Kamala Harris, the Vice President of the United States, announced on April 18 that the US government is committed to stopping anti-satellite missile testing. It calls on all countries to do the same and to work together so that this measure becomes a standard.
The United States stands as a spokesperson
The proposal was established last December, during Kamala Harris’ first meeting as president of the National Space Council. ” This commitment responds to one of the most concerning threats to the security and sustainability of space », Specifies the press release from the government. ” Developing shared knowledge of what constitutes safe and responsible space activities contributes to a more stable space environment by reducing the risk of misunderstandings and miscalculations. »
An anti-satellite missile is a weapon used to destroy artificial satellites. At present, only 4 countries have carried out such shots: China, Russia, India and the United States. The last use of these missiles by the US government dates back to 2008 during the downing of a sinking spy satellite.
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Kamala Harris, the Vice President of the United States, speaking at Goddard Space Flight Center on November 5, 2021. Photograph: Taylor Mickal/NASA.
Anti-satellite missiles: dangerous and polluting
Even if today only 4 countries have claimed the use of this technology, it represents a certain future danger. ” The destruction of space objects through anti-satellite missile testing is reckless and irresponsible. The long-lived debris created by these tests now threatens satellites and space objects critical to the security, economy and scientific interests of other nations. They increase the risks for astronauts in space », Express the White House.
Anti-satellite missile launches also contribute to space pollution. On November 15, Russia’s test of such missiles would have generated more than 1,500 orbital debris in space and forced the astronauts of the International Space Station to take refuge in a shelter while crossing the debris field. .
Historically, countries that have used such tests have only targeted their own spacecraft. However, nothing prevents the use of this technology on foreign satellites in the context of reprisals or counterintelligence. The U.S. government rules on this: conflict or confrontation in space is not inevitable, but the United States is keeping space free of it “.
In the same line, NASA launched under the Trump administration, the Artemis agreements, an international treaty for the peaceful exploration of space. The program has already been signed by 16 countries, most recently Romania last March.