Breaking Defense:

 A senior Space Force commander said today that “in no way” can the US “forgive” Russia for what he called its “reckless” anti-satellite (ASAT) test that blasted hundreds of pieces of debris into orbit last fall.

Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of Space Operations Command, said he was willing to give China a little leeway for its destructive 2007 ASAT test, as the country was a “relatively nascent space power” at the time.

“But you absolutely, in no way, can forgive the Russians for doing that less than a year ago as this historic and sophisticated space power,” Whiting said during a CSIS event. “They knew what they were doing, and they were sending us a message.”

For its test, conducted on Nov. 15, 2021, Russia blasted one of its own satellites with a ground-launched missile, sending an estimated 1,500 pieces of debris rocketing out, imperiling numerous American satellites and forcing astronauts aboard the International Space Station to take shelter. An analysis by the space tracking firm COMSPOC showed the bulk of the debris should de-orbit by 2025.

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