NPR: India's anti-satellite test debris threatens space station

Last week, when India destroyed one of its satellites orbiting the Earth, it created hundreds of orbital debris, some of which are large enough and tall enough to pose a potential threat to the International Space Station. , says NASA.

"It's a terrible thing to create an event that sends debris into a climax that goes beyond the International Space Station," said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, referring to the culmination of this in-orbit debris. "And this kind of activity is not compatible with the future of manned spaceflight that we must see happen."

In calculating the potential impact of the Indian test last week, he said NASA had determined that the risk of small debris hitting the space station was increased by 44% over a 10-day period.

"This is unacceptable and NASA must be very clear about its impact," said Bridenstine, during a discussion on space debris and the Indian anti-satellite test at a public meeting on Monday. .

While he was talking about increased risk, the NASA administrator also pointed out that the space station and the astronauts on board were safe. The station can be removed from danger if necessary, he added.

But another danger, he said, is that "when one country does it, others feel obliged to do it too".

With the test, India announced its arrival as a space power, according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But it is joining a neighborhood that is increasingly clouded by space debris – and on arriving, India has scattered dangerous new debris into orbit.

As NPR's Geoff Brumfiel reports last week, "the experts say the most likely target Wednesday's test was a satellite launched in January called Microsat-R. The satellite orbits 260 to 282 km above the Earth, making it a target at relatively low altitude. "

"The good thing is that, if the Earth's orbit is low enough, all of this will disappear over time," said Bridenstine on Monday. It is expected that these pieces will burn when they enter the Earth 's atmosphere.

This result contrasts with a similar test conducted by China at a relatively high altitude in 2007, which left potentially dangerous elements that were still in orbit.

India's interception of its own satellite has created 400 orbital debris, Bridenstine said.

"What we're following right now – objects big enough to be followed, we're talking about 10 centimeters [4 inches] or more, about 60 pieces were followed, "he said. Of these 60, we know that 24 of them exceed the apogee of the International Space Station. "

Bridenstine then addressed the range of commercial activities planned for low-Earth orbit – from pharmaceutical companies to manufacturing companies – that could be threatened by debris clouds.

"What we know," he says, "is what it gives, it'll scare you."

The United States is currently monitoring about 23,000 orbital debris, Bridenstine added, adding that the tracking capability would be greatly enhanced by the planned "space barrier", which would track between 200,000 and 500,000 debris.

The next goal, he said, will be to reduce the dangers associated with these objects.

The United States also used its own satellites to train the target, shooting down one in 1985. They did it again in 2008, when a highly-classified reconnaissance satellite was hurting operated shortly after reaching the orbit. It is thought that all debris from these tests eventually fell out of the orbit.