India has conducted its first anti-satellite weapons test, destroying an existing satellite today in low-Earth orbit. The constellation of 30 GPS satellites provides redundancy where at least four satellites can be received in six orbital planes at any one time, so an attacker would need to disable at least six satellites to disrupt the network. The use of satellites for communication, reconnaissance and, in recent decades, navigation have effectively meant it was inevitable that major powers develop countermeasures to disrupt the capabilities of rivals. [60] After the collapse of the Soviet Union, this project was put on hold due to reduced defense expenditures. Japan also has a regional satellite navigation system. However, the US stole a march on miniature ASAT weapons, with an F-15 fighter firing an ASM-135 missile to destroy a satellite used for solar observation in 1985. At 22:28 UTC on 11 January 2007, the People's Republic of China successfully destroyed a defunct Chinese weather satellite, FY-1C. That year, with a few software tweaks, Washington used a Standard Missile 3 Block I interceptor to destroy the USA-193 satellite in what it described as a necessary safety measure. purposes. While the Soviet Union also began research into anti-satellite weapons in the 1950s, the first test of an ASAT system was conducted in 1963. The ASM-135 test has been considered the last ASAT test until China fired its first weapon in 2007. The then Soviet Union followed a year later. After the Soviet Union collapsed, there were proposals to use this aircraft[clarification needed] as a launch platform for lofting commercial and science packages into orbit. The big picture: Nations with the ability to launch anti-satellite missiles held back from using those capabilities against enemies, but experts are concerned that could change in the future. Depending on the level of tracking capabilities, the interceptor would have to pre-determine the point of impact while compensating for the satellite's lateral movement and the time for the interceptor to climb and move; U.S. intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) satellites orbit at about 800 km (500 mi) high and move at 7.5 km/s (4.7 mi/s), so a Chinese Intermediate-range ballistic missile would need to compensate for 1350 km (840 mi) of movement in the three minutes it takes to boost to that altitude. In late 2018, images began circulating of a MiG-31 fighter carrying what experts claimed was an anti-satellite missile. The US has the eponymous GPS, Russia has the GLONASS constellation, the EU has Galileo and China has deployed the BeiDou system. Both Slazer and the NASIC report pointed to the example of China's anti-satellite test in 2007. The ASAT weapon “apparently came within four miles of its target”; the programme was called 'Bold Orion'. In 2008, the US Navy used an SM-3 missile, meant to intercept ballistic missiles, to destroy an old reconnaissance satellite. [21] However, U.S. government sources described it as the first test of a new ground-based ASAT system. Two such tests were carried out on 1 November 1963 and 12 April 1964. In the year 1958, US became the first country to test A-SAT technology, the USSR followed in 1964 and China in 2007. On 11 January 2007, China conducted an anti-satellite missile test. Both countries began to reduce expenditure from 1989 and the Russian Federation unilaterally discontinued all SDI research in 1992. In addition to using dedicated missiles, the major powers have also conducted research on high-power lasers and other 'directed-energy' weapons for potential use against satellites. On 27 March 2019, India tested an anti-satellite weapon during an operation code named Mission Shakti (IAST: Śakti; lit. A total of 23 launches have been identified as being part of the IS test series. Official technical newspaper defends satellite-killing missile. The first two elements use line-of-sight (25–30 km (13–16 nmi; 16–19 mi)) and extended line-of-sight (300–500 km (160–270 nmi; 190–310 mi)) radios respectively, so only strategic communications are dependent on satellites. [40], On 27 March 2019, India successfully conducted an ASAT test called Mission Shakti. The first anti-satellite test (ASAT) was carried out by the US military way back in 1959. The test highlighted the consequences of destructive ASAT technologies: the destroyed satellite generated more than 250 pieces of persistent space debris large enough to be tracked, as well as more than 800 smaller pieces. [35][36] A new test launch took place on 16 December 2020. To understand the relevance of satellites, particularly for military purposes, one only needs to look at the statistic that four nations/blocs have global positioning systems. Russia test-fired an anti-satellite missile in its pursuit to turn space into a “warfighting domain,” the U.S. Space Command announced Wednesday. In January 2007, China tested its first anti-satellite weapon, using a converted ballistic missile to hit a weather satellite at a height of 530miles. The development and design of anti-satellite weapons has followed a number of paths. The interceptor was launched at around 05:40 UTC at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, Odisha and hit its target Microsat-R[42] after 168 seconds. U.S. Space Command said Dec. 16 that Russia has again tested a direct-ascent anti-satellite missile in a violation of space security norms. "Still All Quiet on the Orbital Front? The technology behind anti-satellite weapons is complicated, involving highly reliable surface-to-air and converted ballistic missiles and long-range radar and tracking systems. [45] With this test, India became the fourth nation with anti-satellite missile capabilities. Further testing of weapons effects was carried out under the DOMINIC I series. 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[24], USA-193 was an American reconnaissance satellite, which was launched on 14 December 2006 by a Delta II rocket, from Vandenberg Air Force Base. That missile made a spectacular trace above two remote villages in the Komi Republic, north of the cosmodrome in northern Russia. The use of high-altitude nuclear explosions to destroy satellites was considered after the tests of the first conventional missile systems in the 1960s. [30], Three more launches were reportedly held in December 2016, on 26 March 2018, and on 23 December 2018—the latter two from a TEL. The USSR had also researched directed energy weapons, under the Fon project from 1976, but the technical requirements needed of the high-powered gas dynamic lasers and neutral or charged particle beam systems seemed to be beyond reach. Here, Chelomei outlined his rocket and spacecraft program, and received a go-ahead to start development of the UR-200 rocket, one of its many roles being the launcher for his anti-satellite project. Thereafter, the two countries carried out a series of such tests up till early 1980s. 1985: America tested AGM-135, launched from a F-15 fighter jet and destroyed its own satellite Solwind P 78-1. Unlike the US strategy of relying on missiles, the Soviet Union adopted a 'co-orbital' method, which involved launching a 'killer satellite', which would enter the same orbit as its target and approach it for destruction. A similar project carried out under 199A, Lockheed's High Virgo, was initially another ALBM for the B-58 Hustler, likewise based on the Sergeant. [29], In May 2016, Russia tested the Nudol for the second time. However, in 1983, Yuri Andropov ended all IS testing and all attempts to resume it failed. The Strategic Defense Initiative gave the US and Soviet ASAT programs a major boost; ASAT projects were adapted for ABM use and the reverse was also true. ", "U.S. military sensors track debris from Indian anti-satellite test", "U.S. studying India anti-satellite weapons test, warns of space debris", "U.S. sees India space debris from weapons test eventually burning up", "US adopts neutral stand on 'Mssion Shakti', to continue space collaboration with India", "Russia puts onus on US for early outer space rules after India's test", China’s Deceptively Weak Anti-Satellite Capabilities, "Israeli experts: Arrow-3 could be adapted for anti-satellite role", "Is Russia ready for Star Wars? The US report also noted both Russia and China were conducting research into directed-energy weapons for use as ASAT weapons. It provides exo-atmospheric interception of ballistic missiles. On 21 February 2008, the U.S. Navy destroyed the malfunctioning U.S. spy satellite USA-193 using a ship-fired RIM-161 Standard Missile 3. Like the ASM-135, the Bold Orion missile was air-launched, but in this case from a B-47 Stratojet. In December 1985, … In 2013, China tested another anti-satellite missile, which was fired under the guise of being a routine space rocket launch. An adapted version of the nuclear armed Nike Zeus was used for an ASAT from 1962. The A-SAT Missile was launched from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha and it successfully engaged an Indian orbiting target satellite in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in a ’Hit to Kill’ mode, the statement said. The development and design of anti-satellite weapons has followed a number of paths. [3][4][5], ASAT roles include: defensive measures against an adversary's space-based and nuclear weapons, a force multiplier for a nuclear first strike, a countermeasure against an adversary's anti-ballistic missile defense (ABM), an asymmetric counter to a technologically superior adversary, and a counter-value weapon.[6]. To record its flight path, the Bold Orion transmitted telemetry to the ground, ejected flares to aid visual tracking, and was continuously tracked by radar. Even if an ISR satellite is knocked out, the U.S. possesses an extensive array of manned and unmanned ISR aircraft that could perform missions at standoff ranges from Chinese land-based air defences, making them somewhat higher priority targets that would consume fewer resources to better engage. One of the projects studied under the 199A umbrella was Martin's Bold Orion air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM) for the B-47 Stratojet, based on the rocket motor from the Sergeant missile. The Slow Proliferation of Anti-satellite Weapons/Na Orbitalni Fronte Stale Klid? An air-launched ballistic missile was fired from B-47 bomber at Explorer VI satellite. The system was then modified with the addition of an Altair upper stage to create an anti-satellite weapon with a 1770-kilometre (1100 mi) range. The Soviet Union continued research into ASAT systems even as Yuri Andropov, the then leader of the country, announced a unilateral moratorium on tests in 1983. [33][34], On 15 April 2020, U.S officials said Russia conducted a direct ascent anti-satellite missile test that could take out spacecraft or satellites in low Earth orbit. One area of research was development of a 'miniature' anti-satellite missile that could be carried on the then-brand-new MiG-31 fighter. For communications, the Naval Telecommunications System (NTS) used by the U.S. Navy uses three elements: tactical communications among a battle group; long-haul communications between shore-based forward Naval Communications Stations (NAVCOMSTAs) and deployed afloat units; and strategic communication connecting NAVCOMSTAs with National Command Authorities (NCA). A 2018 report of the US intelligence community claimed the ASAT weapons of both China and Russia will probably reach initial operating capability (IOC) in the “next few years”. Microsat-R is the suspected target of the Indian ASAT experiment. Research on possible anti-satellite weapons started years before, with the US Air Force testing various concepts. However, the status of these efforts, or indeed how they are being funded through National Reconnaissance Office projects of record, remains unclear.