US Command Says Russia Tested Space-Based Anti-Satellite Weapon

US Command Says Russia Tested Space-Based Anti-Satellite Weapon

The US Space Command on Thursday said that Russia earlier in July carried out a test on a space-based anti-satellite weapon

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd July, 2020) The US Space Command on Thursday said that Russia earlier in July carried out a test on a space-based anti-satellite weapon.

"US Space Command has evidence that Russia conducted a non-destructive test of a space-based anti-satellite weapon," the command said in a statement on Thursday. "On 15 July, Russia injected a new object into orbit from Cosmos 2543, currently Satellite Catalog Number 45915 in www.space-track.org."

The Space Command said in the statement that Russia released the object close to another Russian satellite, "which is similar to on-orbit activity conducted by Russia in 2017, and inconsistent with the system's stated mission as an inspector satellite."

US Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation Christopher Ford said in the same statement that the alleged test shows that Moscow seeks to restrict the US capabilities while "clearly having no intention of halting its own counterspace program - both ground-based anti-satellite capabilities and what would appear to be actual in-orbit anti-satellite weaponry."

Earlier in April, the US Space Command said that Russia had conducted a direct-ascent anti-satellite missile test.

Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, commenting on the claim, said that Washington only accuses Russia of conducting missile tests in order to justify its own plans to deploy weapons in space.

Russia has repeatedly called on the United States to conclude an agreement to prevent the militarization of space, but Washington has rejected Moscow's proposals.