Russia's Nudol Anti-Satellite Missile Test

In mid-April, Russia tested a direct ascent anti-satellite missile (DA ASAT), the Nudol/PL19, against a point in space. Anti-satellite weapons are an old favorite of the pod, so Anne, Aaron, and Jeffrey meet to discuss the history of anti-satellite weapons, the U.S. negotiating strategy that led to the spread of hit-to-kill and anti-satellite weapons, and the hypocrisy of certain PR statements. They also gush over open-source collection and analysis of NOTAMs, which allowed Michael Thompson to predict the ASAT test ahead of time. Check out previous Arms Control Wonk episodes about Hit-to-Kill and Anti-Satellite Weapons: 2019's Mission Shakti: The Indian Anti-Satellite Test 2016's China's HQ-19 Hit-to-Kill Interceptor 2014's Satellites Under Threat: The Spread of Hit-To-Kill   Support us over at Patreon.com/acwpodcast!