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NASA has described the destruction of a satellite by India as "terrible, terrible" last week and said that the space debris created by the explosion should now be considered a threat to the International Space Station and the astronauts on board.
India deliberately destroyed one of its satellites with a missile last week, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed as an initiative that established India "as a space power."
However, NASA director Jim Bridenstine told employees Monday that this poses an "unacceptable" threat to astronauts aboard the ISS.
Read more: The Indian anti-satellite missile test has brought humanity closer to a nightmarish scenario in space
He said the satellite was broken up into pieces, many of which were large enough to be a hazard to the space station, but not big enough to track. It is unclear exactly how much debris the satellite has created.
"What we are currently following, objects big enough to be followed – we are talking about 10 cm (four inches) or more – about 60 pieces have been followed," he said.
He stated that 24 of these pieces were above the ISS, while the satellite was in orbit 185 miles above the Earth, lower than the station, which runs about 250 miles at above the Earth.
"It's a terrible thing to create an event that sends debris at a climax that goes beyond the International Space Station," Bridenstine added.
"This kind of activity is not compatible with the future of manned spaceflight."
Read more: According to a new simulation, the Indian anti-satellite missile test could have created 6,500 pieces of larger space craft than an eraser,
He added that the risk of collision of debris by the ISS had increased by 44% in 10 days thanks to the Indian missile.
"It's unacceptable and NASA needs to be very clear about its impact," he said.
There are currently six crew members living aboard the ISS.
A software engineering company called Analytical Graphics Inc. (AGI) has simulated the debris created by the anti-satellite test, which she posted on YouTube.
"We have modeled 6,500 fragments, essentially more than half a centimeter," said Tom Johnson, vice president of engineering at Analytical Graphics Inc.
India has minimized the risk of debris after launching its missile. Its most famous scientists said last week that they expected them to be consumed in less than 45 days.
Read more: India says space debris from anti-satellite test "will disappear in no time"
G. Satheesh Reddy, head of the Organization for Defense Research and Development in India, said a low-level military satellite had been chosen to reduce the risk of debris.
"That's why we did it at a lower altitude, it will disappear in no time," he told Reuters. "The debris is moving right now, how much debris we are trying to solve, but we think it should go away in 45 days."
The Acting US Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, warned a day after the Indian test that the event could create a "mess" in the space.
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