WASHINGTON (CNN) -- China last week successfully used a missile todestroy an orbiting satellite, U.S. government officials told CNN onThursday, in a test that could undermine relations with the West andpose a threat to satellites important to the U.S. military.
According to a spokesman for the National Security Council, theground-based, medium-range ballistic missile knocked an old Chineseweather satellite from its orbit about 537 miles above Earth. Themissile carried a "kill vehicle" and destroyed the satellite by rammingit.
The test took place on January 11.
Aviation Week and Space Technology first reported the test: "Detailsemerging from space sources indicate that the Chinese Feng Yun 1C(FY-1C) polar orbit weather satellite launched in 1999 was attacked byan asat (anti-satellite) system launched from or near the Xichang SpaceCenter."
A U.S. official, who would not agree to be identified, said the eventwas the first successful test of the missile after three failures.
The official said that U.S. "space tracking sensors" confirmed that thesatellite is no longer in orbit and that the collision produced"hundreds of pieces of debris," that also are being tracked.
The United States logged a formal diplomatic protest.
"We are aware of it and we are concerned, and we made it known," said White House spokesman Tony Snow.
Several U.S. allies, including Canada and Australia, have alsoregistered protests, and the Japanese government said it was worrisome.
"Naturally, we are concerned about it from the viewpoint of security aswell as peaceful use of space," said Yashuhisa Shiozaki, chief cabinetsecretary. He said Japan has asked the Chinese government for anexplanation.
The United States has been able to bring down satellites with missilessince the mid-1980s, according to a history of ASAT programs posted onthe Union of Concerned Scientists Web site. In its own test, the U.S.military knocked a satellite out of orbit in 1985.
Under a space policy authorized by President Bush in August, the UnitedStates asserts a right to "freedom of action in space" and says it will"deter others from either impeding those rights or developingcapabilities intended to do so."
The policy includes the right to "deny, if necessary, adversaries theuse of space capabilities hostile to U.S. national interests."
Low Earth-orbit satellites have become indispensable for U.S. militarycommunications, GPS navigation for smart bombs and troops, and forreal-time surveillance. The Chinese test highlights the satellites'vulnerability.
"If we, for instance, got into a conflict over Taiwan, one of the firstthings they'd probably do would be to shoot down all of our lowerEarth-orbit spy satellites, putting out our eyes," said John Pike ofglobalsecurity.org, a Web site that compiles information on worldwidesecurity issues.
"The thing that is surprising and disturbing is that [the Chinese] havechosen this moment to demonstrate a military capability that can onlybe aimed at the United States," he said.
China is facing international criticism over a weapons test it reportedly carried out in space last week.
Japan has expressed concern, as have the US and Australia.
It is thought that the Chinese used a ground-based medium-rangeballistic missile to slam into and destroy an old weather satellite.
Correspondents say this is the first known satellite intercepting test to have been conducted for more than 20 years.
While the technology is not new, it does underline the growingcapabilities of China's armed forces, according to a BBC correspondentin Beijing, Dan Griffiths.
Space arms race?
Late on Thursday, US National Security Council spokesman GordonJohndroe confirmed an article in the magazine American Aviation Weekand Space Technology, which reported that the test had taken place.
The report said that a Chinese Feng Yun 1C polar orbit weathersatellite, launched in 1999, was destroyed by an anti-satellite systemlaunched from or near China's Xichang Space Centre on 11 January.
The Chinese have yet to confirm the test, which is thought to have occurred at more than 537 miles (865km) above Earth.
Japan's chief cabinet secretary, Yasuhisa Shiozaki, said his governmenthad asked China for confirmation, and for an explanation of what itsintentions were.
"We are concerned about it firstly from the point of view of peacefuluse of space, and secondly from the safety perspective," Mr Shiozakisaid.
Mr Johndroe said the US "believes China's development and testing ofsuch weapons is inconsistent with the spirit of co-operation that bothcountries aspire to in the civil space area".
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Australia did notwant to see "some sort of spread, if you like, of an arms race intoouter space".
There are already growing international concerns about China's rising military power.
While Beijing keeps its defence spending a closely guarded secret, analysts suggest that it has grown rapidly in recent years.
Space debris
The test, if confirmed, would mean that China could now theoreticallyshoot down spy satellites operated by other nations, although there isno evidence to suggest that the test was carried out with anythingother than non-threatening intentions.
It would be the first such test since the 1980s, when both the US and the Soviet Union destroyed satellites in space.
These tests were halted over concerns that the debris they produced could harm civilian and military satellite operations.
The same concerns have been raised about this latest reported test.
American Aviation Week and Space Technology said the move could haveleft "considerable space debris in an orbit used by many differentsatellites".
While the US may be unhappy about China's actions, the Washingtonadministration has recently opposed international calls to end suchtests.
It revised US space policy last October to state that Washington hadthe right to freedom of action in space, and the US is known to beresearching such "satellite-killing" weapons itself.
陈水骗想今年来大动作，看来没什么戏了。
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