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posted by martyb on Wednesday April 03 2019, @12:53AM   Printer-friendly
from the kaboom-in-spaaaaaace dept.

India anti-satellite missile test a 'terrible thing,' NASA chief says

India's anti-satellite missile test created at least 400 pieces of orbital debris, the head of NASA says -- placing the International Space Station (ISS) and its astronauts at risk.

NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said Monday that just 60 pieces of debris were large enough to track. Of those, 24 went above the apogee of the ISS, the point of the space station's orbit farthest from the Earth.

"That is a terrible, terrible thing to create an event that sends debris at an apogee that goes above the International Space Station," Bridenstine said in a live-streamed NASA town hall meeting. "That kind of activity is not compatible with the future of human spaceflight." He added: "It is not acceptable for us to allow people to create orbital debris fields that put at risk our people."

Also at BBC and The Guardian.

Previously: India Shoots Down Satellite in Test


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  • (Score: 5, Interesting) by pTamok on Wednesday April 03 2019, @07:08AM (4 children)

    by pTamok (3042) on Wednesday April 03 2019, @07:08AM (#824000)

    As an anti-satellite test it's not the worst it could have been.

    As people who follow the International Space Station know, it needs to boost itself to a higher orbit every so often, as the ISS orbit decays due to atmospheric drag. While it is above the Kármán line [wikipedia.org], there is still a non-negligible number of atoms/molecule/dust particles hanging about at ISS orbital radii.

    The same will apply to the debris from the damaged/destroyed target - drag will bring it down fairly rapidly. The Indians say that: “Whatever debris that is generated will decay and fall back on to the Earth within weeks.”. The Chinese anti-satellite test in 2007 left debris that will be around for centuries. Wikipedia:2007 Chinese anti-satellite missile test [wikipedia.org]

    More than half of the tracked debris orbits the Earth with a mean altitude above 850 kilometres (530 mi), so they would likely remain in orbit for decades or centuries.[28] Based on 2009 and 2013 calculations of solar flux, the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office estimated that around 30% of the larger-than-10 centimetres (3.9 in) debris would still be in orbit in 2035.

    The Americans have also demonstrated anti-satellite capability, leaving debris in orbit for long periods: Wikipedia: Solwind [wikipedia.org], with known debris remaining from 1985 to at least 2004.

    So, I'm not saying the Indian test is good, but it could have been a lot worse, as demonstrated by the USA and China.

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  • (Score: 5, Interesting) by Muad'Dave on Wednesday April 03 2019, @11:32AM (1 child)

    by Muad'Dave (1413) on Wednesday April 03 2019, @11:32AM (#824030)

    ASAT ops are not the only source of long-term space debris - ever heard of Project West Ford [wikipedia.org]?

    • (Score: 1) by pTamok on Wednesday April 03 2019, @03:30PM

      by pTamok (3042) on Wednesday April 03 2019, @03:30PM (#824111)

      No, I hadn't - thanks for the interesting link.

  • (Score: 2) by jimtheowl on Wednesday April 03 2019, @08:46PM (1 child)

    by jimtheowl (5929) on Wednesday April 03 2019, @08:46PM (#824235)
    You cannot simply dismiss something bad by stating that it can always be worse.

    The US and Russia have stopped anti satellite weapon testing because they have a better understanding of the debris problem.

    India (and China) have no excuse.
    • (Score: 1) by pTamok on Thursday April 04 2019, @07:22AM

      by pTamok (3042) on Thursday April 04 2019, @07:22AM (#824384)

      You cannot simply dismiss something bad by stating that it can always be worse.

      I agree with you, which is why I took pains to clearly point out:

      So, I'm not saying the Indian test is good, but it could have been a lot worse, as demonstrated by the USA and China.

      I did not say, "It could have been worse, so don't worry."

      And the USA and Russia have not stopped ASAT weapon development (and testing) - the most recent tests have not involved deliberate destruction of orbiting satellites. Launch systems and target acquisition systems are still being tested, just not on 'live' targets.