Russian ASAT Provokes Questions, Calls For Action

The anti-satellite test created at least 1,500 pieces of trackable debris and underscores the need for new policies, observers say.

The Soyuz MS-18 crew ship, carrying Soyuz Commander Oleg Novitskiy and spaceflight participants Yulia Peresild and Klim Shipenko, is pictured departing the vicinity of the International Space Station as both spacecraft were orbiting 263 miles above the Pacific Ocean off the coast of far eastern Russia. Courtesy: NASA

Key Takeaways:

Russia conducted a kinetic anti-satellite (ASAT) test on November 15, destroying its own Cosmos 1408 satellite and creating thousands of pieces of orbital debris.
The debris immediately endangered astronauts on the International Space Station and will pose a long-term threat to other satellites and space activities in low Earth orbit for years or decades.
The test drew strong international condemnation, with U.S. officials and others labeling it "reckless" and "irresponsible," highlighting the urgent need for new policies and norms of responsible behavior in space.
Observers believe this "militarization of space" could escalate tensions between nations and provoke other countries to enhance their own anti-satellite or military space capabilities.

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A recent Russian anti-satellite test that sent thousands of pieces of debris into orbit and put astronauts in the International Space Station in potential peril underscores the need for new policies and will likely provoke other countries to ratchet up military capabilities in space, according to observers.

How This Started

On November 15, Russia destroyed its own satellite, Cosmos 1408, a non-operational Soviet Electronic and Signals Intelligence Tselina-D satellite designed to determine precise location and activity of radio emitters, according to NASA.