NASA Says Destroyed Chinese Satellite Is No Threat To Space Station

Debris thrown out by a satellite destroyed by Chinese authorities earlier this month poses no immediate threat to the International Space Station, NASA administrator Michael Griffin said on Tuesday. "We are always performing debris analysis and so far we do not see any need for debris avoidance manoeuvres," Griffin told a news conference in Paris attended by representatives of agencies participating in the construction of the space station.

China publicly confirmed on Tuesday that it had tested a satellite-destroying weapon on an old weather satellite on January 11, sparking international concern about the Asian giant's rising military power and a potential arms race in space.

The test means that China becomes the third country after the United States and the former Soviet Union to shoot down an object in space.

The International Space Station, a joint venture between five agencies — from Canada, Europe, Japan, Russia and the United States — orbits the earth at an altitude of 400 kilometre (250 miles).