WASHINGTON (CNN) -- China last week successfully used a missile to destroy an orbiting satellite, U.S. government officials told CNN on Thursday, in a test that could undermine relations with the West and pose a threat to satellites important to the U.S. military.


According to a spokesman for the National Security Council, the ground-based, medium-range ballistic missile knocked an old Chinese weather satellite from its orbit about 537 miles above Earth. The missile carried a "kill vehicle" and destroyed the satellite by ramming it.

viation Week and Space Technology first reported the test: "Details emerging from space sources indicate that the Chinese Feng Yun 1C (FY-1C) polar orbit weather satellite launched in 1999 was attacked by an asat (anti-satellite) system launched from or near the Xichang Space Center."


A U.S. official, who would not agree to be identified, said the event was the first successful test of the missile after three failures.


The official said that U.S. "space tracking sensors" confirmed that the satellite is no longer in orbit and that the collision produced "hundreds of pieces of debris," that also are being tracked.


The United States logged a formal diplomatic protest.
"We are aware of it and we are concerned, and we made it known," said White House spokesman Tony Snow.


Several U.S. allies, including Canada and Australia, have also registered protests, and the Japanese government said it was worrisome.


"Naturally, we are concerned about it from the viewpoint of security as well as peaceful use of space," said Yashuhisa Shiozaki, chief cabinet secretary. He said Japan has asked the Chinese government for an explanation.


The United States has been able to bring down satellites with missiles since the mid-1980s, according to a history of ASAT programs posted on the Union of Concerned Scientists Web site. In its own test, the U.S. military knocked a satellite out of orbit in 1985.


Under a space policy authorized by President Bush in August, the United States asserts a right to "freedom of action in space" and says it will "deter others from either impeding those rights or developing capabilities intended to do so."


The policy includes the right to "deny, if necessary, adversaries the use of space capabilities hostile to U.S. national interests."


Low Earth-orbit satellites have become indispensable for U.S. military communications, GPS navigation for smart bombs and troops, and for real-time surveillance. The Chinese test highlights the satellites' vulnerability.


"If we, for instance, got into a conflict over Taiwan, one of the first things they'd probably do would be to shoot down all of our lower Earth-orbit spy satellites, putting out our eyes," said John Pike of globalsecurity.org, a Web site that compiles information on worldwide security issues.


"The thing that is surprising and disturbing is that [the Chinese] have chosen this moment to demonstrate a military capability that can only be aimed at the United States," he said.

"The thing that is surprising and disturbing is that [the Chinese] have chosen this moment to demonstrate a military capability that can only be aimed at the United States," he said.

Words out of my own mouth... now Doody, c'mon, what happened to truth in advertising... they bagged their own satelite.

A Chinese Secret Weapon?
Ah,I love such words "Secret Weapons"!

Bulldogg is correct, it was a old Chinese weather satellite.

something sounds fishy

Wonder what US will do to counter this. Talk is cheap. I really miss Pres. Reagan

'The U.S. did it. Why can't we?'
That's clever.

I can't say that the news thrills me greatly.

But we've got to realise that China is a fast developing country and although we may not always agree with their policies, they are going to attempt to catch up with the rest of the word. We're going to see a lot more of this type of thing in the future so we may as well get used to it.

China has at last woken up that they are an asset rich country, and that asset is cheap labour. They are using this to become a world power.

This push to advance their military is only exacerbated when they see other countries around the world using their military might to shape the world to suit their needs.

Just put yourself in their position.

It ain't nice, but I'm afraid that it is a fact of life.

I'm sorry I seem to have misplaced my white flag.

Originally Posted by bulldogg

I'm sorry I seem to have misplaced my white flag.

And yer balanced views!