NEW DELHI: When there is a global momentum to develop a rules order to govern the sphere of weaponisation of space, India will be at the rules-making table. India became among the first few countries to demonstrate a proven capability to execute a kinetic kill of a satellite in space.

At the very moment that India announced its anti-satellite test, experts are gathered in Geneva to draft a UN document on PAROS — Prevention of Arms Race in Outer Space. Rajeshwari Rajagopalan, senior fellow at think tank ORF, who is one of the global experts at the meet, said it was important for India to demonstrate its capability rather than just claim capability.

“There is no global move just yet, but it could be a matter of time. And when this does happen, India will not be out of the room as had happened when the nuclear order was bring written,” she said. India was not considered a nuclear weapons state because it did not test before January 1968.

Apart from the fact that India’s test on Wednesday was deemed more “responsible” than China’s 2007 satellite kill — because the “hit-to-kill” being executed at below 300 km, the issue of space debris would not be as much of a concern as China’s 800-km strike was. It is also in compliance with India’s commitments as a member of the MTCR (Missile Technology Control Regime).

Sources said, the Indian test was akin to the US’ 2008 test, when a ballistic missile was used to destroy a spy satellite at a distance below 300 km. In recent years, Russia too has been investing heavily in anti-satellite weapons in the recent past. It will probably not be long before the world decides to work out a set of rules for space weaponisation, despite the fact that everyone continues to spout “peaceful” space programmes.

Rajagopalan said India’s ASAT programme evolved from its ballistic missile defense (BMD) programme. China, on the other hand, has gone the opposite way. China has moved far from its initial ASAT test in 2007 to develop ballistic missile interceptors that can “kill” medium range missiles like India’s Agni series.

