njohnson747
01-22-07, 05:04 PM
http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/860/hchineseflag018zb.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
I read in a number of articles today that China has tested an anti-satellite (ASAT) device within the last 3 weeks. Reports have been confirmed that they knocked out one of their own satellites - an old weather spacecraft. The test reportedly made use of a ballistic missile to reach the satellite, using some sort of kinetic kill device to destroy the spacecraft.
More from Space.com: Gordon Johndroe, the National Security Council’s (NSC) chief spokesman, said in a statement provided by an NSC press official Jan. 18 that the Chinese used a ground-based, medium-range ballistic missile to knock out an aging Chinese weather satellite orbiting the Earth at an altitude of about 537 miles (865 kilometers).
Johndroe described the incident as a kinetic strike, adding: “The United States believes China’s development and testing of such weapons is inconsistent with the spirit of cooperation that both
countries aspire to in the civil space area. We and other countries have expressed our concern regarding this action to the Chinese.”
The State Department official said U.S. Defense Support Program missile warning satellites and “other assets” detected the launch of a ballistic missile and an event that generated debris. “Our space-tracking sensors subsequently observed that an old Chinese weather satellite is no longer on orbit. … We will continue to track these pieces of debris. We are especially concerned about any increased risk to satellites, but most importantly to human spaceflight, including the U.S. space shuttle and the International Space Station.”
Leading the charge in reporting this January 11th event is Aviation Week and Space Technology magazine, which will detail China’s ASAT test in its magazine.
Citing military and intelligence sources, AW&ST will report that the possible test took out Feng Yun 1C (FY-1C), polar orbiting weather satellite launched in 1999.
Indeed, SPACE.com sources confirmed that that FY-1C has broken up into hundreds and hundreds of pieces, fluttering through low Earth orbit. The mess of space junk does put other satellites, including the International Space Station at some risk - although chances of this are very small.
Clearly, such a provocative act — if confirmed — will spark U.S. reaction as outlined in a newly issued Bush space policy.
Whaddya make of that, eh?
I'm most disturbed by this part: US State Department officials also said the United States received no advance notice from the Chinese. “We have expressed our concern to the Chinese and asked them to clarify their intentions in seeking to develop a ballistic-missile-based anti-satellite capability. ... The Chinese have not responded to our expressions of concern.”
I read in a number of articles today that China has tested an anti-satellite (ASAT) device within the last 3 weeks. Reports have been confirmed that they knocked out one of their own satellites - an old weather spacecraft. The test reportedly made use of a ballistic missile to reach the satellite, using some sort of kinetic kill device to destroy the spacecraft.
More from Space.com: Gordon Johndroe, the National Security Council’s (NSC) chief spokesman, said in a statement provided by an NSC press official Jan. 18 that the Chinese used a ground-based, medium-range ballistic missile to knock out an aging Chinese weather satellite orbiting the Earth at an altitude of about 537 miles (865 kilometers).
Johndroe described the incident as a kinetic strike, adding: “The United States believes China’s development and testing of such weapons is inconsistent with the spirit of cooperation that both
countries aspire to in the civil space area. We and other countries have expressed our concern regarding this action to the Chinese.”
The State Department official said U.S. Defense Support Program missile warning satellites and “other assets” detected the launch of a ballistic missile and an event that generated debris. “Our space-tracking sensors subsequently observed that an old Chinese weather satellite is no longer on orbit. … We will continue to track these pieces of debris. We are especially concerned about any increased risk to satellites, but most importantly to human spaceflight, including the U.S. space shuttle and the International Space Station.”
Leading the charge in reporting this January 11th event is Aviation Week and Space Technology magazine, which will detail China’s ASAT test in its magazine.
Citing military and intelligence sources, AW&ST will report that the possible test took out Feng Yun 1C (FY-1C), polar orbiting weather satellite launched in 1999.
Indeed, SPACE.com sources confirmed that that FY-1C has broken up into hundreds and hundreds of pieces, fluttering through low Earth orbit. The mess of space junk does put other satellites, including the International Space Station at some risk - although chances of this are very small.
Clearly, such a provocative act — if confirmed — will spark U.S. reaction as outlined in a newly issued Bush space policy.
Whaddya make of that, eh?
I'm most disturbed by this part: US State Department officials also said the United States received no advance notice from the Chinese. “We have expressed our concern to the Chinese and asked them to clarify their intentions in seeking to develop a ballistic-missile-based anti-satellite capability. ... The Chinese have not responded to our expressions of concern.”