Mission Shakti: No Surprise in India's ASAT, Satellite Killer Test: Victoria Samson, Secure World Foundation, Washington DC
India’s Anti-satellite Weapons Test also dubbed Mission Shakti came as no surprise to Victoria Samson who says it was waiting to happen. She believes India did conduct a failed or simulation of an ASAT before the actual successful test on March 27, 2019. Samson believes NASA came out swinging as NASA feared for its astronauts on the International space Station or ISS. She believes among others who are on the threshold to conduct similar tests are Israel and Russia. Russia in fact has not conducted a direct hit kinetic energy satellite killer test. She believes the test gives India and opportunity not to be overlooked in the global space law setting regime. India is space power with a lot of stake in securing space based assets and hopes India would behave like it has traditionally done in securing better world order. She spoke on the side lines of the 5 th Kalpana Chawla Annual Space Policy Dialog organised by the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi.
From: New Frontiers in Science and Development (Pallava’s Youtube channel)
By: Pallava Bagla
Location: New Delhi, India
Dated: April 30, 2019