The leader of the U.S. Space Command has issued a statement condemning a Russian anti-satellite missile test that sent debris dangerously close to American astronauts onboard the International Space Station (ISS). The missile launch took place Nov. 15 Moscow time, striking a Russian satellite in low-Earth orbit. The blast generated more than 1,500 trackable pieces of debris that led to the four American astronauts and one German astronaut aboard the ISS to seek shelter inside their docked space capsules. “Russia has demonstrated a deliberate disregard for the security, safety, stability, and long-term sustainability of the space domain for all nations,” U.S. Army Gen. James Dickinson, U.S. Space Command commander said in a statement. “The debris created by Russia’s DA-ASAT will continue to pose a threat to activities in outer space for years to come, putting satellites and space missions at risk, as well as forcing more collision avoidance maneuvers. Space activities …