USA commits not to conduct anti-satellite weapons tests

The USA has committed not to conduct anti-satellite weapons tests and called upon other countries to take up a similar commitment. The announcement was made by US Vice President Kamala Haris who also noted that the USA would be working ‘with other nations to establish this as a new international norm for responsible behaviour in space’.

The formally named destructive direct-ascent anti-satellite missile tests pose a series of challenges due to the debris they generate once a satellite is destroyed. For instance, such debris can affect other satellites and present a risk to the International Space Station (ISS) and the safety of astronauts.