NATO Council condemned Russia’s test of anti-satellite missile in space | News from Germany on world events | Dw

The NATO Council strongly condemns Russia’s “reckless and irresponsible test” of a direct-intercept anti-satellite missile (DA-ASAT) that hit the Soviet Kosmos-1408 satellite and created a debris field in low Earth orbit. This “test entailed the creation of a field of orbital debris, which significantly increases the risk to human life and to space assets of a number of states and organizations,” the NATO press service said in a statement released on Friday, November 19.

“Russia’s actions represent an example of irresponsible behavior and threaten the security, economic, scientific and commercial interests of all countries and entities seeking to explore and use outer space for peaceful purposes,” the document says.

NATO: What happened could undermine the refusal to militarize space

The North Atlantic Alliance is convinced that what happened directly contradicts Russia’s statements about its opposition to the militarization of outer space and undermines the rules-based international order.

NATO Allies remain committed to peaceful space exploration, calling on all countries, including the Russian Federation, to join international efforts to develop norms, rules and principles of “responsible behavior to reduce space threats” and refrain from conducting dangerous, irresponsible and destructive tests like the one that carried out by Moscow.

EU: The credibility of the position of the Russian Federation is called into question

A separate statement in connection with the incident was made public on behalf of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.

Brussels is confident that the actions of the Russian Federation contradict the principles reflected in the UN guidelines for the prevention of space debris, as well as the position of Moscow, announced earlier in the course of numerous multilateral forums. We are talking, in particular, about the contribution of the Russian Federation to the report of the UN Secretary General on responsible behavior in space. “This casts doubt on the credibility” of the Russian position, the EU emphasizes.

Brussels wants to speed up the development of norms

The European Union is confident that conducting such tests can lead to a decrease in trust between space actors, carries a high risk of miscalculations and escalation, and thereby undermines stability in outer space.

“This is a reminder of the urgent need to advance international discussions with a view to agreeing and introducing norms of responsible behavior in space,” the Brussels said. They also recalled that France, together with the governing institutions of the EU, prepared and submitted proposals on this matter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

Russian tests in space

Russia conducted tests in space on November 15. A direct intercept anti-satellite missile (DA-ASAT) hit the Soviet satellite Kosmos-1408 (Tselina-D series).

The first to report the Russian tests were the US Space Force Command (USSPACECOM), which is part of the US Air Force. US Space Command Chief James Dickinson said Russia “has demonstrated a deliberate disregard for the safety, security, stability and long-term sustainability of outer space for all countries.” As a result, more than 1,500 fragments of tracked orbital debris were formed, which in the future could lead to the emergence of hundreds of thousands of smaller fragments, he stressed.

The State Department said the United States and its allies will work to respond to the “dangerous and irresponsible behavior of Russia” that threatens “the long-term stability of outer space.”

The position of the Russian defense department

Soon after the announcement by the US authorities, the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the information about the launch of the rocket and stressed that the test was successful. The agency insisted that the resulting fragments “did not and will not pose a threat to orbital stations, spacecraft and space activities,” and also drew attention to the fact that similar tests had previously been carried out by the United States, China and India.

See also:

• 30 years of the Mir space station: how it was

  Soviet outpost

  The idea to create a permanent orbiting space station originated in the USSR back in the 1970s. Thus, the Soviet Union wanted to surpass the United States in the race for dominance in outer space. In 1986, Moscow launched the Mir complex into orbit – the most complex of all the previously existing stations.

• 

  30 years of the Mir space station: how it was

  The international cooperation

  After the end of the Cold War, Russia faced a shortage of resources. The era of international cooperation has begun at Mir. For example, the American shuttle Atlantis (pictured) made several flights to the station. The station, weighing almost 140 tons, was also visited by four German cosmonauts.

• 

  30 years of the Mir space station: how it was

  Numerous visitors

  Among those who worked at the Mir complex was the German astronaut Reinhold Ewald (pictured – 2nd from the right in the top row). He arrived at the station in 1997 on the Russian Soyuz. In total, more than 100 astronauts from different countries have visited the Mir. While Ewald was there, a fire broke out at the orbital station, which, however, was quickly liquidated.

• 

  30 years of the Mir space station: how it was

  Failures, breakdowns, malfunctions …

  Among other things, Mir is the record holder for the number of breakdowns. The materials from which the station was made quickly deteriorated. Either there was a leakage of the cooling agent, then the on-board computer was turned off, and once the transport ship “Progress” during docking damaged the solar panels (pictured). The orbital station is “not a waiting room with plush seats,” astronaut Reinhold Ewald noted at the time.

• 

  30 years of the Mir space station: how it was

  On the way to the ISS

  The USA, which after the collapse of the USSR partially financed the work of the Mir station, insisted on the joint creation of a new international space station. With the start of construction of the ISS in 1998, the gradual dismantling of the Mir also began. For 15 years spent in orbit, Mir made more than 86 thousand revolutions around the globe.

• 

  30 years of the Mir space station: how it was

  End of the pilot project

  The Mir station is considered an important stage in the development of international cooperation in space exploration. “Without this experience, we would still be at the very beginning of the journey,” says German astronaut Thomas Reiter. On March 23, 2001, Mir, which had operated three times longer than the originally established period, was sunk in the South Pacific. Author: Nicholas Martin, Alexandra Yolkina

  Author: Nicholas Martin, Alexandra Yolkina

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