Mission Shakti | |
---|---|
Planned by | India |
Objective | Destruction of target live satellite (suspected Microsat-R) |
Date | 27 March 2019 11:10 – 11:13 (IST) |
Executed by | PDV Mk-II anti-ballistic missile |
Outcome | Satellite destroyed successfully |
On 27 March 2019, India tested an anti-satellite weapon (ASAT) during an operation code named Mission Shakti (IAST: Śakti; lit. "Power"). [1] [2] The target of the test was a satellite present in a low Earth orbit, which was hit with a kinetic kill vehicle.
The ASAT test utilized a modified anti-ballistic missile interceptor code-named Prithvi Defence Vehicle Mark-II which was developed under Project XSV-1. The test made India the fourth country after the United States, Russia and China to have tested an ASAT weapon.
The test sparked concerns regarding the creation of space debris. The Indian government tried to address these concerns by saying that the debris generated from the test would not last for a long duration.
India's successful demonstration of the ASAT capability is said to signify its ability to intercept an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The ASAT weapon is meant to act as a deterrent.
The Indian anti-satellite (ASAT) program utilized spin off technologies from Indian ABM systems. India is developing a multi-layered and multi-phased missile defence system to defend against hostile ballistic and cruise missiles. The exo-atmospheric interceptors meant to be used against ICBMs, which have lofted trajectories and fly at high altitudes, can also be used to intercept satellites. [3]
In response to threats posed by missile systems from China and Pakistan, India began to work on its BMD program in 1999. [4] In 2006 and 2007, India tested its first exo atmospheric interceptor Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) and endo atmospheric interceptor Ashwin/Advanced Air Defence respectively. [5] In 2009, India began to work a new exo atmospheric interceptor called Prithvi Defense Vehicle (PDV) similar to Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD). [6]
India had begun work on an ASAT soon after the 2007 Chinese anti-satellite missile test. [7] In a televised press briefing during the 97th Indian Science Congress in Thiruvananthapuram, the Defence Research and Development Organisation Director General Rupesh announced that India was developing the necessary technology that could be combined to produce a weapon to destroy enemy satellites in orbit. On 18 March 2008, DRDO Director-General and Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister V. K. Saraswat hinted that India possessed technology required for an ASAT missile. [7] On 10 February 2010, Saraswat stated that India had "all the building blocks necessary" to integrate an anti-satellite weapon to neutralize hostile satellites in low Earth orbit and polar orbits. India is known to have been developing an exo-atmospheric kill vehicle that can be integrated with the missile to engage satellites. [8] In April 2012, DRDO's chairman V. K. Saraswat said that India possessed the critical technologies for an ASAT weapon from radars and interceptors developed for Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Programme. [9] In July 2012, Ajay Lele, an Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses fellow, wrote that an ASAT test would bolster India's position if an international regime to control the proliferation of ASATs similar to NPT were to be established. He suggested that a low-orbit test against a purpose-launched satellite would not be seen as irresponsible. [10]
In 2014, India carried out the maiden test of PDV. [11] First real time interception test was carried out against a maneuvering target in 2017, followed by another test in 2019. [12] [13] In 2017, India had lost contact to one of its key imaging satellites, RISAT-1.
In 2016, the Indian Government approved a program codenamed Project XSV-1 for an ASAT test. [14] A modified version of the PDV similar to the midcourse ground-based interceptor, officially named PDV MkII was tested against a satellite on 27 March 2019.
DRDO has also been working on directed energy weapons, electromagnetic pulse and co-orbital weapons for ASAT roles. [15]
The interceptor struck a test satellite at a 283 km (176 mi) altitude in low Earth orbit (LEO), thus making Mission Shakti a successful ASAT missile test. The interceptor was launched at around 05:40 UTC at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Abdul Kalam Island and hit its target after 168 seconds. Microsat-R was the suspected target of the test. [16] [17] [18] The missile system was developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) — a research wing of the Indian defence services. [19] Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on television, announcing the test. [20] [2] With this test, India became the fourth nation after United States, Russia and China with proven anti-satellite (ASAT) capabilities. [21]
India officially confirmed that the ASAT missile used in the test is a Ballistic Missile Defence interceptor and is part of the Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Programme. [22] The interceptor has the designation of Prithvi Defence Vehicle (PDV) Mark-II. [23] [24]
The interceptor missile involved in the test had a hit-to-kill capable Kinetic kill vehicle. Thus the missile, by nature, was a direct-ascent anti-satellite weapon. [25] It had a length of 13 m (43 ft) and a diameter of 1.4 m (4 ft 7 in). Being a three-stage missile, it was fitted with two solid-propellant rocket motor stages and the Kill vehicle. The combined weight of the first and the second stages is 17.2 tons, with the third stage weighing 1.8 tons. The first two stages can carry 16.7 tons of fuel. [26] [27] [28] DRDO Chief G. Satheesh Reddy said that although some previously developed sub-technologies were used as a basis, the interceptor was a completely new missile. [25]
As per DRDO, the missile was capable of shooting down targets moving at a speed of 10 km/s (6.2 mi/s) at an altitude as high as 1,200 km (750 mi). However, in order to minimize the threat of debris, the interception was performed against an object moving at 7.4 km/s (4.6 mi/s) at an altitude below 300 km (190 mi). [27] DRDO Chief G. Satheesh Reddy said that the propulsive power of the interceptor missile can be increased to make it capable of targeting satellites at medium altitudes. [29]
The missile reportedly hit the satellite with an accuracy of less than 10 cm (3.9 in), which is comparable with the best reported performance of ASAT missiles. [27] Some reports stated that the achieved accuracy was of a few centimetres. [25]
According to DRDO Chief G. Satheesh Reddy, the interceptor missile is capable of shooting down all the satellites present in low Earth orbit. [30]
The kill vehicle constituted the third stage of the interceptor missile. It had an advanced terminal guidance system on board, including a non-gimballed strap down imaging infrared seeker and an inertial navigation system that used ring-laser gyroscopes, which detected and tracked the Microsat-R satellite in low Earth orbit. [28] [27]
Course corrections to the Kill Vehicle's trajectory were made using a thrust-vector system. Large thrusters present at the top of the Kill Vehicle's rear cylindrical body at approximately its centre of gravity and smaller thrusters present near the back of the Kill Vehicle were used. [28] [27] The Kill Vehicle has the capability to destroy targets in the entire low Earth orbit region. [31]
Solid-propellant rocket motors formed the first two stages of the interceptor missile. These rocket motor stages took the ASAT missile to the required height and velocity. After that, the nose tip heat shield was ejected and the IIR seeker of the Kill Vehicle locked onto the satellite. [28] [27] The solid rocket booster used is a derivative of the technology first developed for Sagarika missile. [32]
PDV MkII uses a new generation of composite propellant that High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) started working on during the development phase of K Missile family. The solid fuel is highly efficient and can provide more energy compare to the fuel used in Agni missile series. [32]
The target of the test was Microsat-R, a satellite which was launched by ISRO on 24 January 2019. [33] [34] This satellite was built to serve the purpose of the test which was not disclosed to Indian Space Research Organisation. [33] [25] [27] [35] [36] India didn't specify the name of target satellite immediately after test and merely announced that it shot down a "live" Indian satellite. [37] [22] The relative velocity between the missile and Microsat-R was around 10 km/s (6.2 mi/s). [25]
Shooting down a satellite approximately present in a 300 km (190 mi) low Earth orbit is more challenging than shooting down a satellite present in a higher orbit. [36] The transverse orbital speed of a satellite is inversely proportional to its distance from the centre of Earth, which is a direct consequence of the law of conservation of angular momentum, or equivalently, Kepler's second law. [38]
In a statement released after the test, Indian Ministry of External Affairs said that the test was conducted at low altitude to ensure that the resulting debris would "decay and fall back onto the Earth within weeks". [39] [22]
According to Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, some debris might persist for a year, but most should burn up in the atmosphere within several weeks. [40] Brian Weeden of Secure World Foundation agreed, but warned about the possibility of some fragments getting boosted to higher orbits. U.S. Air Force Space Command said that it was tracking 270 pieces of debris from the test, [41] although as of 26 September 2019 only 125 objects have been catalogued. [42] A Dutch Space Situational Awareness consultant Marco Langbroek disputed DRDO's claim that the test was responsible. He said that the intercept was not "head on", which would have minimized debris ejection to higher altitudes, but was instead conducted at an upwards angle. [43] He added that most of the debris would be cleared within days, but some might last a year or two. [43]
According to NASA, 49 tracked pieces of debris remained in orbit as of 15 July 2019. Indian missile experts criticised this claim by mentioning that debris was generated in similar tests by the U.S., adding that the debris doesn't pose a threat to any spacecraft because it is in a very low orbit. [44]
As of 26 September 2019, there were 50 tracked pieces of debris in orbit but 9 of them were lost (no updates for more than 30 days) according to astrodynamicist T. S. Kelso. [42]
As of March 2022, only one catalogued piece of debris from Microsat-R remains in orbit: COSPAR 2019-006DE, SATCAT 44383. This final piece decayed from orbit 14 June 2022.
India has created the Defence Space Agency to develop capabilities required to protect its interests in outer space and to deal with the threat of space wars. [45] India conducted its first simulated space warfare exercise on 25th and 26 July 2019, called IndSpaceEx. The exercise was conducted by the Integrated Defence Staff. The exercise is expected to lead to an assessment of threats and the creation of a joint space warfare doctrine. [46] [47]
India is reportedly working on directed energy ASAT weapons, co-orbital ASAT weapons, lasers and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) based ASAT weapons. The ability to protect space assets from hostile electronic and physical attacks is also being developed. [48]
Aircraft Spots, which monitors military-related aircraft movements, said that a United States Air Force reconnaissance aircraft from the Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia flew on "a mission in the Bay of Bengal to monitor India's anti-satellite missile test". [49] This was denied by the United States Department of Defense. [50]
China reacted cautiously to the test. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that it has noticed reports about the test and was hopeful that all countries will uphold peace and tranquility in outer space. [51]
However, state-run media of China highlighted the 'double standards' of the Western world. It said that the West did not criticize India as much as it criticized China for its ASAT 2007 test because it viewed the test from a "China-India competition perspective". [52]
Pakistan asserted that space is a common heritage of mankind, saying that every nation has the duty to refrain from actions that lead to the militarization of space. Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that boasting of such capabilities is useless, invoking the English idiom Tilting at Windmills. [53] Pakistan also hoped that countries which have condemned such tests by other countries before "will be prepared to work towards developing international instruments to prevent military threats relating to outer space". [54]
Russia acknowledged India's statement on the test not being targeted against any nation and invited India to join the Russian–Chinese proposal for a treaty against weaponisation of space. [55]
Following the test, acting United States Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan warned about the risks of space debris caused by ASAT tests, but later added that he did not expect debris from the Indian test to last. [56] [57] The United States Department of State acknowledged Ministry of External Affairs' statement on space debris and reiterated its intention to pursue shared interests in space including on space security with India. [58] Jim Bridenstine, the head of NASA, called the Indian ASAT test a "terrible thing", pointing out that debris from the explosion endangers other satellites and the International Space Station (ISS). [59] [60]
Acting U.S. Strategic Command commander General John E. Hyten told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Indians conducted the ASAT test because they were "concerned about threats to their nation from space" while responding to a question from senators on the need for India to do such tests. [61]
The test is considered to hold significance due to the following reasons: [62]
An anti-ballistic missile (ABM) is a surface-to-air missile designed to counter ballistic missiles. Ballistic missiles are used to deliver nuclear, chemical, biological, or conventional warheads in a ballistic flight trajectory. The term "anti-ballistic missile" is a generic term for a system designed to intercept and destroy any type of ballistic threat; however, it is commonly used for systems specifically designed to counter intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
Anti-satellite weapons (ASAT) are space weapons designed to incapacitate or destroy satellites for strategic or tactical purposes. Although no ASAT system has yet been utilized in warfare, a few countries have successfully shot down their own satellites to demonstrate their ASAT capabilities in a show of force. ASATs have also been used to remove decommissioned satellites.
Space warfare is combat in which one or more belligerents are in outer space. The scope of space warfare includes ground-to-space warfare, such as attacking satellites from the Earth; space-to-space warfare, such as satellites attacking satellites; and space-to-ground warfare, such as satellites attacking Earth-based targets. Space warfare in fiction is thus sub-genre and theme of science fiction, where it is portrayed with a range of realism and plausibility. In the real world, international treaties are in place that attempt to regulate conflicts in space and limit the installation of space weapon systems, especially nuclear weapons.
The Kessler syndrome, proposed by NASA scientists Donald J. Kessler and Burton G. Cour-Palais in 1978, is a scenario in which the density of objects in low Earth orbit (LEO) due to space pollution is numerous enough that collisions between objects could cause a cascade in which each collision generates space debris that increases the likelihood of further collisions. In 2009, Kessler wrote that modeling results had concluded that the debris environment was already unstable, "such that any attempt to achieve a growth-free small debris environment by eliminating sources of past debris will likely fail because fragments from future collisions will be generated faster than atmospheric drag will remove them". One implication is that the distribution of debris in orbit could render space activities and the use of satellites in specific orbital ranges difficult for many generations.
The ASM-135 ASAT is an air-launched anti-satellite multistage missile that was developed by Ling-Temco-Vought's LTV Aerospace division. The ASM-135 was carried exclusively by United States Air Force (USAF) F-15 Eagle fighter aircraft.
On 11 January 2007, China conducted an anti-satellite missile test. A Chinese weather satellite—the FY-1C polar orbit satellite of the Fengyun series, at an altitude of 865 kilometres (537 mi), with a mass of 750 kilograms (1,650 lb)—was destroyed by a kinetic kill vehicle traveling with a speed of 8 km/s (18,000 mph) in the opposite direction. It was launched with a multistage solid-fuel missile from Xichang Satellite Launch Center or nearby.
The Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Programme is an initiative to develop and deploy a multi-layered ballistic missile defence system to protect India from ballistic missile attacks. It was launched in 2000 after the Kargil War by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. Testing was carried out and continuing as of 2006, and the system was expected to be operational within four years according to the head of the country's missiles development programme, Vijay Kumar Saraswat.
USA-193, also known as NRO Launch 21, was a United States military reconnaissance satellite launched on 14 December 2006. It was the first launch conducted by the United Launch Alliance (ULA). Owned by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the craft's precise function and purpose were classified. On 21 February 2008, it was destroyed as a result of Operation Burnt Frost.
The Integrated Space Cell was the nodal agency within the Government of India with oversight of the security of its space based military and civilian hardware systems. It was to be jointly operated by all the three services of the Indian Armed Forces, the civilian Defence Research and Development Organisation and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). This agency was superseded by Defence Space Agency in 2019.[better source needed]
Strictly speaking, a satellite collision is when two satellites collide while in orbit around a third, much larger body, such as a planet or moon. This definition is typically loosely extended to include collisions between sub-orbital or escape-velocity objects with an object in orbit. Prime examples are the anti-satellite weapon tests. There have been no observed collisions between natural satellites, but impact craters may show evidence of such events. Both intentional and unintentional collisions have occurred between man-made satellites around Earth since the 1980s. Anti-satellite weapon tests and failed rendezvous or docking operations can result in orbital space debris, which in turn may collide with other satellites.
China's anti-satellite (ASAT) program has been under development since 1964. The ASAT program has since been moved from Program 640 to Program 863, the General Armaments Department and the State Administration for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense. Since its inception, the ASAT program has made progress on the development of three ASAT capable Systems: direct fire, directed-energy weapon, and microsatellites. Tests of these systems have either been directly acknowledged by the PRC, or reported on as ASAT capable. China is pursuing a broad and robust array of counterspace capabilities, which includes direct-ascent antisatellite missiles, co-orbital antisatellite systems, computer network operations, groundbased satellite jammers, and directed energy weapons.
India has studied, produced and used various strategic and tactical missile systems since its independence. Decades long projects have realised development of all types of missile systems including ballistic, cruise, anti-ship, air-defence, air-to-air and anti-missile systems. India is one of seven countries in the world with intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and one of four countries with anti-ballistic missile systems. Since 2016, India has been a member of Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).
G. Satheesh Reddy is an Indian aerospace scientist who served as the thirteenth chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) from 2018 to 2022. He is also the chairman of the Governing Body of the Aeronautical Development Agency, and the Scientific Adviser to Raksha Mantri.
System A-235 PL-19 Nudol is a Russian hypersonic anti-ballistic missile and anti-satellite weapon system in development. It is designed to deflect a nuclear attack on Moscow and other regions within European Russia. The main developer of the system is JSC Concern VKO Almaz-Antey. The new system should replace the current one — A-135. The two main differences will be that the A-235 will use conventional warheads and it will be road-mobile.
Microsat-R was claimed to be an experimental imaging satellite manufactured by DRDO and launched by Indian Space Research Organisation on 24 January 2019 for military use. The satellite served as a target for an anti-satellite test on 27 March, 2019.
The PSLV-C44 was the 46th mission of the Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) program. It was the first flight of PSLV-DL, having 2 strap-on boosters and placed a primary payload Microsat-R and a secondary payload of Kalamsat V2 in Sun-synchronous orbits.
The Defence Space Agency (DSA) is an integrated tri-services agency of the Indian Armed Forces headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. The agency is tasked with operating the space-warfare and Satellite Intelligence assets of India. The DSA draws personnel from all three branches of the Armed Forces.
Kosmos-1408 was an electronic signals intelligence (ELINT) satellite operated by the Soviet Union. It was launched into low Earth orbit on 16 September 1982 at 14:55 UTC, replacing Kosmos-1378. It operated for around two years before becoming inactive and left in orbit.
This article consists of projects of the Defence Research and Development Organisation.
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