[Infowarrior] - China DDOS for Satellites?

[Richard Forno]

(talk about an interesting way to DDOS space-based assets, eh?  Or at least
deny them safe orbital passage without constant adjustments......rf)


Washington Times
January 11, 2008 

http://washingtontimes.com/article/20080111/NATION/444629685/1002

U.S. Satellites Dodge Chinese Missile Debris

'07 space weaponry test a continuing problem

By Bill Gertz, Washington Times

Two orbiting U.S. spacecraft were forced to change course to avoid being
damaged by the thousands of pieces of space debris produced after China
carried out an anti-satellite weapon test one year ago today.

The maneuvering, ordered by ground controllers and conducted several months
after the test, is an example of lingering problems caused by China's Jan.
11, 2007, missile firing in a bold demonstration of space weaponry against a
weather satellite, said Air Force Brig. Gen. Ted Kresge, director of air,
space and information operations at the Air Force Space Command in Colorado.

< - >

Beijing also is asserting national sovereignty over all space above Chinese
territory, setting up the potential for a future confrontation with the
U.S., which operates intelligence and other satellites that pass over China.

< - >

The broad area of wreckage in space is called the "Feng Yun-1C debris" and
threatens about 800 satellites in space, 400 of which are American.

According to the Joint Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base
in California, the commercial communication satellite Orbcomm FM 36
maneuvered to avoid passing within about 123 feet of the debris field on
April 6. A NASA Earth observation satellite Terra was moved June 22 to avoid
coming within about 90 feet of the debris.

Gen. Kresge said the Chinese ASAT weapon test, after two misses, "made a
mess" in space. There are no indications China is preparing more tests but
doing so would create a "huge" problem, he said.

"Essentially what it did was increase the amount of space debris orbiting
the Earth by about 20 percent," he said.

The debris threatens spacecraft for up to 100 years, he estimated.