ASM-135 ASAT

ASM-135 ASAT
Type	Anti-Satellite Missile
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	Not Deployed
Production history
Manufacturer	LTV Aerospace
Produced	1984
Specifications
Weight	2600 lb (1,180 kg)
Length	18 ft (5.48 m)
Diameter	20 in (50.8 cm)
Warhead	Kinetic Energy Kill
Operational range	403 miles (648 km)
Flight ceiling	350 miles (563 km)
Speed	>15,000 mph (24,000 km/h)
Guidance system	Infrared Homing Seeker
Launch platform	F-15 Eagle

The ASM-135 ASAT is an air-launched anti-satellite multistage missile that was developed by Ling-Temco-Vought's LTV Aerospace division. The ASM-135 was carried exclusively by the United States Air Force (USAF)'s F-15 Eagle fighter aircraft.

Starting in the late 1950s, the United States began development of anti-satellite weapons. The first United States anti-satellite weapon was Bold Orion Weapon System 199B. Like the ASM-135, the Bold Orion missile was air-launched; but in this case from a B-47 Stratojet. The Bold Orion was tested on 19 October 1959 against the Explorer 6 satellite. The two-stage Bold Orion missile passed within 4 miles (6.4 km) of Explorer 6. From this distance, only a relatively large yield nuclear warhead would likely have destroyed the target.

Starting in 1960 the Department of Defense (DoD) started a program called SPIN (SPace INtercept). In 1962, the United States Navy launched Caleb rockets as part of the Satellite Interceptor Program, with the objective of developing an anti-satellite weapon.

The United States developed direct ascent anti-satellite weapons. A United States Army Nike Zeus missile armed with a nuclear warhead destroyed an orbiting satellite in May 1963. One missile from this system known as Project MUDFLAP and later as Project 505 was available for launch from 1964 until 1967. A nuclear-armed Thor anti-satellite system deployed by the United States Air Force under Program 437 eventually replaced the Project 505 Nike Zeus in 1967. The Program 437 Thor missile system remained in limited deployment until 1975. One drawback of nuclear-armed anti-satellite weapons was that they could also damage United States reconnaissance satellites. As a result, the United States anti-satellite weapons development efforts were re-directed to develop systems that did not require the use of nuclear weapons.