2007 Chinese anti-satellite missile test

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The 2007 Chinese anti-satellite missile test was conducted by China on January 11, 2007. A Chinese weather satellite — the FY-1C polar orbit satellite of the Fengyun series, at an altitude of 865 kilometres (537 mi), with a mass of 750 kg[1] — was destroyed by a kinetic kill vehicle traveling with a speed of 8 km/s in the opposite direction[2] (see Head-on engagement). It was launched with a multistage solid-fuel missile from Xichang Satellite Launch Center or nearby.

Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine first reported the test. The report was confirmed on January 18, 2007 by a United States National Security Council (NSC) spokesman.[3] At first the Chinese government did not publicly confirm whether or not the test had occurred; but on January 23, 2007, the Chinese Foreign Ministry officially confirmed that a test had been conducted.[4] China claims it formally notified the U.S., Japan and other countries about the test in advance.[5] The Chinese claim is consistent with a sharp rise in queries from American sites concerning FY-1C on at least one space-related Web site starting about 24 hours before the actual intercept.[] It was the first known successful satellite intercept test since 1985, when the United States conducted a similar anti-satellite missile test using a ASM-135 ASAT to destroy the P78-1 satellite.[6]

The New York Times[7], Washington Times[8] and Jane's Intelligence Review[9] reported that this came on the back of at least two previous failed attempts, on July 7, 2005 and February 6, 2006.

Contents

Consequences of the test

Known orbit planes of Fengyun-1C debris one month after its disintegration by the Chinese ASAT

Several nations responded negatively to the test and highlighted the serious consequences of engaging in the militarisation of space. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao stated, "There's no need to feel threatened about this" and argued that "China will not participate in any kind of arms race in outer space."[10][11] Ironically, China had been long advocating to ban space weapons, which had been rejected by the Bush government. [7] Some[] believe this test may have been meant as a way to bring the US to the negotiation table.

Anti-satellite missile tests, especially ones involving kinetic kill vehicles as in this case, contribute to the formation of orbital space debris which can remain in orbit for many years and could interfere with future space activity.[6] The test is the largest recorded creation of space debris in history with at least 2317 pieces of trackable size (golf ball size and larger)[12], thereby increasing the total number of currently tracked objects in earth orbit by more than 22%.

Weaponry

The Chinese anti-satellite system has been named by the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Lieutenant General Michael Maples, in a Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing as the SC-19[13].

The SC-19 have been described as being based on a modified DF-21 ballistic missile or its commercial derivative, the with a Kinetic Kill Vehicle and is fully mobile.

The closing velocity of the intercept was approximately 18,000 miles per hour, comparable to the American National Missile Defense system. [14] It should be noted that intercepting a satellite with a static orbit is a much easier technical problem than intercepting a warhead on a ballistic trajectory due to the low level of uncertainty present when dealing with orbits and the much longer tracking and maneuvering time possible in an anti-satellite intercept.[]

A sample image taken by FY-1C. Received by the Center for Earth Observing and Space Research at George Mason University. [2]

International response

  •  United Kingdom – A spokesman for former Prime Minister Tony Blair told reporters that British officials had raised the matter with China on Wednesday. "We are concerned about the impact of debris in space and we expressed that concern," he said. However he also said that "We don't believe that this does contravene international law".[16]
  •  United States – National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe, who confirmed that the test had occurred, stated that the United States "believes China's development and testing of such weapons is inconsistent with the spirit of cooperation that both countries aspire to in the civil space area."[3][17].

Related treaties

The Outer Space Treaty banned weapons of mass destruction in orbit and outer space but does not ban conventional weaponry in orbit. It is ratified by 98 countries, including China, and signed by 27 others.[18]

The Space Preservation Treaty has been proposed to the United States House of Representatives by Congressman Dennis Kucinich four times, as of 18 May 2005 (2005 -05-18), to ban space weapons, however as of January 2007, no country has ratified it.

See also

References

  1. ^ Nicholson, Brendon (January 20, 2007), "World fury at satellite destruction", The Age, http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/fury-at-space-destruction/2007/01/19/1169095981210.html 
  2. ^ Is China's Satellite Killer a Threat? (Tech Talk)
  3. ^ a b c BBC News (2007). Concern over China's missile test. Retrieved January 20, 2007.
  4. ^ "China admits satellite shot down", BBC News, 2007-01-23, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6289519.stm, retrieved on 23 January 2007 
  5. ^ "China confirms anti-satellite missile test", The Guardian, 2007-01-23, http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/story/0,,1996689,00.html, retrieved on 23 January 2007 
  6. ^ a b Covault, Craig (2007-01-21), "China's Asat Test Will Intensify U.S.-Chinese Faceoff in Space", Aviation Week, http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=awst&id=news/aw012207p2.xml, retrieved on 21 January 2007 
  7. ^ a b "U.S. Knew of China’s Missile Test, but Kept Silent", New York Times, 2007-04-23, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/23/washington/23satellite.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&ref=asia&pagewanted=print&adxnnlx=1177412634-gIokCeqAhuEUTz6obSrvpQ, retrieved on 24 April 2007 
  8. ^ "Officials fear war in space by China", The Washington Times, 2007-01-24, Archived from the original on 2007-01-26, http://web.archive.org/web/20070126091518/http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20070124-121536-8225r.htm, retrieved on 19 February 2007 
  9. ^ "Space to manoeuvre - Satellite attack upsets US space supremacy", Jane's Intelligence Review, 2007-02-07, http://jir.janes.com/public/jir/chinawatch.shtml, retrieved on 19 February 2007  Or see archived version: [1]
  10. ^ "China says space programme is no threat", Agence France Presse, 2007-01-19, http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070119/ts_afp/chinaspacemilitaryfm, retrieved on 22 January 2007 
  11. ^ New York Times (2007). China Shows Assertiveness in Weapons Test. Retrieved January 21, 2007.
  12. ^ "Chinese ASAT Test". Retrieved on 2007-04-18.
  13. ^ "Senator Clinton Questions Vice Admiral John M. McConnell, USN (ret), Director of National Intelligence and Lieutenant General Michael Maples, USA, the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency at a Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing on Worldwide Threats" (2007-02-27). Retrieved on 2007-04-24.
  14. ^ How China Loses the Coming Space War (Pt. 1)
  15. ^ "Sergei Ivanov considers reports on the rocket launch by China, that destroyed a satellite, exaggerated" (in Russian), Voice of Russia, 2007-01-20, http://www.vor.ru/index.phtml?id=4452 
  16. ^ Agence France-Presse (2007-01-19), "Britain Concerned By Chinese Satellite Shoot-Down", Spacedaily.com, http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Britain_Concerned_By_Chinese_Satellite_Shoot_Down_999.html 
  17. ^ Kestenbaum, David (2007-01-19), "Chinese Missile Destroys Satellite in 500-Mile Orbit", National Public Radio, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6923805 
  18. ^ Outer Space Treaty. United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs

External links

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