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The US State Department said that Russia tested an anti-satellite missile during a “destructive” operation on Monday. The debris from the missile put astronauts on the International Space Station in danger. In a statement issued on Monday afternoon, US Secretary of State Anthony Brinken stated that Russia had “recklessly conducted a destructive test of a direct ascent anti-satellite missile on one of its own satellites” earlier in the day. Brinken said that this test has produced more than 1,500 “traceable orbital debris, and may generate hundreds of thousands of smaller orbital debris,” threatening people working on the International Space Station and “other human spaceflight activities.”
These actions “clearly show that Russia, despite its claims to oppose the weaponization of outer space, is willing to endanger the long-term sustainability of outer space through its reckless and irresponsible actions, and endanger the exploration and use of outer space by all countries”, Brinken Say. He added that the United States will respond in cooperation with its allies and partners. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said that due to debris, astronauts and astronauts on the International Space Station must be awakened to perform emergency safety procedures. He said that these debris also threatened the Chinese space station and the Chinese personnel on board. ” can’t imagine Russia not only endangering the United States And the international partner astronauts on the International Space Station, and their own astronaut.
Their behavior is reckless and dangerous,” Nelson said in A statement instructing additional personnel to close some hatches be careful. “NASA will continue to monitor debris and To ensure the safety of our crew members on orbit,” he added. The agency stated that the International Space Station will pass through or approach the debris cloud every 90 minutes. After Washington publicly warned Moscow not to invade Ukraine last week, tensions between the United States and Russia have escalated.
This test was conducted at a time when tensions between the United States and Russia escalated. The assembly of as many as 114,000 Russian troops was shocked. This is not the first time that states have tested missiles on satellites. During the Cold War, the United States and Russia designed and tested anti-satellite weapons. This missile can theoretically shoot down enemy satellites that control intelligence and communications, and threaten to turn space into a theater of war.
News Source : Financial Times