A recent assessment by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shared new insights regarding the debris produced by India’s Anti-Satellite System (A-SAT) test. Out of the 101 pieces of debris (large enough to be tracked) formed as a result of the A-SAT test, 49 currently remain in orbit.
Untracked Debris
There is a possibility of smaller, untracked pieces of debris also hovering in space as a consequence of India’s A-SAT test. It is believed that the test might have resulted in the creation of approximately 400 pieces of debris.
Indian officials had stated post the test that they did not anticipate the creation of a significant amount of space debris. This was because the A-SAT test was conducted in the lower atmosphere. They added that any debris formed would decay and fall back onto earth within weeks.
India’s Presence in Space
As of 30th June 2019, India had 97 functional, and non-functional but intact satellites in space. In addition to these, India had 157 pieces of trackable space debris, including fragments of rockets which become junk after delivering their payloads to their designated orbits.
This comprises a tiny fraction of the total of 19,404 large objects in space sent by all countries combined. Among these, 14,432 objects are debris and used rocket components.
| Objects | Numbers |
|---|---|
| Large objects in space (by all countries) | 19,404 |
| Debris and used rocket parts | 14,432 |
| India’s functional and non-functional satellites | 97 |
| India’s trackable space debris | 157 |
Details of India’s Anti-Satellite Test
India conducted its anti-satellite test on 27th March, 2019. During the test, India shot down its own 740-kg Microsat-R satellite. This successful test demonstrated India’s ability to destroy a space-based infrastructure of an adversary country.
The A-SAT test marked India as the fourth country in the world to have exhibited such a capability. The first reliable estimate of the amount of debris created by India’s anti-satellite test and what stands four months later is now available in the public domain.