After the A-Sat Tests

摘要

Destructive anti-satellite (A-Sat) tests are rare. The Pentagon's destructive anti-satellite test in February followed 13 months after China used one of its aging satellites for target practice. The previous voluntary, global moratorium on destructive A-Sat testing lasted 22 years. Because tests that blow up satellites are so rare, they are important indicators of space security. They make all spacefaring nations less confident about the security of vulnerable satellites that are essential for national and economic security.