Indian Space Research Organisation scientist Tapan Misra on Tuesday countered National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s claim that India’s anti-satellite missile test had increased collision risk to the International Space Station, The Indian Express reported. The senior advisor to ISRO’s chairperson said that the organisation would not do anything “to shame India” and added that the debris will burn out in six months.

Misra’s statement came a day after NASA chief Jim Bridenstine said that the test had created 60 pieces of orbital debris big enough to track and 400 pieces of debris in total. Of these, 24 pieces rise higher than the International Space Station’s orbit around Earth, Bridenstine had said. “That is a terrible, terrible thing, to create an event that sends debris in an apogee that goes above the International Space Station,” Bridenstine had said. “And that kind of activity is not compatible with the future of human spaceflight that we need to see happen.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that the test, known as Mission Shakti, was successful. His announcement, however, was criticised and described as a violation of the Model Code of Conduct by many.

Misra expressed confidence in the scientists at India’s Defence and Research Development Organisation. “Even the best of friends sometimes criticise you on your marriage day saying the food is not good,” Misra told the daily, in a reference to NASA. “When we do something different, we will not always get garlands. That is part of life…It has happened at about 300 kilometres in space where the wind pressure is low, but it is enough to burn them down in another six months.”

Misra was director of ISRO’s Ahmedabad-based Space Applications Centre and is currently working on India’s space mission “Gaganyaan.” He was speaking at an open house session at the Gujarat National Law University on the topic “Indian Human Space Programme and its legal implication.”

The ISRO scientist said authorities from difference countries were cooperating with each other. “Knowing the ability of the Indian scientists, I am sure they have done it the right way, with all calculations and in a way that will not cause any shame to India,” Misra said. “If you see space debris [in a collision course], you can always change the course of the satellite.”

The ISRO adviser said India would not conduct any actions to deliberately cause accidents in space.

Debris from China’s 2007 anti-satellite missile launch is still floating around in space. The test created nearly 3,000 pieces of debris, AFP reported. The United States military is currently tracking 23,000 objects in space, of which 10,000 are debris.

Meanwhile, former ISRO scientist N Kalyan Raman told News18 that India’s anti-satellite weapon is not as efficient as it is made out to be. “Most of the countries’ satellites are in the higher orbit, and even with this, India will not be able to knock out those satellites,” Raman said.