Kamala Harris to announce US will no longer conduct anti-satellite tests

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

The United States will no longer use ground-based missiles to destroy satellites in space, according to Vice President Harris. Harris is challenging other countries to make the same commitment and establish this policy as a new norm of responsible behavior in space.

Harris will speak more about the new commitment during a speech tonight. Harris is the chair of the White House's National Space Council, a group that helps set the nation's space agenda.

Russia conducted an ASAT test in November. The country launched one of its Nudol missiles, which destroyed the Soviet-era satellite. The event created a cloud of more than 1,500 pieces of trackable debris as well as thousands of smaller pieces that couldn't be detected. The astronauts on board the International Space Station were forced to shelter in their craft because of the satellite's destruction.

NATO and the European Union condemned the test very quickly. Direct ascent ASAT tests are not popular because of their tendency to create dangerous debris. Pieces from ASAT tests can spread for miles and stay in the space environment for months and even years. Even a small fragment of ASAT debris can damage or take out a satellite during a collision, because ASAT debris can move at many thousands of miles per hour.

No country has called for a halt to ASAT tests in the more than 60 years that countries have tested the technology. The United States is taking that step in light of Russia's actions.

ASAT tests can act as technology demonstrations since the same missile technology used to destroy a fast- moving satellite can also be used to shoot down intercontinental missiles. These tests are loud and show strength. When a country demonstrates that it can destroy one of its own satellites, it broadcasts to the world that it has the ability to destroy an adversary's satellites as well.

No country has used ASAT technology to take out another country's spaceship. Only four countries have demonstrated this technology on their satellites. Russia has been testing its Nudol technology for years but only destroyed a satellite in November. Half of the debris created by India's destruction of one of its own satellites has already burned up in the atmosphere. Thousands of fragments were created when China destroyed its weather satellite. The International Space Station had to boost its altitude in November to escape a piece of debris from China's ASAT test.

Image: NASA

The US has been testing ASAT technology for a long time. The US Strategic Command launched a missile at a decaying spy satellite. The US made the excuse that shooting down the satellite was a safety measure to prevent the toxic hydrazine propellant from doing harm if the satellite survived the plunge through Earth's atmosphere.

The US has not conducted an ASAT test in more than a decade, but has not called for an end to the practice.

Over the last few years, the space around Earth has grown more crowded. Privately built satellites are easier to launch into space. Hundreds and even thousands of satellites have been built by companies like OneWeb. As other companies and countries consider launching similar mega-constellations to stay competitive, Earth's orbit is only going to become more congested.

Adding more debris will increase the risk of crashes. Russia's ASAT test in November showed how dangerous the debris cloud can be when it puts the astronauts in danger. The US Department of Defense wants the international community to stop anti-satellite tests.

The US is leading the way on the effort and is calling for other countries to do the same. It is not clear which countries will follow suit, and there is no way to hold them accountable.

The international community is likely to take a stand on ASAT testing. In May, the United Nations will convene an open-ended working group tasked with establishing Norms, rules, and principles of responsible behaviors in space. There are a lot of countries interested in something like an ASAT test moratorium.

There is a lengthy process between today's announcement and a declaration of international law.