PM Narendra Modi addressed the nation, saying that India has shot down a low-earth orbit satellite in space, propelling itself into an elite club of nations that has mastered this anti-satellite (ASAT) missile technology.
And with this Mission Shakti, India has become the fourth nation in the world after the United States, China, and Russia to demonstrate anti-satellite missile capability by shooting down a live satellite. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described it as a rare achievement that puts the country in an exclusive club of space superpowers.
Mission Shakti operation was a challenging target to achieve but was completed successfully within three minutes of launch – PM Modi
On March 27, the test was done to verify that India can safeguard its space assets as it is the responsibility of the Government of India to defend the country’s interests in outer space.
The team of scientists was able to accomplish this feat within a span of 3 minutes marking a historic moment in the fact that India has successfully able to demonstrate its capability to interdict and intercept a satellite in outer space based on complete indigenous technology. Mission Shakti has ensured that it secures a place in the space power league by shooting down the satellite, which was orbiting at an altitude of 300 km.
Anti-satellites or ASATs are space weapons designed to disable or destroy satellites for strategic military purposes. India tested this missile on Wednesday to target a live satellites in low earth orbit (LEO). Most military satellites orbit up to 2,000 km above the earth’s surface on LEO.
However, no country has used the ASAT system in warfare till now. Several nations have shot down their own (defunct) satellites to demonstrate their ASAT capabilities in a show of force.
