China Space Junk Crash w/Russian Satellite: Legal Action Unlikely

Legal Action Against China Unlikely in Space Junk Crash with Russian Satellite

Mike Wall and Leonard David

Date: 12 March 2013 Time: 07:00 AM ET

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On Jan. 22, 2013, debris from a Chinese anti-satellite program test hit a Russian satellite. CREDIT: Courtesy of Analytical Graphics, Inc.

The apparent destruction of a tiny Russian satellite by a piece of Chinese space junk probably won't result in legal action against China, experts say.

The satellite and space junk crash involved Russia's Ball Lens In The Space nanosatellite, or BLITS, which likely collided on Jan. 22 with a piece of orbital debris spawned by a 2007 Chinese anti-satellite (ASAT) test that destroyed a defunct weather satellite known as FY-1C.

China could technically be held responsible for the current state of the 16-pound (7.5 kilograms) BLITS satellite under 1972's Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects, analysts point out.

More - Link >>> http://www.space.com/20173-china-space-junk-crash-lawsuit.html

Source: Space.com .

Related Blog Post --

Chinese Anti-Satellite Test Debris Hits Russian Satellite (2013 March 10):

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2013/03/chinese-anti-satellite-test-debris-hits.html

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