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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the nation on Wednesday, 27 March, announced that India made its way into the “elite space power” club, becoming the fourth country in the world after the US, Russia and China to achieve the status.
PM Modi said that an Anti Satellite weapons, A-SAT, has successfully targeted and brought down a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellite, flying at an altitude of 300 kilometres in space.
The operation, called ‘Mission Shakti’, was aimed at strengthening India's overall security, PM Modi further said in his address.
The mission, carried out by DRDO scientists, using an India-made ASAT missile, took only three minutes to carry out, he said.
PM Modi further talked about India’s space efforts, saying that India now has enough satellites in the space now. He also said that the space developments have been benefitting the citizens of the country in many ways.
PM Modi also clarified that this does not change India’s stand against using weapons in space.
He ended by laying out his vision for India - “always two steps ahead”.
PM Modi had announced the address in a tweet, saying that he has an important message for the people of the country, sending the whole country in a tizzy as to what can be about.
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