India shot down one of its satellites in space with an anti-satellite missile on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, hailing the country's first test of such technology as a major breakthrough that establishes it as a space power.[NEW DELHI] India shot down one of its satellites in space with an anti-satellite missile on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, hailing the country's first test of such technology as a major breakthrough that establishes it as a space power.
After the news, China's foreign ministry said it hoped all countries"can earnestly protect lasting peace and tranquility in space". The United States and Russia both declined to make any immediate comment. India has had a space programme for years, making earth imaging satellites and launch capabilities as a cheaper alternative to Western programmes. It sent a low-cost probe to Mars in 2014 and plans its first manned space mission by 2022.
The three-minute test in the lower atmosphere ensured there was no debris in space and the remnants would"decay and fall back on to the earth within weeks", the ministry added. China destroyed a satellite in 2007, creating the largest orbital debris cloud in history, with more than 3,000 objects, according to the Secure World Foundation.
"Space is being turned into a battlefront, making counter-space capabilities critical. In this light, India's successful 'kill' with an ASAT weapon is significant."
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