India tested an A-SAT missile on March 27, destroying a pre-determined target which was 300 kilometres in the low earth orbit within three minutes. With this technological mission conducted by the DRDO, India becomes the fourth country, after US, China and Russia, with the capability to destroy a low-orbit satellite and thus establish itself as a space power. India has been 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.

Missile used:

DRDO used its Ballistic Missile Defence interceptor which is part of the ongoing ballistic missile defence programme along with the technology where India has developed capability, thus making it an appropriate choice to ensure achieving the objectives set out in the mission.

What is A-SAT?

Anti-Satellite or A-SAT weapons are mainly space weapons that are designed to destroy satellites for strategic defense purposes. Although A-SAT hasn't been used in any war, nations have used this technology to showcase their defense might by destroying their own live satellites. Satellites are used by countries for navigation, communications and also for guiding their missile weaponry. The ability to bring down an enemy’s missile, therefore, gives a country the capability to cripple critical infrastructure of the other country, rendering their weapons useless.

Types of ASAT:

They are generally of two types: kinetic and non-kinetic.

1. Kinetic ASATs: They must physically strike an object in order to destroy it. Examples of kinetic ASATs include ballistic missiles, drones that drag an object out of orbit or detonate explosives in proximity to the object, or any item launched to coincide with the passage of a target satellite. This means any space asset, even a communications satellite, could become an ASAT if it is used to physically destroy another space object.

2.Non-kinetic ASATs: A variety of nonphysical means can be used to disable or destroy a space object. These include frequency jamming, blinding lasers or cyberattacks. These methods can also render an object useless without causing the target to break up and fragment absent additional forces intervening. In 2018, the UNIDIR proposed three ASAT test guidelines. Under the ‘No Debris’guideline, if an actor wishes to test ASAT capabilities, they should not create debris.

ASAT History:

Anti-satellite weapons (ASAT) are created to destroy or incapacitate satellites. There are many countries which have this capability, but only four countries — including India — have demonstrated their ASAT capabilities. The US first tested ASAT technology in 1958, the USSR followed in 1964 and China in 2007. In 2015, Russia tested its PL-19 Nudol missile and followed it up with other tests.

There has been international debate on how to clamp down on tests of anti-satellite missiles. In 2013, a UN Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on Outer Space TCBMs signed off on a report that recommended many transparency and confidence-building measures (TCBMs). The major concern was over debris and they proposed that tests leaving behind “long-lived debris should be avoided”. If debris cannot be avoided, other potentially affected states need to be kept in loop.

Significance:

• An anti-satellite weapon system (ASAT) can severely cripple the enemy’s communications and reconnaissance systems during war, and “blind” the entire military of an enemy force
• Destroying an enemy’s satellites is considered an advanced capability
• With the successful test, India theoretically holds other countries’ satellites at risk

Controversy behind anti-satellite tests:

Anti-satellite tests are extremely controversial and considered to be contributing towards weaponisation of the space, which is prohibited by the Outer Space Treaty of 1967. PM Modi was careful to state that India’s test was a “defensive” move, aimed at securing its space infrastructure, and does not change India’s strong opposition to weaponisation of space. The test was done to verify that India has the capability to safeguard our space assets. It is the Government of India’s responsibility to defend the country’s interests in outer space.

What is the international law on weapons in outer space? 
The principal international Treaty on space is the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. India is a signatory to this treaty, and ratified it in 1982. The Outer Space Treaty prohibits only weapons of mass destruction in outer space, not ordinary weapons. India expects to play a role in the future in the drafting of international law on prevention of an arms race in outer space including inter alia on the prevention of the placement of weapons in outer space in its capacity as a major space faring nation with proven space technology. India is not in violation of any international law or Treaty to which it is a Party or any national obligation. 

India is also a party to all the major international treaties relating to Outer Space. India already implements a number of Transparency and Confidence Building Measures(TCBMs) – including registering space objects with the UN register, prelaunch notifications, measures in harmony with the UN Space Mitigation Guidelines, participation in Inter Agency Space Debris Coordination (IADC) activities with regard to space debris management, undertaking SOPA (Space Object Proximity Awareness and COLA (Collision Avoidance) Analysis and numerous international cooperation activities, including hosting the UN affiliated Centre for Space and Science Technology Education in Asia and Pacific. India has been participating in all sessions of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.