US State Dept Responds to NASA’s Comment on Mission Shakti

NASA Administrator had said that India’s Mission Shakti is a terrible thing as it puts astronauts on ISS in danger.

NASA’s head had, on 2 April said that India’s Mission Shakti is a terrible thing as it puts Astronauts on ISS in danger.

(Photo: Screengrab/ANI)

US State Department Spokesperson, Robert Palladino, on Wednesday, 3 April, responded to NASA Administrator's remarks on India's Anti-satellite (A-SAT) mission – Mission Shakti – saying that India and US enjoy a strong strategic relationship and will continue to pursue shared interests in space.

The response comes a day after the chairman of the premier space organisation in the United States called Mission Shakti a 'terrible thing' that has created 400 pieces of space debris, leading to new dangers for astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

NASA Chief Jim Bridenstine had made the remarks while addressing his employees, five days after India’s successful test of its A-SAT capabilities.

Palladino said that India and United States will continue to pursue shared interest in the field of space, and extend scientific and technical cooperation, including safety and security in space.

Bridenstine had said that objects that are big enough to track, are being tracked by NASA. However, 24 pieces of the destroyed satellite are going above the apogee (point in orbit where a satellite is farthest from earth) of the ISS.

"That is a terrible, terrible thing to create an event that sends debris at an apogee that goes above the International Space Station," he said.

“That kind of activity is not compatible with the future of human spaceflight. It’s unacceptable and NASA needs to be very clear about what its impact to us is.”

Jim Bridenstine, NASA Administrator

The US military tracks objects in space to predict the collision risk for the ISS and for satellites. They are currently tracking 23,000 objects larger than 10 centimeters.

(With inputs from ANI)