The Chinese ASAT (Anti-Satellite Test) is having some significant consequences for the remaining satellites in orbit around earth. The aging weather satellite that they destroyed on Jan 17th, 2007 has created a debris field in orbit around the planet. The more than 647 detected pieces of junk created by the explosion now sit in low earth orbit 100 to 2200 miles above earth. Claims are being made that the amount of junk in orbit has now reached critical mass, wherein a collision between junk and something useful (like a satellite that carries your favorite tv station) is inevitable. The International Space Station does not appear to be in immediate danger of such a collision. However, a prominent fear is that the amount of junk now orbiting earth will eventually hit some old piece of abandoned equipment and create a new debris field with the subsequent explosion.

The Chinese rid space of an aging weather satelitte with a nice little fireworks display. Allegedly China used a laser to blow the little beast to tiny pieces of space junk. The shot heard round the world was likely fired from an asat system at the Xichang Space Center. The US military and intelligence agencies are acting very surprised by this test, however as Aceize noted several weeks ago, this sort of technology has been suspected to exist for some time.