India conducted ASAT very well: Expert

Expert on space and nuclear affairs, Rajeshwari Pillai Rajgopalan speaks to ETV Bharat on India's ASAT mission. She says that India has conducted the test very well.

New Delhi: NASA expressed its displeasure on India conducting the A-SAT test which has created about 400 pieces of Orbital debris and endangered the International Space Station.

Etv Bharat spoke to an expert on space and nuclear affairs, Rajeshwari Pillai Rajgopalan over India's ASAT mission.

She said that it was a welcome move by India to conduct these tests, "I think, the scientists and politicians would all agree to it that India needed to conduct this test to deal with the possible dangers it may face in international space".

Rajagopalan disagreed with NASA as she says "India has conducted this test in a very responsible manner at an altitude of 300 kilometres which would not create a lot of space debris. On the other hand, China conducted it at an altitude of 850 kilometres which left around 3000 space debris. Therefore, India has acted with responsibility and moreover we had a proper press conference to tell it to the world and we did not hide it Like China."

Remembering when China conducted the test she reminded, "For the first few weeks, China did not even own up to the fact that they conducted the test. Later when the magazines revealed they had to admit to the fact that the tests were conducted. Now compare that with India's situation. The altitude at which India has conducted the test, there would be around 250- 275 debris which will burn out and there would not be a lot of mess in the space. So, I think India has conducted the test very well."