PM announces launch in televised address; says it’s for peace, not warmongering
- In an incremental advance, India successfully conducted an Anti-Satellite (ASAT) missile test, named Mission Shakti, becoming the fourth country in the world to demonstrate the capability to shoot down satellites in orbit.
- So far, only the United States, Russia and China have this prowess.
- The satellite downed by the ASAT missile was Microsat-R, an imaging satellite which was launched into orbit on January 24, 2019 using a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), a senior Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) official said.
- India has built the broad capabilities and building blocks to develop ASAT missiles for some time as part of its Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) programme.
- PM Modi said the aim of the test was to maintain peace, rather than warmongering.
- Anti-satellite weapons provide the capability to shoot down enemy satellites in orbit thereby disrupting critical communications and surveillance capabilities.
- ASAT missiles also act as a space deterrent in dissuading adversaries from targeting the country’s satellite network.
Comments (0)