US vows to not conduct anti-satellite missile tests, calling them ‘dangerous’
- US pledge, first of its kind by a nation, is part of the Biden administration’s strategy to promote responsible use of space
- Since the 1960s, the United States, China, India and Russia have conducted more than a dozen anti-satellite tests
The Biden administration announced on Monday it is barring anti-satellite missile testing by the United States, a move that White House officials say is meant to underscore its hopes of establishing new norms for military action in space.
The US has sharply criticised Russia and China for conducting anti-satellite missile tests, although it also used an interceptor missile fired from a US Navy warship more than 14 years ago to destroy a malfunctioning spy satellite.
The issue is one that’s taken on greater urgency after Russia in November launched a missile to destroy a defunct Soviet-era satellite. Vice-President Kamala Harris criticised the Russian action as an “irresponsible act”.
The strike created more than 1,500 pieces of space debris that increased risk to US and Russian astronauts aboard the International Space Station and China’s Tiangong space station, according to US Space Command.
“These tests are dangerous, and we will not conduct them,” Harris said in a speech to military personnel at Vandenberg Space Force Base on the central coast of California, on Monday.
Harris, who chairs the White House National Space Council, noted how the resulting debris can endanger the lives of astronauts and imperil satellites that provide “the daily weather forecast, GPS driving directions, and even your favourite television station”.