• Russian ASAT creating dangerous debris in space
• Astronauts resume normal operations after Russian ASAT
• Approximately 1,500 pieces of debris that could be tracked
According to the U.S. State Department, Russia destroyed one of its own satellites with a missile launched from the ground. Thousands of pieces of debris have spread out into Earth orbit since the November 15 explosion. In an interview with The Associated Press, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the US had identified approximately 1,500 pieces of debris that could be tracked, along with thousands of smaller pieces that cannot be tracked.
Russia’s extraordinarily irresponsible missile test has, so far, generated over 1500 pieces of trackable orbital debris and hundreds of thousands of pieces of smaller orbital debris. https://t.co/w4wydSc27w
— Ned Price (@StateDeptSpox) November 15, 2021
According to LeoLabs, a private space tracking company, several objects have been observed in the vicinity of an old Russian satellite called Kosmos 1408. This has now been confirmed to be the target of the ASAT test.
With new data from Kiwi Space Radar gathered at 1620 UTC, we confirm detection of multiple objects near expected location of Cosmos 1408. We will share supporting data as we gather it today.
— LeoLabs, Inc. (@LeoLabs_Space) November 15, 2021
With new data from Kiwi Space Radar gathered at 1620 UTC, we confirm detection of multiple objects near expected location of Cosmos 1408. We will share supporting data as we gather it today.
— LeoLabs, Inc. (@LeoLabs_Space) November 15, 2021
Debris generated by the dangerous Russian ASAT test caused ISS astronauts and cosmonauts to undertake emergency procedures for safety.
It’s unthinkable that Russia would endanger not only intl partner astronauts on the ISS but also their own cosmonauts. https://t.co/8VKJxon9mW
— Bill Nelson (@SenBillNelson) November 15, 2021
All four nations have previously destroyed their own satellites as part of ASAT tests, including the U.S., Russia, and India, and China. While the United States last conducted an ASAT test in 2008, Russia criticized the Pentagon on Tuesday for testing the X-37 spacecraft, claiming that there has been “active development” of space weapons.
Russia’s latest ASAT test will likely create a debris field that will stay in orbit for years, which poses a threat to other satellites. The Earth imagery company Planet, which operates more than 140 satellites in low Earth orbit, noted that Russia’s ASAT test makes it the fourth country “to blow its own satellite up with a missile in the last 15 years.”
As tensions between the US and Russia rise, the incident comes at a critical time. In addition to publicly criticizing Russia’s buildup of troops near its border with Ukraine, senior US officials also expressed concern over the migrant crisis on the border with Belarus, which European officials have characterized as an act of hybrid warfare against Europe by Belarus with Russian backing.
