Direct-Ascent Anti-Satellite (DA-ASAT) Test
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Highlights:
♦ The DA-ASAT missile collided with the Russian spacecraft COSMOS 1408, resulting in a debris field in low-Earth orbit.
So far, this test has produced around 1500 pieces of trackable orbital debris.
♦ In subsequent experiments, it will create hundreds of thousands of particles of smaller orbital debris.
♦ According to USSPACECOM’s first estimate, the debris will linger in orbit for years. As a result, the crew of the International Space Station is in grave danger.
♦ The trajectory of debris is constantly monitored by USSPACECOM. It will ensure that all space-faring nations have access to the information they need to protect their on-orbit operations.
DA-ASAT Test by Russia:
♦ The PL-19 Nudol, Russia’s first direct ascent anti-satellite missile, was successfully test-fired on November 18, 2015.
♦ In May 2016, Russia tested the Nudol for the second time. The “Plesetsk cosmodrome test launch site,” located 805 kilometres north of Moscow, launched Nudol.
