The crew members of the International Space Station were also at risk, stressed Thierry Breton
TASS, November 17. The resulting fragments of the non-operational satellite "Tselina-D" after its destruction during the tests conducted by Russia may pose a threat to the activities of the European Union in space. This statement was made on Tuesday by the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton.
"The test of anti-satellite weapons has led to the formation of a significant amount of [space] debris, the size of which could endanger the space activities of the European Union, as well as the activities of our member states," he wrote on Twitter.
Breton added that the crew members of the International Space Station (ISS) were also exposed to danger, and the necessary measures were taken to protect them. "The European Space Surveillance and Tracking System was immediately activated, the situation is being monitored on an ongoing basis to protect the European Galileo and Copernicus satellites (Galileo and Copernicus) and the satellites of the [EU] member states from collision with debris," the European Commissioner said, adding that so far none of the EU satellites has been damaged.
"As the European Commissioner responsible for the space policy of the European Union and, in particular, for Galileo and Copernicus, I join in the strong condemnation of the test conducted by Russia, which led to the destruction of a satellite in low orbit," he said. The European Union will work on new defense and space strategies, Breton concluded.
On Tuesday, the Russian military department announced that tests were conducted, during which an inactive Russian spacecraft was successfully hit. The Defense Ministry stressed that it is carrying out planned activities to strengthen its defense capability and recalled that the main goal of the new US space strategy is to "create a comprehensive military advantage" in this area. The military department stressed that the fragments formed after the defeat of the satellite do not pose a threat to the ISS and satellites, emphasizing that the satellite fragments are included in the main catalog of the domestic space control system and are immediately taken for escort until their existence ceases.
