New Delhi: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Saturday held a detailed briefing on India’s Anti-Satellite Test (A-SAT), defending both its timing and the government revealing it to the world.
Asked whether the DRDO had the permission of the Election Commission (EC) for the briefing, officials said they had the “necessary clearance”.
Amidst the Opposition going to the EC over the test, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself announcing it to the nation, DRDO Chairman G Satheesh Reddy gave a detailed representation on ‘Mission Shakti’, with graphics. Addressing a packed auditorium here, he said the timing of the test was “technologically and scientifically driven” and said tests of this nature couldn’t be kept a secret. He also ruled out any future A-SAT missile tests in the lower Earth orbit by India, saying these were not needed any more.
On Tuesday, NASA has dubbed India’s act as a “terrible thing” which would lead to new dangers for astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
However, NASA seems to have changed its stance since then and in a letter sent to ISRO Chairman K Sivan sent on April 4 NASA Administrator James Bridenstine said that “based on the guidance received from the White House”, he looked forward to continuing to work with ISRO on a host of issues, including human space flights.
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Ms Kalinga