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India Shoots Down Satellite in Test (reuters.com)

Posted by msmash on from the space-power dept.

India shot down one of its satellites in space with an anti-satellite missile on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, hailing the country's first test of such technology as a major breakthrough that establishes it as a space power. From a report: India would only be the fourth country to have used such an anti-satellite weapon after the United States, Russia and China, said Modi, who heads into general elections next month. "Our scientists shot down a live satellite 300 kilometres away in space, in low-earth orbit," Modi said in a television broadcast. "India has made an unprecedented achievement today," he added, speaking in Hindi. "India registered its name as a space power." Anti-satellite weapons allow for attacks on enemy satellites, blinding them or disrupting communications, as well as providing a technology base to intercept ballistic missiles. Update: U.S. says studying India anti-satellite weapons test, warns on debris.

6 of 158 comments (clear)

  1. Space Debris by mholve · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Thanks for contributing. Have a nice day!

    1. Re:Space Debris by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Wrong.

      There will be space debris, though it may be reduced, here's why:

      1) You're exploding a fucking missile next to the target.
      2) That's going to disintegrate and give energy to launch enough shit in *ALL* directions(simple physics), enough to reach orbit. It only takes a nut to count as debris, given the damage that could cause when it says hello to other kit at great velocities relative to each other.

  2. Jerks by phantomfive · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Space junk.

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  3. So 2000s by the_skywise · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's impressive but from an actual strategic standpoint it may already be out of date.
    Russia has already moved to hypersonic cruise missiles that don't have to go into space to deliver their payload.
    You don't need spy satellites anymore when you can have smaller, faster, lighter, remote drones fly into a nation to do photographs.
    Satellites are still necessary to national infrastructures so space weapons are still useful but it's no longer a panacea to a nation's security, let alone defense.

  4. Re:Do you want Space Force? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    The real purpose of this launch is to give Trump's Republican party a boost before general elections next month. They will most likely win, despite being the moral equivalent of the KKK. Trump is divisive and bigoted, and not the sort of person who should be leading a nation with nukes.

    FTFY

  5. Bigger fish to fry, India by Lucas123 · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Really, India?

    You felt so threatened by satellite surveillance that you decided to pour your scientific and financial resources into weaponizing against it and ratcheting up the potential for war? You've got far bigger problems on earth than over your heads. A population of 1.3 billion who represent the largest number of people living below the international poverty line of $1.25 per day, breathtaking income inequality and 31% of children under the age of five underweight. But, by all means, spend millions defending yourself from the "space enemies".