COLUMNS
Great Power Competition Feeds the Threat Posed by Anti-Satellite Technology
![undefined and Senior Military Analyst](https://www.stratfor.com/sites/default/files/profiles/photos/Omar-Lamrani.jpg)
Apr 18, 2019 | 09:00 GMT
![A composite image from NASA-sourced images.](https://worldview.stratfor.com/sites/default/files/styles/2x1_full/public/display-space-satellite-warfare-shutterstock-441430372.jpg?itok=e_ltkJuK)
A composite image from NASA-sourced images. Anti-satellite technology increases the risk that space will be littered with dangerous debris that could collide with important spacecraft either accidentally or during conflicts.
(VADIM SADOVSKI/Shutterstock)
Highlights
- As demonstrated by India's latest anti-satellite (ASAT) test, the number of countries willing to pursue ASAT weapons and capabilities in space is growing.
- The rising great power competition among Russia, China and the United States is driving ASAT use and development.
- ASAT technology produces dangerous space debris that can disable important satellites and challenge the long-term sustainable use of space.
- Unfortunately, adequate norms and treaties do not exist to regulate the ASAT risk, and the tense dynamics among global powers suggest they are unlikely to be formed in the near future.