美国1月18日指责中国向太空发射了一枚弹道导弹，摧毁了一颗老化的气象卫星。 美国表示中国上周成功地试验了一种攻击卫星武器，并对此表示关注。 www.6park.com

航空周刊杂志最先报道说，美国情报机构得出结论说，中国在1月11日成功地试验了一枚攻击卫星武器。杂志还说该武器是一个由弹道导弹带入太空的“动能攻击载体”，一个老化的中国气象卫星被此武器击毁。 www.6park.com

据报这次试验在距离地面800公里的高空进行。 www.6park.com

美国表示，中国的太空试验违背了美中两国希望在太空民用领域进行合作的精神。在华盛顿美国国家安全事务委员会的一个发言人说，澳大利亚和加拿大已经对中国此举表示关注，其它国家也可能发出同样批评。一名不愿透露姓名的白宫高级官员说，英国，日本和韩国不久也会对中国表达他们的关注。 www.6park.com

目前北京没有对此作出反应。

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/space/01/18/china.missile/index.html


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- China last week successfully used a missile to destroy an orbiting satellite, U.S. government officials told CNN on Thursday, in a test that could undermine relations with the West and pose a threat to satellites important to the U.S. military.

According to a spokesman for the National Security Council, the ground-based, medium-range ballistic missile knocked an old Chinese weather satellite from its orbit about 537 miles above Earth. The missile carried a "kill vehicle" and destroyed the satellite by ramming it.

The test took place on January 11.

Aviation Week and Space Technology first reported the test: "Details emerging from space sources indicate that the Chinese Feng Yun 1C (FY-1C) polar orbit weather satellite launched in 1999 was attacked by an asat (anti-satellite) system launched from or near the Xichang Space Center."

A U.S. official, who would not agree to be identified, said the event was the first successful test of the missile after three failures.

The official said that U.S. "space tracking sensors" confirmed that the satellite is no longer in orbit and that the collision produced "hundreds of pieces of debris," that also are being tracked.

The United States logged a formal diplomatic protest.

"We are aware of it and we are concerned, and we made it known," said White House spokesman Tony Snow.

Several U.S. allies, including Canada and Australia, also have registered protests.

Under a space policy authorized by President Bush in August, the United States asserts a right to "freedom of action in space" and says it will "deter others from either impeding those rights or developing capabilities intended to do so."

The policy includes the right to "deny, if necessary, adversaries the use of space capabilities hostile to U.S. national interests."

Low Earth-orbit satellites have become indispensable for U.S. military communications, GPS navigation for smart bombs and troops, and for real-time surveillance. The Chinese test highlights the satellites' vulnerability.

"If we, for instance, got into a conflict over Taiwan, one of the first things they'd probably do would be to shoot down all of our lower Earth-orbit spy satellites, putting out our eyes," said John Pike of globalsecurity.org, a Web site that compiles information on worldwide security issues.

"The thing that is surprising and disturbing is that [the Chinese] have chosen this moment to demonstrate a military capability that can only be aimed at the United States," he said.