Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday informed the nation that India has attained unprecedented success in space technology. India space agencies conducted a successful test and shot down a live satellite in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
The scientists from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) destroyed the space satellites within three minutes. After which, the Prime Minister congratulated the scientists for their feat.
Also Read: Mission Shakti: India Shot Down Live Satellite With A-SAT Weapon In LEO, Informs PM Modi
However, it is vital to understand what are Anti-satellites or A-SATs. Anti-satellites or A-SATs are space weapons designed to disable or destroy satellites for strategic military purposes. Most of the military satellites orbit up to 2,000 km above the Earth's surface on LEO.
Till date, none of the countries have ever used the missile for warfare purposes and have only displayed their use by destroying their defunct satellites. Meanwhile, other than Indian, only three countries -- US, Russia, and China have been successful in using an A-SAT.
Low Earth Orbit (LEO) is an earth-centered orbit within 2,000 km of Earth's altitude. The satellites within the LEO are used for tracking movement on land and water. These satellites also serve as technological spies and are used to track terrorists down.
The anti-satellite (A-SAT) missile today damaged a satellite 300 km from Earth's surface. The missile is said to have the capacity to destroy a satellite within 400 km of altitude. Since the satellites are moving at a speed enough for them to circulate the earth's orbit in 2-3 hours, it is vital for the A-SAT to hit with speed along with precision
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