While speaking at the National Space Council meeting on Friday , Vice President Kamala Harris announce that the U.S. will introduce a result at the United Nations General Assembly to call on other countries to refrain from conduct anti - satellite projectile mental testing .
Harris denote theself - imposed forbiddance on anti - satellite ( ASAT ) projectile testsat Vandenberg Space Force Base in April , vowing that the U.S. would no longer conduct the tests . The U.S. is now hoping that other nations will join suit in banning the ASAT missile tests worldwide .
“ This April , I announce that our nation would not conduct destructive , direct - ascent , anti - satellite projectile examination , ” Harrissaidon Friday . “ And afterward this month , the United States will insert a resolving at the United Nations General Assembly to call on other nations to make the same loyalty . ”
US Vice President Kamala Harris spoke at the National Space Council on Friday/Photo: Marie D. De Jesús (AP)
The move to ban ASAT projectile tests may be a sign that the U.S. is growing progressively worried about its assets in space , especially with on-going tension between the U.S. and Russia .
Last November , Russia conducted a reckless test of its own , destroying an sure-enough satellite with an ASAT missile . The test created hundreds of pieces of space dust in the procedure , forcing astronaut and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station toseek protection . About two months later , the junk alsothreatened a Chinese orbiter , coming as close as 48 feet ( 14.5 metre ) to the Tsinghua science satellite . NASAcondemned Russia ’s antisatellite projectile test , calling it “ rash and grave . ” The blank agency ’s decision maker Bill Nelson issued astatementat the time saying : “ All country have a responsibility to forbid the purposeful creation of quad rubble from ASATs and to foster a safe , sustainable blank space environment . ”
Relations between Russia and the U.S. have n’t been this big since the end of the Cold War . In February , U.S. President Joe Bidendeclaredthat the external sanctions imposed against Russia would also bear upon its space program , state that imprimatur would “ degrade their aerospace diligence . ” Russia has continuouslythreatened to pull out of the ISSand evenrevealed a poser of its own space stationto rival the current one — a partnership between the two nations that go steady back more than 20 eld . Both sides also seem to be curious about the other ’s spaceflight agenda , withRussia lately launching a spy satelliteto possibly haunt a classified U.S. military planet .
It ’s not surprising that the U.S. is feeling increasingly vulnerable and wanting to better protect its plus in sphere . But will other nations feel the same style ? Both China and India have performed ASAT exam in the past and it ’s scarcely a warrantee that these two nations , along with Russia , will tally to the proposed U.N. resolution . Sadly , the U.S. has the most to lose when it comes to losing its assets in space , make it unbelievable that a consentaneous decision will be accomplish when this resolution reaches the General Assembly later this month .
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