The Russian Ministry of Defense admits to conducting a weapons test in which they destroyed an old satellite. – Unjustifiable, says NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
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Thousands of wreckage scattered in orbit after a Russian test of a rocket weapon against a satellite. The crew of the ISS prepared to evacuate.
The United States is now sharply criticizing Russia after the test, which US authorities describe as dangerous and irresponsible.
Explosions near the earth create large amounts of so-called space debris, wreckage and small parts that move at speeds of around 27,000 kilometers per hour.
The explosion on Monday, according to US authorities, created more than 1,500 pieces of wreckage that are large enough to be traced, as well as countless smaller pieces. Each of them poses a danger to spacecraft and satellites.
–– Destroy spy satellite
The Russian Ministry of Defense admitted on Tuesday that it had destroyed an old satellite.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has carried out a successful test, and the result is that the Russian spacecraft Tselina-D, which has been in orbit since 1982, has been destroyed, reads a public statement.
The message from the Moscow ministry came shortly after a statement from the country’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, which was interpreted as denying that the test had taken place.
In a meeting with the press on Tuesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expressed concern about Russia’s activity in space recently.
– We have been informed by the United States about Russian anti-satellite tests that destroyed a satellite as part of a test. This has created wreckage, which is now a risk for the International Space Station and the Chinese space station, Stoltenberg said.
He stressed the importance of Europe and North America working closely together in strategic cooperation, and that all NATO countries contribute financially.
–The topic of satellite shooting came up when he spoke to the media before a meeting with EU foreign ministers.
– This was unjustifiably done by Russia as part of an exercise. NATO does not want weapons in space, but our satellites are extremely important. When Russia tests new space weapons, destroys other countries and leaves scrap in space, it means a risk of civilian activity in space. It can destroy infrastructures that are important for the earth, such as warning systems, said Stoltenberg.
He emphasized the importance of space activities for both civilian and military infrastructure, such as communications, navigation and early warning.
Lavrov: – Hypocritical
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denies that the Russian test posed any threat to satellites and spacecraft.
“Declaring that the Russian Federation creates a danger to the peaceful use of space is hypocritical to say the least,” Lavrov said during a press conference in Moscow, adding that “there is no truth” behind the reports.
NASA’s leader Bill Nelson said on Monday that Russia had tested an anti-satellite weapon on one of its old satellites, and that the crew of the International Space Station had prepared for evacuation due to the wreckage after the explosion.
The satellite appears to be an ancient Soviet-era spy satellite. BBC refers to it as Kosmos-1408, which weighed over a ton and stopped working many years ago.
The company LeoLabs, which tracks space debris and wreckage in space, informs the BBC that their radar system in New Zealand had registered a quantity of wreckage where a Soviet-era satellite had previously been.
In the lifeboat
What appeared to be wreckage from the satellite led to the alarm going off at the International Space Station (ISS), which currently has seven people on board. Two of them are Russian cosmonauts.
One of them, Piotr Dubrov, told the Russian news agency Tass that the crew had to leave the space station twice on Monday and board the Crew Dragon vessel that serves as the station’s lifeboat. In the event of a collision, they could then have quickly returned to Earth.
NASA chief: – Incomprehensible
NASA chief Bill Nelson states that the ISS crew was awakened and instructed to close the hatches of some modules on board.
He reacts strongly to the weapons test:
– I am outraged by this irresponsible and destabilizing action. With its long and rich space history, it is incomprehensible that Russia not only endangers American and international astronauts on the ISS, but also its own cosmonauts, Nelson says.
–The crew had to quickly put on their spacesuits and get ready to evacuate. NASA states that they are tracking the cloud of wreckage.
Space debris is already a major problem in the area where thousands of satellites operate.
According to astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the explosion of the Russian satellite may have increased the amount of debris in orbit by up to 10 percent.
– There is no big increase, but it is worrying. We have a problem with room debris. So let’s not create more on purpose, McDowell says The Guardian.
According to him, there are 4,000 active satellites and as many as 19,000 wreckage in so-called low earth orbit. The region covers the area from 200 to 2000 kilometers above the earth’s surface.
– Prioritizes security
He reacts strongly to the weapons test.
– I am outraged by this irresponsible and destabilizing action. With its long and rich space history, it is incomprehensible that Russia not only endangers American and international astronauts on the ISS, but also its own cosmonauts, says astrophysicist McDowell.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby The Pentagon responds that Russia did not warn the United States in advance of the test.
Russian Roskosmos in turn plays down the incident.
The orbit of the object that forced the crew to board the spacecraft in accordance with standard procedure, has later moved away from the orbit of the ISS. The station is in the green zone, tweets the organization. In a message on Tuesday, they emphasized that safety is a priority.
– Our main priority has been and continues to be the crew’s unconditional safety, writes Roskosmos, who says that they are following the situation.
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