A suspected Russian anti-satellite weapons test over the weekend has resulted in an orbiting debris field, US Space Command says.
The test involved launching a ground-based missile to knock out a target in orbit, according to CNN, which cites unnamed US officials. US Space Command also told the media outlet it’s now tracking a rare “debris-generating event.”
“We are actively working to characterize the debris field and will continue to ensure all space-faring nations have the information necessary to maneuver satellites if impacted," a Space Command spokesperson tells CNN.
The main concern is that debris from the weapons test will collide into other objects in space, such as communication satellites and even the International Space Station. Because space debris can travel up to 17,500 miles per hour, even a small artifact can cause devastating damage in the event an impact occurs.
Details about Russia’s weapons test are scarce. But a year ago, the US warned that the country was developing two kinds of anti-satellite systems—one described as a “direct-ascent anti-satellite (DA-ASAT) missile,” capable of taking down low-Earth orbiting satellites.
“If this weapon is tested on an actual satellite or used operationally, it will cause a large debris field that could endanger commercial satellites and irrevocably pollute the space domain,” US Space Command said in December 2020. The second system Russia is developing allegedly involves using an orbiting space-based weapon to take down satellites.
We’ve reached out to US Space Command for more information, and we’ll update the story if we hear back. According to CNN, the US State Department plans on issuing a statement about the weapons test soon. Several other countries—including the US, China, and India—have also been testing weapons capable of knocking out satellites in orbit.