Chinese test missile obliterates satellite

[ZeoBandit]

U.S. official: Chinese test missile obliterates satellite
POSTED: 4:24 a.m. EST, January 19, 2007
Story Highlights
• Chinese use a missile to ram and destroy an old, orbiting satellite
• Experts: China now may have ability to knock out U.S. GPS and spy satellites
• Washington issues formal diplomatic protest

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- China last week successfully used a missile to destroy an orbiting satellite, U.S. government officials told CNN on Thursday, in a test that could undermine relations with the West and pose a threat to satellites important to the U.S. military.

According to a spokesman for the National Security Council, the ground-based, medium-range ballistic missile knocked an old Chinese weather satellite from its orbit about 537 miles above Earth. The missile carried a "kill vehicle" and destroyed the satellite by ramming it.

The test took place on January 11. (Watch why the U.S. has protested the missile strike )

Aviation Week and Space Technology first reported the test: "Details emerging from space sources indicate that the Chinese Feng Yun 1C (FY-1C) polar orbit weather satellite launched in 1999 was attacked by an asat (anti-satellite) system launched from or near the Xichang Space Center."

A U.S. official, who would not agree to be identified, said the event was the first successful test of the missile after three failures.

The official said that U.S. "space tracking sensors" confirmed that the satellite is no longer in orbit and that the collision produced "hundreds of pieces of debris," that also are being tracked.

The United States logged a formal diplomatic protest.

"We are aware of it and we are concerned, and we made it known," said White House spokesman Tony Snow.

Several U.S. allies, including Canada and Australia, have also registered protests, and the Japanese government said it was worrisome.

"Naturally, we are concerned about it from the viewpoint of security as well as peaceful use of space," said Yashuhisa Shiozaki, chief cabinet secretary. He said Japan has asked the Chinese government for an explanation.

The United States has been able to bring down satellites with missiles since the mid-1980s, according to a history of ASAT programs posted on the Union of Concerned Scientists Web site. In its own test, the U.S. military knocked a satellite out of orbit in 1985.

Under a space policy authorized by President Bush in August, the United States asserts a right to "freedom of action in space" and says it will "deter others from either impeding those rights or developing capabilities intended to do so."

The policy includes the right to "deny, if necessary, adversaries the use of space capabilities hostile to U.S. national interests."

Low Earth-orbit satellites have become indispensable for U.S. military communications, GPS navigation for smart bombs and troops, and for real-time surveillance. The Chinese test highlights the satellites' vulnerability.

"If we, for instance, got into a conflict over Taiwan, one of the first things they'd probably do would be to shoot down all of our lower Earth-orbit spy satellites, putting out our eyes," said John Pike of globalsecurity.org, a Web site that compiles information on worldwide security issues.

"The thing that is surprising and disturbing is that [the Chinese] have chosen this moment to demonstrate a military capability that can only be aimed at the United States," he said.

[Van Halenized]

U.S. official: Chinese test missile obliterates satellite

"If we, for instance, got into a conflict over Taiwan, one of the first things they'd probably do would be to shoot down all of our lower Earth-orbit spy satellites, putting out our eyes," said John Pike of globalsecurity.org, a Web site that compiles information on worldwide security issues.

Well no shit?? We'd do the same thing, John Pike. You sir, are a genius!!

The thing I hate is that now we have more space junk floating around up there.

[Axxman300]

Well no shit?? We'd do the same thing, John Pike. You sir, are a genius!!

The thing I hate is that now we have more space junk floating around up there.

Yep, we can launch them from F-15s and B-52s.

[swage]

Thank you Mr. Clinton. Get ready for another cold war.....if we're lucky. Iran will set it off.

[graeme]

This is quite a little show of double standards from Bush and Co.

We can do it, because we've authorised ourselves to be able, but we have also unilaterally decided that no one else can.

It's the law.

What a fucking joke.

[Dr5115]

This is quite a little show of double standards from Bush and Co.

We can do it, because we've authorised ourselves to be able, but we have also unilaterally decided that no one else can.

It's the law.

What a fucking joke.

Dude.........

If the chinese gov. with Nuclear capability doesn't scare you, well, it should. If they can take out anyone's satellites (BTW satellites can detect what those shitheads are doing with their nukes) it is a scary thing.

If you don't like Bush's political agenda........well that's fine. If you don't want the U.S. and other countries to be able to monitor these psycho freaks then yeah, what the hell, take out our satellites.

[Axxman300]

China has a ways to go and faces a bunch of internal challenges in the near future. I'm not saying they're a threat, it's just that they're not the kind of threat people think they are. They are poised to become the new 500lbs gorrilla on the economic and inernational stage. The thing is that they don't know how to play the game, yet, but they'll learn.