China's satellite collides with Russian anti-satellite missile test debris
HIGHLIGHTS
Russia brushed aside the worries.
Anti-satellite weapons are high-tech missiles that only a few countries have.
This was the fourth time a spacecraft was struck from the ground.
WHY IN NEWS
According to official media, a Chinese satellite came dangerously close to colliding with one of the several bits of debris left by the fallout of a recent Russian anti-satellite missile test. In November, Moscow detonated a missile that blew up one of its ageing satellites, causing international outrage due to the space debris it strewn throughout the Earth's orbit. Officials from the United States accused Moscow of launching a 'dangerous and reckless' strike that resulted in a cloud of debris and compelled the crew of the International Space Station to take evasive action.
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Russia disregarded their fears and claimed that space debris was a threat, but a recent event involving a Chinese satellite reveals otherwise. China's Tsinghua Science Satellite got as near as 14.5 metres to a piece of debris in the most recent encounter , According to the report, the 'very hazardous' occurrence occurred on Tuesday, citing a social media post by Chinese space officials that has since been removed. According to space debris specialist Liu Jing, it was unusual for debris and spacecraft to be barely a dozen metres away, and the likelihood of collision this time was 'extremely high,' which should have prompted evasive action.
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Anti-satellite weapons are high-tech missiles that only a few countries have, and the move has sparked fears of a growing space arms race, which might include everything from laser weapons to satellites capable of shunting others out of orbit. The test was the fourth time a spacecraft was attacked from the ground, and more than 1,500 pieces of trackable orbital debris were created. Last year, the Chinese space station collided with satellites owned by Elon Musk's SpaceX, prompting Beijing to accuse the US of reckless and dangerous behaviour in orbit.
