BROWN: Well the Cold War may be over but the next arms race has already begun. This next battlefield is taking shape hundreds of miles above the U.S. in space. CNN chief national security correspondent Jim Sciutto gained rare access to classified U.S. military command and operation centers and he investigates the new weapons built to disable or destroy U.S. satellites which could cripple everything from your GPS to nuclear readiness.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning Charlie crew. Let's get started with changeover.</s>JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: One of the first warning shots in space was spotted here, the Joint Space Operation Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All assets are currently tasked and are ready to support. Getting any questions ma'am, that's all I've got.</s>SCIUTTO: It was May 2014 when a small team of airmen monitoring a Russian space launch saw something they had never seen before.</s>DAVID BUCK, COMMANDER, JOINT FUNCTIONAL COMPONENT COMMAND FOR SPACE: Its part of the Russian space launch we were tracking three objects on orbit. One was the actual satellite that they were launching in orbit. One was the rocket body and another was what we assumed to be a piece of debris.</s>SCIUTTO: But soon after the debris came to life. Lieutenant General David Buck, commander of U.S. Military Space Forces was on duty.</s>BUCK: The one object we assumed was a piece of debris started to maneuver in close proximity to the booster.</s>SCIUTTO: It has continued overturn to make maneuvers?</s>BUCK: We are watching it very closely.</s>SCUTTO: In other words, it's not debris but a satellite with new and dangerous capabilities.</s>BROWN: And our thanks to Jim Sciutto. This Tuesday, go inside the most classified U.S. operation and also discover the impact of a space war. CNN's Special Report War in Space, The Next Battlefield, Tuesday night at 9:00 only here on CNN. Back in a moment. Stay with us.
Next Battlefield Takes Place in Space