Or did I read it wrongly?
What were the main significances for this test?
2007-01-30 02:44:48 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Military
As the Chinese had classified their missile that knocked-off their satellite, it was a medium-range missile. The satellite is at about 750 kilometers (466 miles) altitude. So, a medium-range missile will do. You only need ICBM's when the distance involved is equivalent to that which spans continents (hence the words Inter-Continental).
2007-01-30 08:12:05 · answer #1 · answered by roadwarrior 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The booster motor was an ICBM. Many countries including our own have used ICBM boosters for launching satellites. the Guidance and the kill vehicle were new. ICBM's have inertia guidance systems are only good at hitting stationary targets like cities they are also not good at hitting small targets either. So this part of the system was entirely different probably a radar guided system. The significance of this test means that if China wants it can take out the satellites the world depends on like GPS satellites as large portion of the US weapons are GPS guided what would happen if the GPS satellites were shot down? Communications also depend heavily on satellites as well. this is all under threat now. US and Russia had anti satellite weapons already and now China has joined the club with Iran next in line to do the same.
2007-01-30 12:46:51 · answer #2 · answered by brian L 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not sure of the exact missile, but they used a kinetic energy type weapon. Instead of exploding, it rams its target.
The significance of them blowing up one of their satellites is that they can blow up other satellites; GPS, scientific, but more importantly, the low orbiting US spy satellites. If it decides to, it can destroy some of our observational power.
And the debris from the test will affect outerspace activity for several years.
2007-01-30 12:15:37 · answer #3 · answered by K 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They did and it was confirmed that they were just testing and had no other plans of doing it again.
2007-01-30 12:17:48 · answer #4 · answered by JACQUELINE T 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sure did. Look on http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/01/29/china.missile.ap/index.html
2007-01-30 12:16:26 · answer #5 · answered by Year of the Monkey 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
yes it was a satilite missle test
2007-01-31 00:43:58 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋