What If World War III Starts in 2024?

Our planet teeters on the brink of another devastating World War. While it's terrifying to imagine the realities this conflict could bring to people all over the world, this time it could unfold on a battlefield unlike any other: space. Which nations would be the main cosmic combatants? What kinds of never-before-seen weaponry would be used, and would it ever end? This is the scenario we explore: What if World War III were fought in space?

Before we delve into the cosmic battleground of World War III, let's examine the terrestrial tensions leading us to the brink of war. Regardless of when exactly a full-scale conflict would erupt, the stage has long been set. Many geopolitical rivalries and alliances have been compounding and could ignite beyond our atmosphere at any moment.

A digital arms race for technological supremacy has been brewing among the US, China, and Russia. However, cyber warfare isn't the only realm where the most powerful nations on Earth have been disputing international agreements. Treaties such as nuclear forces agreements are eroding, climate change is turning the Arctic into a strategic military position, and nations are already developing various anti-satellite and other space-capable technologies.

With the boundaries between Earth and space becoming blurrier, this powder keg of international relations is about to explode right out of the atmosphere. If a violent international conflict erupted in the final frontier, would we even be able to call it a World War? Debating this name wouldn't be very helpful when the fight would unfold on entirely new dimensions—figuratively speaking.

The technologies of space warfare would surpass our current capabilities. The three most powerful nations, along with others with advanced space programs like India, Japan, and the European Union, would need to accelerate the development of an entirely new arsenal of weapons. Satellites, old and new, would become active components of various war machines. They could be reconfigured into highly sophisticated communications scramblers, anti-missile defense systems, or even high-energy laser beams. This may sound like science fiction, but it's only the beginning.

Each of the warring nations would soon develop spacecraft to fight beyond traditional orbits. These spacecraft could be both human-controlled and autonomous, likely resembling advanced fighter jets designed for intricate maneuvering in the vacuum of space. They would carry highly destructive weapons for engaging in short-range dogfights with enemy spaceships, as well as long-range laser weapons to attack targets back on Earth.

Among the most terrifying new weapons that could wreak havoc on terrestrial targets would be the so-called "rods from God." These would be dense, heavy rods made of tungsten that could be dropped from satellites onto Earth. They would measure over 6 meters in length and weigh nearly 4 and 1/2 tons. Known as kinetic bombardment rods, these weapons would accelerate to incredible speeds as they descend through the atmosphere. Upon impact, they would carry the force of a nuclear weapon but without any radioactive fallout. Entire cities could be wiped out with the press of a button.

So, although this war is primarily fought in space, Earth could still suffer serious consequences. But more on that later. The concept for this radical weapon has been around since the aftermath of World War II. It was developed by a researcher for Boeing as a way to deliver devastating blows without the need for deploying nuclear weapons.

In the battleground of space, weapons like these would be game-changers, and the satellites carrying these rods would be highly strategic targets. To avoid massive casualties from artificial meteor strikes, one of the most essential strategic sites in a war in space would be the biggest of all satellites in orbit: the Moon. This celestial body would be a highly disputed territory for establishing bases and would also be home to artillery and research and development laboratories to forge new weapons. It could even become a battlefield of its own, with different countries attacking each other's bases or leading ground invasions through the rocky landscapes.

The meaning of "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" would take on entirely new interpretations in this dangerous war zone. With all the conflict erupting in space, the borders of the battle could continually expand as newer and more capable technologies develop. Eventually, the struggle could lead to a deadly conflict over Mars, the asteroid belt, or beyond.

The repercussions for this war on Earthly civilians would also be severe. The widespread destruction of satellites would lead to a global breakdown of communications, navigation systems, and weather prediction technology. Economies would be devastated as all kinds of trade agreements would fall apart, and the budgets of all the world's most powerful nations would go almost exclusively to further advancements in space military-industrial complexes.

While the battles would rage off the surface of the planet, there'd be no escape from the new reality of war. Every night, as you watch the stars, you'd catch glimpses of orbital bombardments, easily visible to the naked eye. You might wonder just how far World War III in space would go and how it would ever end. At this moment, that's impossible to say. But you could certainly imagine that this kind of war would be almost entirely unpredictable. It would no longer be about taking over pieces of land on Earth; it would be about who could conquer the vastness of space.

What would begin with satellite crossfire could evolve into the construction of massive space stations that serve as bases for a new era of deep space exploration and conflict. To take things even further, who's to say it would ever end at all? Or maybe it wouldn't be humans, but another advanced alien civilization that would swoop in and diplomatically end the conflict. If that were to happen, let's hope we don't get too carried away and find ourselves at war with other species from faraway planets. But now, that makes me wonder: if aliens arrived tomorrow, could they possibly prevent this whole World War in the first place? Well, that sounds like a story for another "what if."