![]() Today, much more civilian infrastructure relies on GPS and satellite communications, so attacks on them could lead to chaos. China’s own first successful ASAT test was in 2007. The US had missiles that could be launched from fighter jets (successfully tested in 1985) as well as nuclear-tipped missiles capable of obliterating enemy satellites. ![]() During the Cold War, the US and the Soviets both developed sophisticated anti-satellite weaponry. The first (failed) ASAT test, by the US, was back in 1958, less than a year after the launch of Sputnik. The idea of shooting down satellites has been around as long as satellites have. No explosives are needed at orbital speeds, kinetic energy does the damage. Shortly after the missile leaves the atmosphere, the kill vehicle detaches from it and makes small course corrections as it approaches the target. Typically this type of ASAT has a “kill vehicle,” essentially a chunk of metal with its own guidance system, mounted on top of a ballistic missile. Mission Shakti, as it was called, was a demonstration of a direct-ascent anti-satellite weapon (ASAT)-or in plain English, a missile launched from the ground. In March, India became only the fourth country in the world-after Russia, the US, and China-to successfully destroy a satellite in orbit.
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