![](https://visionnewspapers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/anti-satellite-ASAT-weapons-test-730x300.jpg)
The U.S. military said on Monday that it was aware of a “debris-generating” event in outer space and one official said it appeared that Russia had carried out an anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons test.
Experts say anti-satellite weapons that shatter their targets pose a space hazard by creating a cloud of fragments that can collide with other objects, which in turn can set off a chain reaction of projectiles through Earth orbit.
![](https://visionnewspapers.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/UBI_DSC_3848-300x199.jpg)
“We are actively working to characterize the debris field and will continue to ensure all space-faring nations have the information necessary to maneuver satellites if impacted,” U.S. Space Command said in a statement.
A U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said initial reports were that Russia had carried out an ASAT test over the weekend.
![](https://visionnewspapers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IMG-20210626-WA0063.jpg)
The Russian military and ministry of defense were not immediately available for comment.
The United States performed the first anti-satellite tests in 1959, when satellites themselves were rare and new.
Last April Russia carried out another test of an anti-satellite missile as officials have said that space will increasingly become an important domain for warfare.
In 2019, India shot down one of its own satellites in low-Earth orbit with a ground-to-space missile.
The U.S. military is increasingly dependent on satellites to determine what it does on the ground, guiding munitions with space-based lasers and satellites as well as using such assets to monitor for missile launches and track its forces.
These tests have also raised questioned about the long-term sustainability of operations in space that are essential to a huge range of commercial activities, including banking and GPS services.
Credit: Yahoo News