EU Space Policy chief condemns Russian missile test in low orbit

European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton condemned Russia's anti-satellite missile system test, which led to the destruction of a satellite in low orbit.

"As European Union (EU) Commissioner in charge of EU Space policy and in particular of Galileo & Copernicus, I join the strongest condemnations expressed against the test conducted by Russia on Monday November 15, which led to the destruction of a satellite in low orbit (COSMOS 1408)," Breton wrote on Twitter late on Tuesday.

The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed on Tuesday that Russia had successfully tested the anti-satellite missile system and hit the inactive Russian Tselina-D spacecraft. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Tuesday that the debris of the old satellite resulting from the test did not pose any threat to space activities.

Similar anti-satellite weapons are being developed both in the US and in other countries. In 1985, the US using an ASM-135 ASAT anti-satellite missile launched from an F-15 fighter aircraft, shot down its Solwind scientific satellite at an altitude of 1,820,866 feet. In 2008, an American SM-3 naval anti-missile destroyed the USA-193 military satellite at an altitude of 810,367 feet. (/Sputnik)

( With inputs from ANI )

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