Space News – The U.S. military’s early warning and surveillance network on Wednesday at 1:39AM EST detected India’s missile launch aimed at one of its own satellites in low Earth orbit.
“We were aware,” said Lt. Gen. David D. Thompson, vice commander of Air Force Space Command.
Once the launch was detected, “we immediately started providing notification to satellite operators,” Thompson said on Wednesday during a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on strategic forces.
The anti-satellite weapon test carried out by India’s Defense Research and Development Organization was code named “Mission Shakti.” A missile launched from the ground slammed into a satellite at an altitude of about 300 kilometers.
Thompson declined to specify the exact elevation as it might be classified. He noted that the International Space Station was “not at risk.”
