Satellite collisions and anti-satellite weapons may make for great headlines, but they’re bad news for low earth orbit. When China tested an anti-satellite weapon on a defunct weather satellite in 2007, it created thousands of pieces of hazardous debris. A more recent collision between a defunct Russian communications satellite and an Iridium orbiter created still more dangerous junk.

Now the Russians are threatening to up the stakes, and possibly the amount of debris in orbit, by conducting another antisatellite test. That test would be in part a response to the China test and a 2008 test involving a ship-launched missile (pictured) by the US (which didn’t create as much debris because the target was in a decaying orbit). It also has something to do with US plans to field an anti-ballistic missile system in Eastern Europe.

It may just be posturing, but if such a test did occur, it could be disastrous. Much of the debris from the 2007 test and this year’s collision will remain in orbit for years, and adding more will only increase the chances that more satellites are lost.

Incidentally, at least one Russian ex-general believes the US was behind last month’s collision. Ria Novosti is quoting Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Leonid Shershnev, a former head of Russia’s military space intelligence, as suggesting that a nefarious third satellite may have pushed the satellites into each other.

Credit: US Navy