China celebrated the 50th anniversary of its space progress in 2006 by essentially propounding the peaceful uses of the outer space. However, come 2007, the Chinese stance seems to have gone through a somersault of sorts. Last week, they successfully carried out their first test of an anti-satellite weapon, thereby, clearly displaying their determination to weaponize outer space in the years to come.

According to experts, China successfully conducted a test of a satellite-killing weapon on 11 January by blowing out an ageing Chinese weather satellite with a "kinetic kill vehicle" launched from on board a ballistic missile. Presumably, this target was destroyed at 800 kilometers above the earth. Although the target satellite, named Feng Yun (Wind and Cloud) and launched in 1999, had lived out its life, it was probably still electronically alive. Chinese intentions to weaponize space have been suspected for some time now. Although their space programme began in the late 1950s, the Chinese have started looking at space seriously only in the past one or two decades. Presently, they are investing in programmes like space laboratories, manned space shuttles, space stations, lunar bases and a Mars mission.

Computer models suggest that as many as 300,000 big and small pieces of debris may have been created as a result of the Chinese test and experts are of the opinion that the weather satellite's speeding remnants could pose a threat to other satellites in years to come in the form of space debris. Till date, only two states have conducted a similar type of anti-satellite tests - the erstwhile Soviet Union and the United States. The last test was conducted by the US during mid-1980s. The Chinese test was at a higher elevation than the test conducted by the US in 1985 whose debris took 17 years to disappear.

Earlier there were reports about China completing a ground test of the advanced anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon called 'Parasitic satellite'. This ASAT system could be used against various types of satellites such as communication satellites, navigational satellites and early warning satellites in different orbits (essentially those that are in low earth orbit). The cost of building this satellite system is 0.1 to 1% of the typical satellite. Almost a decade ago a Pentagon report (1998) had mentioned, "The PLA is building lasers to destroy satellites and already has beam weapons capable of damaging sensors on space based reconnaissance and intelligence systems. Consequently, China could blind the US intelligence and military space equipment systems vital for deploying US military forces in current and future warfare." In its 2005 report to Congress on China's military capabilities, the Pentagon suggested that China was developing ASAT weapons, though its current capabilities are limited to the possible use of a nuclear-tipped launch vehicle. Besides ASAT weapons, the August 2003 Pentagon report claimed that China might also be developing navigation satellite jammers that could be used against US GPS satellites.

However, most experts share the perception that China's best anti-satellite pick could be small, ground launched kinetic kill vehicles, which can be used to destroy their target by colliding with it at extremely high velocity. On 11 January this was what the Chinese achieved. The KT-2 missile was launched from Xichang Space Center. It entered orbit and then a warhead was fired from it at the satellite (FY-1C) orbiting 800km above the earth and weighing 0.88 tonnes. According to reports this ballistic missile launched inserted a kinetic kill vehicle into orbit. Such kinetic energy kill vehicles, using the energy of impact at thousands of kilometers per hour rather than explosive fragmentation, are also used in the US ballistic missile defense programme.

Beijing's attempt to develop and test the ASAT system has both long-term and short-term strategic objectives. The long-term objective could be to establish a strategic balance in the space arena by breaking the monopoly on utilization of space enjoyed mainly by the Europeans, Russians and in particular by the Americans. The short-term objective could be to force the US to come to the negotiating table for a formulation of a treaty to ban space weapons. Here they are likely to get the support of the Russians who are also interested in such a treaty particularly after the Americans walked out of the ABM treaty.

This newly developed Chinese ability of hitting satellites with high precision is going to be a cause of worry for the US since it directly poses a challenge to their Missile Defence Strategy. At the same time, given its aspiration of emerging as a major space player in the world, India should also take this test seriously because of a possible threat by China to its own low earth orbit satellites.