MISSION SHAKTI - A TRIUMPH

Anti- satellite missile (A-sat)

There is a jubilation in the citizens of the country as India successfully launched a mission to test its own anti- satellite (A-Sat) capabilities in space on wednesday, 27 march 2019. Prime minister Narendra Modi designated this test as Mission Shakti and hailed its success as "an unprecedented achievement" that makes India "a space power". The ulterior motive of India to conduct this test is to demonstrate its capabilities to intercept a satellite and shoot it down in space using indigenous technology.

US, Russia, China were the first three nations to possess this kind of technological ascedency which shot down enemy satellite in space. US and Russia were the the first to acquire this deterrence in 1960's and China in 2007.

In a specially televised announcement on wednesday, Prime minister Modi announced that India became the fouth nation after the US, Russia, and China to have this deterrence. It is after 60 years later, India conducted its first anti satellite test.

What are A-Sat weapons

An A-Sat Missile Illustration

A-Sat are anti satellite space weapons designed to vitiate the satellite for strategic militiary purposes. India successfully destroyed a Low earth orbit satellite in space using a missile which covered a distance of 300 km to neutralize the target. The Defence Research and Development Organisation  (DRDO) satellite that was pulverised by India's anti- satellite weapon was Microsat- R, a militiary satellite, which was launched on 24 Janaury 19. It was chosen for the target because the utility for which it is launched has been fulfilled. 

According to sources, the mission is too sacrosanct for India because, if the anti- satellite capacity demonstration had'nt been carried out then India would have risked facing its own commercial and militiary satellite system destruction.

Why this Mission is a Triumph 

Orbital Debris

According to this Graphic created by NASA, it is becoming apparent that there are a lot of satellites and Debris in the outer space. The estimated total of these satellites and debris are around 7,40,000 objects. So to carry out this mission successfully, it is necessary that it must be credible, prompt with remarkable precision. 

Now what makes the mission shakti - a Triumph, is the dexterity and technical prowess of DRDO scientist and their precision to carry out the test. There is a lot of trepidation among DRDO scientists and the central government as the mission was fraught with peril because shooting down a satellite which was travelling at a speed of 29000 km/hr is really an intricate task. 

It requires a lot of reconnaisance of target as there is a possibility that the missile will deviate from its target by few centimeters and may hit other country satellite which will have a catastrophic effect on India and DRDO carrer as well.

Why the test was Thwarted by Government in 2010

DRDO Bhavan

On Feb 10, 2010 DRDO Director General stated that India had "all the building blocks" necessary to integrate an anti- satellite weapon to neutralize hostile satellites , but still the test was not conducted at that time.

The reason being was the Geo- Political reasons of that time. On 10 Jan 2007, China conducted an anti- satellite missile test in which it vitiates its own weather satellite in a show of force that created a lot of Debris in the outer space. After that China was castigated by several nations for militiarising the space.

Therefore it is incongrous for India to conduct such test at that time following the tussle between China and other countries, India would definately face the heat of criticism. So It was prudent to wait for sometime, otherwise conducting such test would exacerbates the already tense situation.

Aftermaths of the Mission Shakti 

NASA on monday criticize India for the test that led to the creation of 400 pieces of space debris, describing it as "terrible thing" that had imperil International Space Station (ISS). NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said some of the debris put the lives of on board astronomers in jeopardy.

Data from Space-Track

The amount of Indian space debris may have almost doubled in the aftermaths of this test but is still significantly less than the existing space debris generated by US, China, Russia. Prior to Mission Shakti , there were 4091 pieces of debris by the US, 4025 by Russia, and 4038 by China as compared to India's 80.

Data from SPACE-TRACK.org concluded that there were only 80 pieces of Indian space debris. However it does'nt include debris from the DRDO satellite Microsat- R.

The similar test was conducted by China in 2007 was done very erratically and recklessly at an altitude of 800 km to pulverize its own satellite, as a result the debris is still travelling in the outer space.

That's why India picked a Low altitude military satellite and used Kinetic kill technology to reduce the amount of debris which are the inevitable corollary of missile explosion. And according to the sources, the debris from the test will dissipate in 45 days.