ANTI-SATELLITE MISSILE TEST DRAWS CONDEMNATION

Across the globe, nations and space companies alike are speaking out against Russia’s anti-satellite test, which forced astronauts in space to take cover

- Chelsea Gohd

In 15 November 2021, the seven astronauts and cosmonauts living onboard the International Space Station were forced to take shelter in the spacecraft they flew to the station. The orbiting lab was passing through a cloud of space debris that threatened the station and its inhabitants. Later that day, the US State Department revealed, with confirmation from the Pentagon, that the space debris – which will be trapped in orbit for years to come – was the result of a Russian anti-satellite (ASAT) test.

The test, which saw a missile destroy Kosmos 1408, a defunct Soviet satellite, has now drawn criticism from nations around the world and private spaceflight companies. These statements follow stark criticism of the test from the US government, as well as NASA administrator Bill Nelson.