From Moon Over Alabama:
Yesterday Russia successfully tested a ground launched 'direct ascent' anti-satellite missile:
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has said that Russia’s cutting-edge future weapon system being tested has hit its target with great precision.
"It is true that we have successfully tested a cutting-edge system of the future. It hit an old satellite with precision worthy of a goldsmith. The remaining debris pose no threats to space activity," Shoigu told the media during a working tour of military units in the Western Military Region near Voronezh.
The U.S., China and India have previously made similar tests of
kinetic weapons designed to kill satellites. Such tests are problematic
because they create debris fields which will endanger other objects in the earth's orbit:
Seven astronauts on the International Space Station were forced to take shelter in their transport spacecraft early Monday (Nov. 15) when the station passed uncomfortably closed to orbital debris, according to reports.
The space junk passes began in the pre-dawn hours of Monday and the International Space Station has continued to make close passes to the debris every 90 minutes or so, according to experts monitoring the situation. Russia's space agency Roscosmos confirmed the space junk encounter with Space.com, though NASA has not yet commented on the situation either publicly or to Space.com.
Anti-satellite missiles can be used against more than satellites. An intercontinental missile will deliver its warhead on an out-in-space trajectory. An anti-satellite missile could destroy it before it reenters the atmosphere.
Why would Russia want to kill satellites one might ask. U.S. weapon producer Northrop Grumman recently gave an idea:
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) recently completed the critical design review of the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) prototype for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA). The review establishes the company’s technical approach for precise, timely sensor coverage to defeat ballistic and hypersonic missiles.HBTSS satellites will provide continuous tracking and handoff to enable targeting of enemy missiles launched from land, sea or air. They are a critical part of the Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) multi-layered constellation of satellites, which can sense heat signatures to detect and track missiles from their earliest stages of launch through interception.
Ain't arms races fun?
“ The remaining debris pose no threats to space activity," Shoigu told the media during a working tour of military units in the Western Military Region near Voronezh.”
ReplyDelete(this paragraph is a flat out lie. It does pose a real threat to our present satellites and to future launches according to Elon Musk.)
“The U.S., China and India have previously made similar tests of kinetic weapons designed to kill satellites. Such tests are problematic because they create debris fields which will endanger other objects in the earth's orbit:”
(this paragraph is completely true. The Gateway Pundit = GWP, Has an article right now that is based upon an extensive article from Fox New’s, Sean Hannity’s show this past Wednesday Night. And the show that he did he quoted several lines from an interview with Elon Musk in last week’s WSJ Interview.
“ As things stand right now, we are delaying any future lunches for at least 3 months so that we can determine future trajectory for all upcoming launches for our Space-X Program.”
Says ELON MUSK. WSJ INTERVIEW.