US accuses Russia of “dangerous” behavior after anti-satellite weapon test | Space

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The United States has accused Russia of “dangerous and irresponsible behavior” after carrying out an anti-satellite weapons test that threatened the lives of the seven astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Russia fired a missile at one of its own satellites over the weekend, generating more than 1,500 traceable orbital debris and hundreds of smaller debris, which the United States said “now threatens interests. of all nations ”.

Astronauts aboard the ISS were forced to float in special “lifeboat” pods after the debris was released. Pods can detach from the ISS and bring crews back to Earth.

“Needless to say, I am outraged. This is unacceptable, ”said NASA administrator Bill Nelson. “It is incredible that the Russian government is doing this test and is threatening not only the international astronauts, but their own cosmonauts who are on the station as well as the three people on the Chinese space station.”

Nelson said astronauts now face a four times greater risk than normal, with the ISS passing near or through the debris cloud every 90 minutes.

His assessment was based on the risk of debris large enough to be tracked. But hundreds of thousands of smaller pieces went undetected – “any one of them can do huge damage if it hits in the right place.”

Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, also condemned Russia’s action and said satellites throughout Earth’s orbit are now also in danger.

The test clearly demonstrated that despite Russia’s claims that it opposes the militarization of outer space, it is “willing to jeopardize the exploration and use of outer space. atmospheric by all nations by its reckless and irresponsible behavior, ”Blinken said in a statement.

British Defense Minister Ben Wallace said: “This destructive anti-satellite missile test by Russia shows complete disregard for the safety, security and sustainability of outer space.”

Anti-satellite weapon tests are rare and criticized by the space community, due to the risk they pose to crews in low earth orbit. Last year, the US Space Command accused Russia of “turning space into a combat domain” after firing a missile at a satellite as part of a weapons test.

The Russian military and the Defense Ministry did not immediately comment.

Earlier Monday, amid reports that Russia had carried out an anti-weapons test, Russian NASA counterpart Roscomos tweeted that the ISS crew had been forced to move in a spacecraft. due to an “object” orbiting the Earth.

The @Space_Station crew regularly performs operations in accordance with the flight program.

The object’s orbit, which forced the crew today to move around in a spacecraft using standard procedures, has moved away from the orbit of the ISS.

The station is in the green zone. pic.twitter.com/MVHVACSpmT

– ROSCOSMOS (@roscosmos) November 15, 2021

“Friends, everything is regular with us! We continue to work according to the program, ”tweeted Anton Shkaplerov, the current commander of the outpost.

NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn, Kayla Barron and European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer floated in their SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft for safety reasons, according to a report from Spaceflight Now.

At the same time, Russian cosmonauts Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrovnik and NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei boarded a Soyuz spacecraft in the Russian segment, Spaceflight Now said.

Experts say anti-satellite weapons that shatter their targets pose a space hazard by creating a cloud of fragments that can collide with other objects, which can trigger a chain reaction of projectiles through Earth’s orbit .

The United States conducted the first anti-satellite weapon test in 1959, when the satellites themselves were new and rare. The United States fired an “air-launched ballistic missile” from a B-47 bomber at the Explorer VI satellite, but missed it.

Russia conducted three anti-satellite missile tests in 2020, according to Space.com. Following Russia’s launch of an anti-satellite missile last December, General James Dickinson, commander of the US Space Command, criticized the country for “persistent tests” of “space and ground weapons intended to target and destroy satellites “.

“Russia publicly asserts that it is working to prevent the transformation of outer space into a battlefield, but at the same time, Moscow continues to militarize space by developing and deploying military capabilities. orbit and on the ground that seek to exploit the United States’ dependence on space. systems, ”Dickinson said.

He added: “We are ready and determined to deter aggression and to defend our nation and our allies against hostile acts in space. “

The US military increasingly relies on satellites to determine what it is doing on the ground, guiding munitions with lasers and space satellites, as well as using these means to monitor missile launches and track its forces. .

The anti-satellite weapon tests have also raised questions about the long-term sustainability of space operations that are essential to a wide range of business activities, including banking and GPS services.

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