In an apparent self-imposed restriction, the United States committed not to conduct anti-satellite (ASAT) missile tests as part of the Biden Administration’s pledge to use space responsibly. On Monday, US Vice President Kamala Harris announced the restriction at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California (April 18). She also asked other nations to do the same.
The prohibition appears to be the first of its type. The Biden administration has already said that it will support prudent space utilisation. ‘I am glad to report that the United States has agreed not to conduct destructive direct ascent anti-satellite missile testing as of today,’ stated Harris, head of the National Space Council. ‘Simply put, these tests are risky, and we will not carry them out. We are the first country to make such a pledge. And now, on behalf of the United States of America, I extend an invitation to other nations to join us’, she said.
What is an anti-satellite weapon’s test?
A spacecraft in orbit is destroyed with a missile system during an anti-satellite weapons demonstration, which is often demonstrated by the military. So far, governments who have conducted ASAT tests have targeted their own assets in space. It has not yet been utilized in combat. Several countries, including China, India, Russia, and the United States, have successfully shot down their own satellites in order to demonstrate their ASAT capabilities.
On November 15, Russia conducted a test launch of an anti-satellite missile, which collided with a defunct Soviet-era spy satellite in low-Earth orbit. According to a catalogue of orbital objects maintained by the United States Space Force, it produced at least 1,632 pieces of space debris.
Post Your Comments