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Russian space experts believe that the Untied States may have used an anti-satellite weapon last month to destroy a small Russian research satellite, the Interfax news agency reports.
The satellite was a small spacecraft built and launched for Moscow State University to monitor space radiation. The probe, nicknamed Universitetsky or Tatiana, was launched as a payload in January 2005 from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome.
“According to some Russian experts, chances are high that the satellite fell victim to U.S. experiments in ray influence on spacecraft,” an unnamed Russian expert was quoted as saying.
The speculation is based on the timing of the satellite’s failure. The satellite stopped functioning on March 7, and the United States was conducting a military experiment at about the same time.
It is reported that Tatiana stopped sending signals suddenly. In addition, the satellite failure did not involve an actual breakup of the spacecraft.
Another space expert said that the sudden failure of the satellite could be connected with the missile launch from the U.S. territory on March 7.
U.S. military officials immediately dismissed the claim that the Pentagon intentionally crippled the satellite.
