India claims space debris poses minimal threat

By Ahmad Adil

CHANDIGARH, India (AA) - India said Saturday that debris from one of its destroyed satellites will decay in 45 days, following concerns expressed by NASA that it could pose a threat.

"The risk posed by debris generated is not much. The first 10 days are critical and those have passed. The entire debris will decay in 45 days,” said Satheesh Reddy, chairman of the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), at a news conference in capital New Delhi, local Daily Tribune reported.

He said India chose a low-orbit satellite to avoid threat of debris to global space assets.

NASA chief Jim Bridenstine earlier this week said the successful test of an anti-satellite weapon had create high-velocity debris that poses a threat to other spacecrafts, including the International Space Station.

"That is a terrible, terrible thing to create an event that sends debris at an apogee that goes above the International Space Station [ISS]. That kind of activity is not compatible with the future of human spaceflight that we need to see have happen,” he said.

India in late March joined the ranks of U.S., Russia and China by successfully targeting live satellite on a low-earth orbit.