proton and neutron noise—including Earth-originating albedo neutrons—by using directional detection to isolate neutron emissions from the suspect craft.
• Modeling indicates the proposed system could effectively detect neutron emissions from a nuclear warhead in low Earth orbit, marking a theoretical breakthrough in space-based nuclear weapon verification.
• This proof-of-concept represents a critical first step toward developing technology to enforce the Outer Space Treaty and prevent the escalation of space-based warfare, encouraging further research and prototype development.