“China performed a successful anti-satellite weapons test” last week, according to Aviation Week. In the trial, a ballistic missile, armed with a non-explosive warhead, “destroy[ed] an aging Chinese weather satellite target” over 500 miles above the Earth, U.S. intelligence agencies believe.
The news comes just a few months after reports of China testing high-powered lasers to temporarily blind American orbiters. “If the test is verified it will signify a major new Chinese military capability,” AvWeek says. And it could be the spark that ignites an arms race in space, analysts believe. Theresa Hitchens, with the Center for Defense Information called it an “irresponsible and self-defeating act” that will give “space hawks more ammunition to take the United States down a similarly dangerous path.”
Details emerging from space sources indicate that the Chinese Feng Yun 1C (FY-1C) polar orbit weather satellite… was attacked by an ASAT [anti-satellite] system launched from or near the Xichang Space Center.
The attack is believe to have occurred as the weather satellite flew at 530 mi. altitude 4 deg. west of Xichang, located in Sichuan province…
Although intelligence agencies must complete confirmation of the test, the attack is believed to have occurred at about 5:28 p.m. EST Jan. 11. U. S. intelligence agencies had been expecting some sort of test that day, sources said.…
USAF radar reports on the Chinese FY-1C spacecraft have been posted once or twice daily for years, but those reports jumped to about 4 times per day just before the alleged test.
The USAF radar reports then ceased Jan. 11, but then appeared for a day showing “signs of orbital distress”. The reports were then halted again. The Air Force radars may well be busy cataloging many pieces of debris, sources said.
Harvard University’s Jeffrey Lewis, a self-admitted skeptic about China’s space ambitions, has been hearing from many sources in recent months that “Chinas ASAT work seem[s] to have been ramping up.” He writes over at his blog, Arms Control Wonk:
If China has conducted an ASAT test, this is extremely bad. I had been hoping that the Bush Administration would push for a ban on anti-satellite testing, either in the form of a code of conduct. The Bush folks, however, have been fond of saying that wasnt necessary, because ‘there is no arms race in space.‘
Well, we have one now, instigated by an incredibly short-sighted Chinese government.
(Big ups: EM)
UPDATE 11:42 AM: Why would Beijing pull a stunt like this? The China Matters blog has a theory. Meanwhile, one keen space-watcher notes that, if this anti-sat weapon was really “kinetic” — i.e., hit-to-kill, non-explosive — instead of a plain ol’ exploding weapon, that’s extremely bad news. That means the booster rocket has to be very accurate “in order to deliver the kill vehicle to the desired initial trajectory.… Then the kill vehicle needs to tweak its trajectory into a precise collision course using on-board propulsion and either on-board target tracking or… command guidance from the ground.” That’s no mean task.
ALSO:
* China Space Attack: Unstoppable
* Beijing’s Next-Gen Sat Strike
* Satellite Killer’s Broad Impact
* Why Did China Smack the Sat?
* China Sat-Killer Not Yet Weapons Grade?
* Who Ordered the Satellite Strike?
I always adhere to and keep a distance from everyone. Until now, I did not have a true friend, although I was a lonely, although I did not like the other players that they have many friends send them cheap zeny, I must be rely on myself, at least I will not hurt anybody, and perhaps this is kind of happiness.
Looking back at the past, in those days, we played together; we have no much rappelz money, we have no need equipment and no senior friends too us, but I am still playing very happy. Rappelz left everywhere in our laughter. There is only one reason is that I have her around, I would meet, everything becomes unimportant. One thing I feel very sorry, that is when I married her, mo gorgeous fireworks, mo friends of blessing. Now I have heart, I feel wronged her, I am sorry to her.
Later, in January of this year, I have entered into this long hoped for world. Following in their previous game, I have some experience, at first I bought some RF cp to arm my number, so I grew up gradually. Later, I joined the empire of darkness, I recognize some friends. Later matured, I separated from the darkness; to join a trade union has just established a new, expanding trade union began a journey, and I recognized a lot of friends.
I have not had to play Gaia, and occasionally I will play friend number, in order to spent time. One day, one more than 20 levels player asked me if I can as her husband. At that time, I think she is a fraudsters, I think that number had no things. So I asked her if she had QQ and video. She said she had. So we added QQ and started video, after a short of time video chat, I knew that she was not a liar, she just a new player of Gaia. Soon, we closed the video, we returned to the game, and I bought Gaia gold change some things that married need use, and we married.
Virtual net works, virtual role of the game, I did not as him what people. It is only a game; happy is the purpose of the game. I chat with him happy. I have an on line he will not be alone to upgrade and earn GuildWars money, but rather for the first time chat with me, in this way we often sit together.