Russia tested a direct-ascent anti-satellite striking a Russian satellite on Monday, producing more than 1,500 pieces of trackable orbital debris
India’s Mission Shakti, which was launched in March 2019. Press Information Bureau
Russia’s recently-held anti-satellite missile test has drawn condemnation with the United States saying it was ‘dangerous and irresponsible’ as it endangered the crew aboard the International Space Station.
The test also created more 1,500 pieces of space junk, with NASA administrator Bill Nelson being quoted as saying, “Needless to say, I’m outraged. This is unconscionable.”
As the Vladimir Putin-led country faces US ire, let’s understand what an anti-satellite missile is and why this particular test threatens the space environment.
Anti-satellite missile
An anti-satellite weapon, or ASAT, is anything that destroys or physically damages a satellite. It was first developed by the United States in 1959 to counter the erstwhile Soviet Union.
There are two types of ASATs — kinetic and non-kinetic.
The kinetic ASAT must physically strike an object to destroy it. For example, a ballistic missile. On the other hand, a non-kinetic ASAT is when a non-physical means is used to disable or destroy a space object. To simplify it: a frequency jammer, blinding lasers or cyber-attacks are all examples of non-kinetic ASATs.
As of date, there have been four countries that have displayed their A-SAT capabilities — the United States, Russia, China and India.
While Russia’s ASAT came into being in the 1960s, China entered the anti-satellite arena in 2007 by destroying an old weather satellite in a high, polar orbit. The test created the largest orbital debris cloud in history, with over 3,000 objects.
India’s ASAT
In March of 2019, India carried out Mission Shakti, India’s first, and successful anti-satellite missile experiment.
In his address at the time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said: “India has today established itself as a global space power. So far, just three countries in the world — USA, Russia, and China — have had this capability.”
While many had applauded India’s Mission Shakti, it was also questioned over concerns of space shrapnel and debris.
Upasana Dasgupta, a researcher at the Institute of Air and Space Law at McGill University, had express concern in a The Print article.
She had said: “While enhancing the military is a great initiative, India should not forget its international obligations.”
The US also had expressed concern saying that such tests risk making a “mess” in space because of debris fields they can leave behind.
The then Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan was quoted as saying, “My message would be: We all live in space, let’s not make it a mess. Space should be a place where we can conduct business. Space is a place where people should have the freedom to operate.”
Space debris
The issue with the use of anti-satellite weapons is the space debris it creates, which can threaten the secure use of space for all users.
For instance, it was reported that even six months after India launched Mission Shakti, there were at least 28 pieces of debris in the low Earth orbit.
At the time, NASA had reported that there were over 5,00,000 pieces of debris or “space junk” as they orbit the Earth.
NASA stated that debris travels at such high speeds that even a small piece of orbital debris could damage a satellite or a spacecraft. Additionally, it is a threat to astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
Russia’s test on Monday
On Monday, it was reported that Russia tested a direct-ascent anti-satellite, or DA-ASAT missile, striking a Russian satellite and creating a debris field in low-Earth orbit of more than 1,500 pieces of trackable orbital debris.
“The debris created by Russia’s DA-ASAT will continue to pose a threat to activities in outer space for years to come, putting satellites and space missions at risk, as well as forcing more collision avoidance maneuvers. Space activities underpin our way of life and this kind of behaviour is simply irresponsible,” US Space Command commander General James Dickinson was quoted as saying by CNN.
According to reported information, astronauts aboard the International Space Station were forced to take safety precautions when a cloud of space junk zipped by in orbit.
Astronauts on the ISS were directed to retreat into vehicles docked to the space station to take shelter from a possible impact. Russian astronauts took refuge in the Soyuz MS-18 capsule, while American astronauts went to the Space Crew Dragon capsule. With objects moving at speeds of up to 17,500 mph in orbit, even a collision with something the size of a marble could be potentially devastating.
Guidelines for ASAT tests
In 2018, the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research had suggested three ASAT guidelines.
The guidelines were:
o No State wishing to test out ASAT capabilities should create any space debris
o If an actor must create debris during an ASAT test, it should be carried out at an altitude sufficiently low that the debris will not be long-lived
o If a State carries out an ASAT test, it should notify others to avoid misinterpretations
However, these haven’t been accepted by space-faring nations and they are still working on finding a consensus.
With inputs from agencies