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China Shoots Down Sattelite In Space With Missile Weapon, The Rest Of The World Is Pissed

January 18, 2007 ⋅  E-Mail Article ⋅  Print Article ⋅ Post a comment

For all the idiots who say we have to embrace China I want you to try and embrace this. China has successfully shot down a weather satellite utilized for non-military purposes to demonstrate to itself and the world that it now has capabilities to down any satellites it deems necessary for destruction based on China’s attitude towards the satellites location and purpose. The satellite was blown by a missile fired by the Chinese government. Debris from the satellite is orbiting the Earth and its anyone’s guess where the debris will fall. Tens of countries have lodged a formal complaint about the missile destruction of the satellite but China could care less. The United States has confirmed that China successfully used a missile to destroy an orbiting satellite last week. According to CNN it was reported that a spokesman for the National Security Council stated that a ground-based, medium-range ballistic missile knocked an old Chinese weather satellite from its orbit about 537 miles above Earth. The missile carried a “kill vehicle” and destroyed the satellite by ramming it. The test took place on January 11.

The vent took place with little fanfare because of media restrictions in China but Aviation Week and Space Technology reported the test by stating “Details emerging from space sources indicate that the Chinese Feng Yun 1C (FY-1C) polar orbit weather satellite launched in 1999 was attacked by an asat (anti-satellite) system launched from or near the Xichang Space Center.”

China has been attempting to fire a missile into orbit to strike down orbiting satellites for some time now but this is the first time they have actually been successful. A United States official speaking on condition of anonymity stated that the event was the first successful test of the missile after three failures. The successful strike was confirmed by American space tracking sensors.

The issue brings up a sticky point with China because of President Bush newly approved space policy. The space policy endorsed by President Bush in 2006 states that the United States asserts a right to freedom of action in space and says it will deter others from either impeding those rights or developing capabilities intended to do so.

The Chinese test highlights the satellites vulnerability in regards to being a reliable weapon in case America has to defend Taiwan. Many believe that if we came to Taiwans defense one of the first things China would do is to shoot down all of the lower Earth orbiting spy satellites.

The test is irrelevant to almost all countries other than Russia, India, Great Britain, and the United States. Many wonder who the message was meant for.

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