Anti-satellite missile test showed India's prowess: DRDO chief

: Mission Shakti, an anti-satellite (ASAT) missile test, conducted by the country has demonstrated its technological capabilities to carry out such a critical mission with precision, scientist and chairman of Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) G Satheesh Reddy said Sunday.

During a meeting on technical capabilities and an aerospace luminary lecture organised here by the Aeronautical Society of India, he said the critical systems, including software and sensors, were indigenously developed by scientists from various specialisations.

The challenge during the mission (Anti-Satellite (A-SAT) test) conducted on March 27 was ensuring that all the systems cohesively responded to ever-changing dynamics, a press release from the Aeronautical Society of India quoted Reddy as saying.

 

Also, Reddy congratulated the DRDO labs and team members associated with Mission Shakti.

Ballistic missile defence (BMD) programme director (Area-Defence) U Rajababu, in his address, highlighted the objectives and criticalities of Mission Shakti.

Hesaid, "The high altitude and high velocity interception pose many technological challenges in respect of seekers for early detection and trajectory correction systems for finer corrections before engagement."

When the relative velocity of the systems involved is around 10 km/second there was a need for precision, he said.

The booster needs to provide the requisite velocities, the technologies such as dome opening, heat shield etc needed to be precise and smooth apart from the accurate and secured data communication systems, Rajababu said.

Using accurate sensors and onboard seeker, the ASAT missile was guided towards the target to ensure direct hit without employing any warhead, he said.

NITI Aayog member VK Saraswat and nearly 500 scientists, academicians, engineers, industrialists and professionals from the aerospace sector were present on the occasion, the release added.

Soon after the test, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said the country had shown its anti-satellite missile capability by shooting down a live satellite, and described that as a rare achievement because it has included the nation in an exclusive club of space super-powers.