Nautilus
Institute at RMIT
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Nautilus
Institute at RMITRMIT / Our Organisation / Research / Groups in Research and Innovation / Nautilus Institute at RMIT
Austral Special Report 07-14S September 2006
Source: 'KT-1' at Encyclopedia Astronautica, © Mark Wade, 1997 - 2007.
On 11 January 2007, the PRC successfully tested a direct-ascent, kinetic-kill anti-satellite (ASAT) vehicle, destroying an inactive Chinese Feng Yun 1C (FY-1C) weather satellite (launched in 1999). The launch vehicle was probably a mobile, solid-fuel KT-1 missile, a version of the DF-21 MRBM, with a range of 1,700 km to 2,500 km, although according to some accounts it was a KT-2, also mobile and solid-fuel, based on DF-31 IRBM/ICBM technology, with a range of more than 6,000 km. The launch vehicle and warhead were guided to the target by ground-based radars.
This figure shows the KT-1 launch vehicle. The launch vehicle is a tall white cylinder with a conical top. Just below the cone at the top, there is a Chinese flag, then some Chinese writing or logos. The rocket widens slightly about half way down. On the lower half are four prominent chinese characters.
Two slim gantries are connected to the launch vehicle. There is a larger gantry in the lower half of the image. In the extreme left there is another structure, either a gantry or a crane.
In the background, the sky looks blue with light clouds. Trees, possibly pines, fill the background of the lower part of the picture.
This figure is part of a talk given by Desmond Ball, entitled Assessing China's ASAT program. The full text of the talk is available.
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