Most Russian news repeated almost verbatim the US and British press reports on the Chinese ASAT test, but there is a little info this afternoon on the Russian reaction. (Only Russian language links are up for now, translations are mine.) Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov commented to reporters that he has heard reports of the …
Chinese ASAT Likely Made Massive Debris
by | 2007-01-18 | 20 Comments
Aviation Week now has the story—with pretty much the same details that I’ve been hearing. FY-1C was struck by a direct ascent ASAT launched from Xichang Space Center at 5:28 p.m. EST on January 11. The satellite was approximately 850 km in altitude and 4 deg. west of the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. The NSC …
Chinese Test ASAT?
by | 2007-01-17 | 37 Comments
I noticed this blurb on SEESAT today: I’ve been hearing murmurings around the community here in Washington that there may have been an extremely energetic event (satellite break-up?) in the last week or so in the LEO altitude range (700-1000 KM). “An enormous amount of debris” in the range of 1000 pieces may have been …
Better Controls to Plan and Manage PSI
by | 2007-01-16 | 5 Comments
Classified GAO reports. I knew they existed, but this is one is one that ought to be declassified, at least summary form: Nonproliferation: Better Controls Needed to Plan and Manage Proliferation Security Initiative Activities. GAO-06-937C. September 28, 2006. About the only thing I know are two recommendations, as described in H.R. 1: (A) The Department …
