An anti-satellite weapons test by Russia against one of its own targets has generated debris that is a risk to astronauts on the International Space Station and other activities in outer space, according to the US State Department.
Experts say weapons that shatter satellites pose a space hazard by creating clouds of fragments that can collide with other objects, setting off a chain reaction of projectiles through the Earth's orbit.
"Russia's dangerous and irresponsible behaviour jeopardizes the long-term sustainability of ... outer space and clearly demonstrates that Russia's (claims) to oppose the weaponisation of space are disingenuous and hypocritical," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.
The Russian missile generated more than 1,500 pieces of "trackable orbital debris," he added.
US Department of Defense spokesman John Kirby said the most immediate concern was the debris but the test showed the need for norms in space.
The UK's defence minister said the test shows disregard for the security, safety and sustainability of space.
"This destructive anti-satellite missile test by Russia shows a complete disregard for the security, safety and sustainability of space," Ben Wallace said in a post tweeted by the defence ministry.
Russian space agency Roscosmos downplayed the incident.
"The orbit of the object, which forced the crew today to move into spacecraft according to standard procedures, has moved away from the ISS orbit. The station is in the green zone," the agency tweeted.
The Russian military and ministry of defence were not immediately available for comment.
NASA administrator Bill Nelson said he was "outraged" by the test.
"With its long and storied history in human spaceflight, it is unthinkable that Russia would endanger not only the American and international partner astronauts on the ISS, but also their own cosmonauts" as well as taikonauts aboard the Chinese space station, Mr Nelson said in a statement.
The United States performed the first anti-satellite tests in 1959, when satellites were rare and new.
Last April, Russia carried out another test of an anti-satellite missile as officials have said that space will increasingly become an important domain for warfare.
In 2019, India shot down one of its own satellites in low-Earth orbit with a ground-to-space missile.
The US military is increasingly dependent on satellites to determine what it does on the ground, guiding munitions with space-based lasers and satellites, as well as using such assets to monitor for missile launches and track its forces.
These tests have also raised questions about the long-term sustainability of space operations essential to a huge range of commercial activities, including banking and GPS services.
