Reports of Russia developing space technology that would rival; the west has shaken the EU and the US thoroughly. Much so that recent mock exercises by the US to attack the Russian federation are indications of how far the current US administration fears Vladimir Putin.
Until recently, the US is relaxed; but the ASAT missile test caused a stir about how the Kremlin can destroy objects in low earth orbit (LEO). The test is a success that the US has arrayed its allies against the Kremlin.
Russian ASAT poses a threat
NASA noted the launch of the anti-satellite missile (ASAT) that obliterated Cosmos-1408 from Plesetsk in northwest Russia on November 14 or 15. Before getting shut down after 40 years in orbit, shattered to debris, reported the Express UK.
Consequently, the international community had decried the missile test, which threatened other space vehicles. One more ASAT test by China in 2007 whose debris is hazardous for space satellites and the International Space Station.
Ned Price of the State Department said that the Russian Federation jeopardized space by shooting down one of their satellites.
Based on the estimate, the debris is over 1500 bits and other wreckage from earlier years, a collective threat to the space domain. Washington critiques Russia developing space technology weaponry that affects the sustainability of outer space that is opposite to what it claims against starting a space weapons race, cites the Republic World.
Due to the satellite missile test, seven occupants on the ISS had to take shelter in the Crew Dragon and Soyuz spacecraft for 120 minutes because of a debris cloud.
With LeoLabs confirming debris "near" Kosmos-1408 and CNN quoting US officials that there was an ASAT test, rumours are solidfiying into a consistent story that indeed a Russian antisatellite test on Nov 13 or 14 hit Kosmos-1408 causing a debris cloud intersecting the ISS orbit
— Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) November 15, 2021
Immediately, the US and UK had their representatives like Bill Nelson and Ben Wallace voice out that Russia is not concerned about space safety. These two nations consider Moscow a threat, but now Putin has deterrents to shut off these nations' forces from space communications.
Russia to dominate space
According to Juliana Suess from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the ASAT test is what the face of space warfare will look like. It seems that Putin's gambit is paying off. Moscow itself is investing in more technologies that alarm the west more. She added the threat faced by Russia based on the Director for National Intelligence that their forces are adapting to blind space systems to win a conflict.
The end goal for Vladimir Putin is to get an overwhelming advantage in space to neutralize the Americans and dominate the space front.
For the Kremlin, its forces are undergoing modernization along with China that has allied with. They are aware that the US can resurge and make it hard for them to dominate space.
Moscow has caught up, and there is a lot more research and development that can be done with Russian Know-How and Chinese funding, noted Air Force Mag. But the US and UK are working on getting lasers to counter their adversaries in space.
The west cannot ignore Putin's ASAT missile attack; Russia developing space technology to kill space vehicles and defeat enemies is not new and will eventually be better. It is a deterrent that any nation should have and not abide by what the US or NATO dictates or any international body.
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