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On April 15 the Russian military tested its PL-19 Nudol, a direct-ascent anti-satellite (DA-ASAT) missile, which could be capable of destroying Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. The system was designed to protect Moscow and other Russian cities from a missile attack, but also has the capability to become a satellite killer that can shoot down other satellites.
The missiles were developed and manufactured by Russian defense contractor Almaz Antey, which specializes in long range missiles, Popular Mechanics reported. As noted, this weapon was developed from the A-235 anti-ballistic missile system designed to protect Moscow from nuclear attack and could destroy incoming warheads at very high altitudes that are near or even in the LEO.
The move has been seen as a threat to U.S. space assets, and comes on the heels of Russia’s on-orbit testing, the U.S. highlighted in February – the COSMOS 2542 and COSMOS 2543 satellites.
