U.S. officials: Russians showed 'deliberate disregard' after explosion threatened space station
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - An explosion from an anti-satellite missile blasted over 1,500 pieces of space junk and thousands of smaller pieces of debris Monday morning.
The crew, including three NASA astronauts, two Russian cosmonauts, and one astronaut with the European Space Agency were forced to shelter as the cloud of debris passed the station.
Russian officials confirmed on Tuesday that they did, in fact, destroy one of their satellites during their test.
U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price calls it a reckless act.
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IN SPACE - MAY 29: In this handout provided by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), back dropped by planet Earth the International Space Station (ISS) is seen from NASA space shuttle Endeavour after the station and shuttle began thei
"Russia’s dangerous and irresponsible behavior jeopardizes the long-term sustainability in outer space and clearly demonstrates that Russia’s claims of opposing weaponization in space are disingenuous," Price said.
The head of the U.S. Space Command also said in a statement that Russia had "demonstrated a deliberate disregard for the security, safety, stability and long-term sustainability of the space domain for all nations.
The U.S. Space Command said that the debris will remain in orbit for years.
Russia’s defense ministry is fighting back, saying, "The test will not create any risks for the astronauts or the ISS (International Space Station.)"
Roger Handberg, a political science professor at the University of Central Florida, says the event is a statement from Russia, saying space doesn’t belong to any one nation.
"The reality is this is a continuation of games. This all began, 30, 40, 50 years ago," Handberg said.
He added, "It is a warning to the U.S. because now with the Space Force, we got a lot of talk down in Washington about talk of a space war. This is the Russians in a sense doing what they always do. They want to remind you that they are still out there and they are still a player."
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