China's Space Weapons Program and U.S. Security
China 's Space Weapons Program and U.S. Security
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China 's Space Weapons Program and U.S. Security
Space assets benefit not only the countries that have sent them but all the other military from other countries as well by sharing them. However there are times that these assets have to be destroyed after they have served their purpose and it is the responsibility of the country that sent it out there to destroy it before it overcrowds the earth’s orbit. This is what led to the invention of the ASATs (anti- satellite weapons) which is still in the development and advancement stages.
In the year 20071 China sent an anti-satellite weapon into the low earth orbit in order to destroy one of its old weather satellite. This made most of the countries that have satellites in the lower earth’s orbit especially the United States to rethink their security. America noted that since China had already invented the anti-satellite weapons then it has the capacity and capability of creating more of them. As a result it could destroy a significant number of the United States satellites and that would impact the country’s security since its military uses these satellites to ensure the country’s safety.
Later on in the early 2008, the United States launched a modified missile receptor into the lower earth orbit to destroy on of its own satellites2. This satellite was carrying a thousand pounds of toxic fuel that was about to reenter the earth’s atmosphere and the satellite could no longer be controlled from the ground. This gives America the same capability as China’s to destroy satellites that are in the low earth orbit. Development and advancement of the ASAT technology is still in progress and both China and America are in competition in pursing this advancement even further.
1Bruce W. MacDonald. China, Space Weapons, and U.S. Security. Council on Foreign Relations, 2008.
2 Bruce W. MacDonald.
Name:
Astronomy:
Course Instructor:
Date
China 's Space Weapons Program and U.S. Security
Space assets benefit not only the countries that have sent them but all the other military from other countries as well by sharing them. However there are times that these assets have to be destroyed after they have served their purpose and it is the responsibility of the country that sent it out there to destroy it before it overcrowds the earth’s orbit. This is what led to the invention of the ASATs (anti- satellite weapons) which is still in the development and advancement stages.
In the year 20071 China sent an anti-satellite weapon into the low earth orbit in order to destroy one of its old weather satellite. This made most of the countries that have satellites in the lower earth’s orbit especially the United States to rethink their security. America noted that since China had already invented the anti-satellite weapons then it has the capacity and capability of creating more of them. As a result it could destroy a significant number of the United States satellites and that would impact the country’s security since its military uses these satellites to ensure the country’s safety.
Later on in the early 2008, the United States launched a modified missile receptor into the lower earth orbit to destroy on of its own satellites2. This satellite was carrying a thousand pounds of toxic fuel that was about to reenter the earth’s atmosphere and the satellite could no longer be controlled from the ground. This gives America the same capability as China’s to destroy satellites that are in the low earth orbit. Development and advancement of the ASAT technology is still in progress and both China and America are in competition in pursing this advancement even further.
1Bruce W. MacDonald. China, Space Weapons, and U.S. Security. Council on Foreign Relations, 2008.
2 Bruce W. MacDonald.
Bibliography: Albert Wohlstetter and Brian G. Chow. Self-Defense Zones in Space. Pan Heuristics, 1986. Bruce W. MacDonald. China, Space Weapons, and U.S. Security. Council on Foreign Relations, 2008. Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, 2007. The Economic Times. China 's anti-satellite weapon a "trump card" against US. Retrieved on 25th April, 2013 from http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-01-06/news/36174004_1_anti-satellite-test-asat-test-chinese-satellites U.S. Department of State. Report on U.S. Space Policy. International Security Advisory Board, 2007.