A space war between the world’s leading powers has already been underway for years, according to Bleddyn Bowen, professor of astropolitics at Durham University. In an interview with the Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung, he explained that modern military competition in orbit looks nothing like the battles portrayed in science fiction.

Rather than direct combat between spacecraft, the confrontation involves electronic warfare, cyberattacks and covert satellite maneuvers. Bowen argued that Western countries tend to overestimate their technological superiority, warning that even the most advanced American military systems cannot guarantee success in combat operations.

The professor pointed to Russia’s expanding space capabilities, noting that Moscow operates approximately 350 satellites that perform functions critical to the state. He said Russia’s continued technological development has attracted considerable international attention.

Bowen also warned that a large-scale military confrontation in space could have devastating consequences that the public has yet to fully understand. However, he identified an uncontrolled arms race as the greater danger.

According to the professor, the situation becomes particularly dangerous when governments begin to believe they are already locked in an arms race and regard further military expansion as unavoidable. Once that thinking takes hold, the escalation could rapidly spiral beyond control.