▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁launched ▁an ▁SM - 3 ▁miss ile ▁from ▁the ▁USS ▁Lake ▁Er ie ▁to ▁destroy ▁a ▁defect ive ▁U . S . ▁sp y ▁satellite ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁carrying ▁ ▁of ▁to xic ▁hyd raz ine ▁prop ell ant . ▁The ▁event ▁occurred ▁at ▁about ▁, ▁and ▁the ▁resulting ▁de br is ▁has ▁a ▁per ige e ▁of ▁ ▁or ▁lower . ▁The ▁miss ile ▁was ▁aim ed ▁to ▁minim ize ▁the ▁amount ▁of ▁de br is , ▁which ▁( acc ording ▁to ▁Pent agon ▁Str ateg ic ▁Command ▁chief ▁Kevin ▁Ch il ton ) ▁had ▁decay ed ▁by ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 7 ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁Indian ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Nar endra ▁Mod i ▁announced ▁that ▁India ▁shot ▁down ▁one ▁of ▁its ▁own ▁LE O ▁sat ell ites ▁with ▁a ▁ground - based ▁miss ile . ▁He ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁operation , ▁part ▁of ▁Mission ▁Sh ak ti , ▁would ▁defend ▁the ▁country ' s ▁interests ▁in ▁space . ▁After wards , ▁US ▁Air ▁Force ▁Space ▁Command ▁announced ▁they ▁were ▁tracking ▁ 2 7 0 ▁new ▁pieces ▁of ▁de br is ▁but ▁expected ▁the ▁number ▁to ▁grow ▁as ▁data ▁collection ▁continues . ▁ ▁The ▁vulner ability ▁of ▁sat ell ites ▁to ▁de br is ▁and ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁attack ing ▁LE O ▁sat ell ites ▁to ▁create ▁de br is ▁clouds ▁has ▁triggered ▁spec ulation ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁possible ▁for ▁countries