The Chinese have destroyed one of their own aging satellites orbiting more than 530 miles from the Earth by using a ground based missile in a demonstration of their anti-satellite technology.
The US and others criticized China for the move. The US stopped blowing up its own satellites in the 1980s, partially due to the large orbiting debris clouds that resulted from the practice. The test also highlights the US's vulnerability to anti-satellite weapons.
"American satellites are the soft underbelly of our national security," said
Rep. Edward Markey. Another remarked "The Chinese are telling the Pentagon that they don't own space."
