Congratulations, India for achieving the daunting task of knocking off a live satellite in space. The satellite was in a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 300 kilometres. The weapon used was an Anti-Satellite Missile (ASM), developed indigenously.

It was as much a successful technology demonstration as it was a strong signal to the ‘powers’ that are already in space and to those that aspire to be ‘space powers.’

Space — particularly from a military vantage — has long been the final frontier, breached only by a few countries. While space has been relentlessly used for many peaceful applications, mainly communications, weather forecasting, imaging, television, navigation etc, there is now a case for tactical military applications as well. The elite list now includes India.

Springboard To Elite Club

Termed Mission Shakti, the operation that lasted three minutes from launch to destruction of the satellite is momentous to say the least. Its potential to catapult the armed forces to newer and more technologically-advanced warfare is enormous.

To go back in time, we could perhaps recall the famous Star Wars series on TV or the infamous Star Wars in the Cold War era between the then two superpowers, the US and the erstwhile USSR. The outcome of those days is well documented.

Post that, a number of countries entered the so-called ‘Space Club’ as active participants. A large number of satellites were launched into space to exploit its various benefits.

However, none of them have been recovered back to earth, thereby leaving space congested with old and redundant satellites. New ones are added frequently, thus increasing the space debris.

There is no bin in outer space where the debris can be stored. The number of such debris orbiting in space is around 30,000 or more. They are varied in size, ranging from a few centimeters to full satellite sizes. But space debris come with their own share of risk.

Collision with debris by any live satellite could be disastrous. However, all nations find it economically prudent to leave a redundant satellite in space rather than attempt to bring it back to earth.

Safe Haven? Think Again!

Globally, militarisation of space began many years ago. Those who felt space was a safe haven have been proven wrong. The final frontier has been breached militarily and this time by India too. We ought to feel proud. In India, specifically, preparation for military use of space had begun on the ground long ago with the Indian Air Force taking the lead in the formation of the Space Cell.

A Tri-service Space Command is under consideration by the government, logically to be headed by the IAF as the outer space is but an extension of the existing Air Space of which, the IAF is the custodian.

Space is no longer a peaceful place. Nor is it a war zone. But the obvious battle lines have been drawn. The self-proclaimed custodians of space did not want other countries to be equal and successful partners.

India has leap-frogged into the Space Club, all on its own accord, and the success must be attributed to our scientists who have done the nation proud. Prime Minister Narendra Modi just patted them on their backs on the declaration that India has indeed arrived.

Air Marshal LK Malhotra AVSM VSM is a retired fighter pilot of the IAF with approximately 4,000 hours of flying. Presently, he is a distinguished fellow at the Center for Air Power Studies.

First Published:Mar 27, 2019 5:15 PM IST