Revisiting China’s Anti-Satellite Test
| Date | Wednesday, November 14, 2007 |
| Location | Senate Dirksen, Room G 11 |
Dr. Gregory Kulacki, senior analyst,
Union of Concerned Scientists, will join us to discuss the decisions that led to
China's January 2007 test of an
anti-satellite weapon (ASAT) against one of its own satellites. Dr. Kulacki traveled to
China several times in the past eight
months to discuss the test with colleagues in the arms control and defense
communities, including individuals who have knowledge of the history of the ASAT
program and access to information about the decision-making process. Most
American analysts place the United
States at the center of Chinese calculations, either by
asserting that the test is part of a deliberate effort to acquire a
comprehensive set of counter-space capabilities, or an attempt to induce the
US into arms control negotiations.
Dr. Kulacki, however, argues that American commentators tend to overstate this
importance as a driver in China's decision to develop
hit-to-kill technology and conduct the test.
