Initiative to Ban Direct-Ascent ASAT Tests: Historical Evolution, Contemporary Developments, and Potential Implications

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1671-0940.2025.02.008

Abstract

Abstract: The initiative to ban destructive direct-ascent anti-satellite (ASAT) missile testing, spearheaded by the U.S. and subsequently adopted by the UN General Assembly, represents a pivotal yet limited step in addressing the militarization of outer space. Tracing the historical evolution of ASAT technology since the Cold War, this paper examines the divergent state practices of major spacefaring nations—including the U.S., Russia, and India—highlighting their technological advancements and geopolitical motivations. Through an analysis of existing treaties, recent resolutions, and the persistent divide between western states and the China-Russia bloc over the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS), the study underscores the initiative’s inherent limitations in deterring comprehensive militarization. The paper concludes that sustainable space safety necessitates multilateral, legally binding agreements that transcend symbolic measures, should reconcile competing state interests. Achieving this requires global cooperation, compromise among major powers, and a reinvigorated commitment to the peaceful use of outer space enshrined in international law.

Key words: ASAT test, PAROS, space debris, militarization of outer space, UN resolutions

TANG Ya. Initiative to Ban Direct-Ascent ASAT Tests: Historical Evolution, Contemporary Developments, and Potential Implications[J]. AEROSPACE CHINA, 2025, 26(2): 69-77.

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