DRDO said a Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) Interceptor Missile successfully engaged an Indian orbiting target satellite in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in a 'Hit to Kill' mode.
India's successful anti-satellite missile test on Wednesday showed that the country now possesses the capability to strike satellites in outer space with centimetre-level accuracy and precision, DRDO Chairman G Satheesh Reddy said Wednesday.
Reddy, who oversaw the top secret operation, said the government accorded clearance to the project around two years back with an aim to deter threats to the country's space assets.
In a major feat, a DRDO-developed missile destroyed a low-orbiting satellite in a critical test that catapulted India as a space power alongside the US, China and Russia.
The anti-satellite weapon capability demonstrated by India was first developed by the US in 1959, primarily to counter the erstwhile Soviet Union.
Here is all you need to know about ASAT and how Indian tech will work:
1. What is an ASAT?
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ASATs (Anti-Satellite Weapons) are aimed at destroying or disabling space assets, whether military or civilian, offensive or defensive, according to a document of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR).
They are generally of two types: kinetic and non-kinetic.
2. Kinetic ASATs
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They must physically strike an object in order to destroy it. Examples of kinetic ASATs include ballistic missiles, drones that drag an object out of orbit or detonate explosives in proximity to the object, or any item launched to coincide with the passage of a target satellite.
This means any space asset, even a communications satellite, could become an ASAT if it is used to physically destroy another space object.
3. Non-kinetic ASATs
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A variety of nonphysical means can be used to disable or destroy a space object.
These include frequency jamming, blinding lasers or cyberattacks. These methods can also render an object useless without causing the target to break up and fragment absent additional forces intervening.
4. UNIDIR guidelines suggested for ASAT tests
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In 2018, the UNIDIR proposed three ASAT test guidelines. Under the 'No Debris' guideline, if an actor wishes to test ASAT capabilities, they should not create debris.
If an actor must create debris during an ASAT test, it should be carried out at an altitude sufficiently low that the debris will not be long-lived.
It also suggested that actors testing ASATs should notify others of their activities (even if they are not completely transparent on the motivation behind the test) to avoid misperceptions or misinterpretations.
However, there is no consensus among the space-faring nations on the guidelines.
"We are working on different measures, but nothing has been formally adopted," Daniel Porras, Space Security Fellow at UNIDIR, said.
5. Three-stage interceptor missile used in 'Mission Shakti'
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The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) said a Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) Interceptor Missile successfully engaged an Indian orbiting target satellite in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in a 'Hit to Kill' mode.
"The interceptor missile was a three-stage missile with two solid rocket boosters. Tracking data from range sensors has confirmed that the mission met all its objectives," it said.
The test was conducted, under 'Mission Shakti' operation, from the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha.
The DRDO said the test has once again proven the capability of indigenous weapon systems.
6. What DRDO cheif said on achievement
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DRDO Chairman G Satheesh Reddy said the government accorded clearance to the project around two years back with an aim to deter threats to the country's space assets. "It is a great achievement for India as the technology used for the test has been completely developed indigenously," Reddy told PTI in an interview.
"The test was a reflection of India's growing capability to develop critical technology and it will act as a good deterrence," he said adding India was the fourth country to go for an anti-satellite missile test after the United States, Russia and China.
Reddy said the test has demonstrated India's capability to defend its assets in outer space and is a reflection of the country's growing capability to develop critical technology "The shooting down of a satellite with a missile reflected that we have matured to develop technology which could achieve accuracy in terms of centimetres" said Reddy, adding clearance for the project was given over two years back.
"The project was implemented in the fastest way possible and it showed the DRDO's capability in doing such programmes," he said.
Reddy said the technology used has been completely developed indigenously and now India stands as one of the four nations to have it.
India is emerging as a major technologically advanced nation in space sector, he said.
