Re:Analysis of the Cosmos 1408 Breakup
by bryanlarsen on Sunday November 21, 2021 @07:00AM
(#29295748)
The 2008 American and the Indian tests were done at a low altitude where they didn't affect any satellites and fragments deorbited quickly. Not comparable at all.
The American test in the 80s was comparable.
And that's the point, they are testing a missile against targets at much higher orbits. 14A042 is pretty enormous for a mobile missile.
They are aiming to take out US missile target discrimination system, the weakest link in the new US missile defence system.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Tracking_and_Surveilla...
Without target discrimination, the missile defence will be completely exhausted by decoys.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-satellite_weapon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Chinese_anti-satellite_mi...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_Shakti