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First debris pieces from the Indian ASAT test of 27 March catalogued

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Re: First debris pieces from the Indian ASAT test of 27 March catalogued

#2
The really worrisome thing about this is that they seemingly just had to do their test vs a polar orbit/highly inclined orbit satellite. The odds of killing something in a polar orbit in the Iridium NeXT satellite network are non-zero. This is because the Iridium satellite orbits and the debris orbits all converge over the poles.

There's a lot of important non telecom related things that are in highly inclined orbits, such as earth observation satellites.

Re: First debris pieces from the Indian ASAT test of 27 March catalogued

#3
post #2

The really worrisome thing about this is that they seemingly just had to do their test vs a polar orbit/highly inclined orbit satellite. The odds of killing something in a polar orbit in the Iridium NeXT satellite network are non-zero. This is because the Iridium satellite orbits and the debris orbits all converge over the poles. There's a lot of important non telecom related things that are in highly inclined orbits…

Wow that's pretty irresponsible! How did they

1) think that was a good idea

and

2) get away with it

Re: First debris pieces from the Indian ASAT test of 27 March catalogued

#4
post #3
post #2

The really worrisome thing about this is that they seemingly just had to do their test vs a polar orbit/highly inclined orbit satellite. The odds of killing something in a polar orbit in the Iridium NeXT satellite network are non-zero. This is because the Iridium satellite orbits and the debris orbits all converge over the poles. There's a lot of important non telecom related things that are in highly inclined orbits…

Wow that's pretty irresponsible! How did they 1) think that was a good idea and 2) get away with it

Elections are going on and current ruling party had a knack for weapons (importing and testing). They think it gets them some votes.

And if China can get away with it...

Re: First debris pieces from the Indian ASAT test of 27 March catalogued

#5
post #3
post #2

The really worrisome thing about this is that they seemingly just had to do their test vs a polar orbit/highly inclined orbit satellite. The odds of killing something in a polar orbit in the Iridium NeXT satellite network are non-zero. This is because the Iridium satellite orbits and the debris orbits all converge over the poles. There's a lot of important non telecom related things that are in highly inclined orbits…

Wow that's pretty irresponsible! How did they 1) think that was a good idea and 2) get away with it

The Chinese do this all the time and nobody has the nerve to even report it in the asian or western media. India has to do it to safeguard it against chinese agression. why did you thin the US got away with it? why did you think the Russians & Chinese got away with it. Self Defence. Try to answer who drew first blood and the finger points to someone.

Re: First debris pieces from the Indian ASAT test of 27 March catalogued

#6
post #4
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow that's pretty irresponsible! How did they 1) think that was a good idea and 2) get away with it

Elections are going on and current ruling party had a knack for weapons (importing and testing). They think it gets them some votes. And if China can get away with it...

its not about Elections...pakistanis are spreading fake news...

the chinese are way too ahead and that causes india a concern. they are doing ASAT from a decade now..

https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/23/washington/23satellite.ht...

Re: First debris pieces from the Indian ASAT test of 27 March catalogued

#7
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow that's pretty irresponsible! How did they 1) think that was a good idea and 2) get away with it

The Chinese do this all the time and nobody has the nerve to even report it in the asian or western media. India has to do it to safeguard it against chinese agression. why did you thin the US got away with it? why did you think the Russians & Chinese got away with it. Self Defence. Try to answer who drew first blood and the finger points to someone.

> The Chinese do this all the time

False.

China has done this once.

The United States, and Russia have done this multiple times in the past.

Re: First debris pieces from the Indian ASAT test of 27 March catalogued

#8
post #2

The really worrisome thing about this is that they seemingly just had to do their test vs a polar orbit/highly inclined orbit satellite. The odds of killing something in a polar orbit in the Iridium NeXT satellite network are non-zero. This is because the Iridium satellite orbits and the debris orbits all converge over the poles. There's a lot of important non telecom related things that are in highly inclined orbits…

It is rather concerning that your comment was voted down. I cannot see any valid reason for this.

Re: First debris pieces from the Indian ASAT test of 27 March catalogued

#9
Previous discussion on HN [1].

Re. the orbit, note that this was a test in LEO, at 300 km orbit; all the debris will, in relatively short order, be de-orbited. [2]

While I will not indulge in the whataboutism of CN & USA conducting these, one potential strategic reason for India to test was to ensure a their perspective was heard at the (then) upcoming discussions on the "Space Peace Treaty" [3]. It's tempting to say such symbols of act & intent do not matter, but they force others to take you seriously & engage with you. India was excluded from the NSG and many other such programs in the past.

FWIW, please do not trivialize the realities & complexities of geopolitics by simplistic moral grand-standing. While undesirable, there were real domestic & international reasons to conduct the test. To treat such a decision as mere posturing, or some sort of crude symbolism, ignores the context within which such decisions are taken, and presumes that the technocrats who took these decisions did so unmindful of the consequences.

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19590936 [2] https://in.reuters.com/article/us-india-satellite/india-says... [3] https://phys.org/news/2019-03-space-peace-treaty-consensus.h...

Re: First debris pieces from the Indian ASAT test of 27 March catalogued

#10
post #2

The really worrisome thing about this is that they seemingly just had to do their test vs a polar orbit/highly inclined orbit satellite. The odds of killing something in a polar orbit in the Iridium NeXT satellite network are non-zero. This is because the Iridium satellite orbits and the debris orbits all converge over the poles. There's a lot of important non telecom related things that are in highly inclined orbits…

Highly inclined orbits don't converge any more than any other orbits converge. Orbits with low inclinations also intersect just as often assuming they shifted slightly. There isn't anything special about high or low inclinations, it just tells you what the Earth is doing in respect to the satellite.
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