PrimeMinister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on Wednesday, 27 March, to announceIndia’s successful testing of Anti-Satellite (A-SAT) weaponry. Mission Shakti,as the operation is known, was marked successful after it destroyed a testsatellite 300 kilometers in space.
Here’s what we knowabout Mission Shakti so far:
· Itsuccessfully tested India’s first A-SAT weapon system, destroying a testsatellite 300 km in space.
· The A-SATis entirely made in India, by the Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO).
· Themission destroyed the test satellite with “remarkable precision” in just threeminutes.
· It makesIndia is the fourth country to successfully test an Anti-Satellite weaponsystem, after the US, Russia and China.
· Targetdestroyed by India's A-SAT missile was an out-of-service Indian satellite
· Since theweaponising of space is prevented by the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 now, thetechnology has been in development since as early as the 1950s. The SovietUnion had, in fact, tested its first A-SAT system in 1958.
· In a 2012interview with India Today, then DRDO chief Vijay Kumar Saraswat had said thatIndia has all the building blocks in place for an A-SAT weapon.
Here’s how ASATWeapons Work:
· VKSaraswat had told India Today that the first thing that comes in is the abilityto track an orbiting satellite in space.
· A-SATsare space weapons that are designed to destroy satellites for strategicmilitary purpose.
· A-SATweapons are basically long-range missiles with a kinetic kill vehicle attachedto them. They can be locked on to the target, intercept, engage and destroy inone swoop.
· The rangeof these A-SAT missiles depends on their launch location. The US and Russiahave experimented with ship, land and space launches. India appears to haveused land.
· India'sABM program, used in missile systems like the Agni, could have been tweakedinto an A-SAT weapon, Saraswat said.
· ISRO nowhas the capability to launch two tonnes of payload, an important prerequisitefor launching any weapon system.
· A-SATprojects were adapted for ABM use. The ABMs could also be used to develop A-SATmissiles, Saraswat said in 2012.
· India hasused a three-stage Ballistic Missile Defence program (BMD) to test its A-SATsystem.
Here area few more points on Mission Shakti, as provided by the Ministry of ExternalAffairs.
What Was The Test?
On 27March 2019, India conducted Mission Shakti, an anti-satellite missile test,from the Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Island launch complex. This was a technologicalmission carried out by the DRDO. The satellite used in the mission was one ofIndia’s existing satellites operating in lower orbit. The test was fullysuccessful and achieved all parameters as per plans. The test required anextremely high degree of precision and technical capability.
Thesignificance of the test is that India has tested and successfully demonstratedits capability to interdict and intercept a satellite in outer space based oncomplete indigenous technology.
With thistest, India joins an exclusive group of space-faring nations consisting of theUSA, Russia and China.
WhichMissile/Interceptor Was Used?
TheDRDO’s Ballistic Missile Defence interceptor was used, which is part of theongoing ballistic missile defence programme.
Does The Test CreateSpace Debris?
The testwas done in the lower atmosphere to ensure that there is no space debris.Whatever debris is generated will decay and fall back on to the earth withinweeks.
The testwas done to verify that India has the capability to safeguard our space assets.
Why Was The TestDone Now?
The testswere done after we had acquired the required degree of confidence to ensure itssuccess, and it reflects the intention of the government to enhance India’snational security. India has seen an accelerated space development programmesince 2014.
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VKSaraswat had told India today that the first thing that comes in is the ability to track an orbiting satellite in space.
· A-SATsare space weapons that are designed to destroy satellites for strategicmilitary purpose.
· A-SATweapons are basically long-range missiles with a kinetic kill vehicle attachedto them. They can be locked on to the target, intercept, engage and destroy inone swoop.
· Therange of these A-SAT missiles depends on their launch location. The US andRussia have experimented with ship, land and space launches. India appears tohave used land.
· India'sABM program, used in missile systems like the Agni, could have been tweakedinto an A-SAT weapon, Saraswat said.
· ISROnow has the capability to launch two tonnes of payload, an importantprerequisite for launching any weapon system.
· A-SATprojects were adapted for ABM use. The ABMs could also be used to develop A-SATmissiles, Saraswat said in 2012.
· Indiahas used a three-stage Ballistic Missile Defence program (BMD) to test itsA-SAT system.