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March 28, 2019

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India shoots down own satellite, PM hails success

India shot down one of its satellites in space with an anti-satellite missile yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, hailing the country鈥檚 first test of such technology as a major breakthrough that establishes it as a space power.

India would only be the fourth country to have used such an anti-satellite weapon after the United States, Russia and China, said Modi, who heads into general elections next month.

鈥淥ur scientists shot down a live satellite 300 kilometers away in space, in low-Earth orbit,鈥 Modi said in a television broadcast.

鈥淚ndia has made an unprecedented achievement today. India registered its name as a space power.鈥

Anti-satellite weapons allow for attacks on enemy satellites, blinding them or disrupting communications, as well as providing a technology base to intercept ballistic missiles.

India has had a space program for years, making Earth imaging satellites and launch capabilities as a cheaper alternative to Western programs. It successfully sent a low-cost probe to Mars in 2014 and plans its first manned space mission by 2022.


 

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