Russia admits to anti-satellite missile test but denies ?dangerous behavior?

Russia has admitted to destroying one of its satellites during a missile test but rejected US accusations that it had endangered the International Space Station.

US officials on Monday accused Moscow of “dangerous and irresponsible behavior” after it conducted an anti-satellite weapons test that threatened the lives of the seven astronauts on board the ISS.

The move reignited concerns about an escalating arms race in space, encompassing everything from laser weapons to satellites capable of shunting others out of orbit.

On Tuesday, the Russian defence ministry said it had “successfully conducted a test, as a result of which the Russian spacecraft ‘Tselina-D’, which had been in orbit since 1982, was destroyed”.

Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, later said the launch used a “promising” system that “accurately” struck its target.

“The fragments that formed do not pose any threat to space activity,” he added, as quoted by Russian news agencies.

When the gravity of the situation became clear on Monday, the astronauts aboard the ISS - four Americans, one German, and two Russians - were ordered to immediately seek shelter in their docked capsules.