VP Kamala Harris announces US commitment to a ban on destructive, anti-satellite missile testing

VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. (KABC) -- Vice President Kamala Harris Monday visited Vandenberg Space Force Base, north of Santa Barbara.

There, the vice president announced that the United States is committing to a ban on destructive, anti-satellite missile testing, and calling on other countries to do the same.

Back in November, Russia tested an anti-satellite weapon that created a dangerous field of space debris, potentially threatening other space infrastructure and increasing risk to astronauts in space.

China conducted a similar test in 2007.

The Biden administration says it will work toward a global ban on such tests, and ensure outer space remains free from conflict.

Vandenberg Space Force Base on Sunday was the scene of a rocket launch by Hawthorne-based SpaceX, which propelled a spy satellite into orbit for the National Reconnaissance Office.

City News Service, Inc. contributed to this report