[quote=SUBMAN1The sat is in a low Earth orbit! Duh! Not picking on you, but if you already achieve low Earth orbit, getting to a higher orbit is very easy. That is why the SHuttle uses those tiny engines rotates the nose away from earth and fires them briefly to increase its orbit. Total burn time if you watched the last launch for that manuver was a total of about a 30 second burn with very low thrust to weight ratio.[/quote]
Actually, the Shuttle can use those little orbital thrusters because a large main rocket already made it reach orbital velocity. With a ABM, its own velocity is below orbital velocity, so getting to a higher altitude becomes much harder.
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The reason for the low Earth orbit shot - this is so your debree field doesn't orbit for years on end creating a navigation hazard to other spacecraft - this is why everyone was ticked at China.
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Not really. That satellite was de-orbiting for some time. It'll have made little difference - knocked further below its orbital speed, the satellite will be headed for Earth in very short order no matter what altitude of orbit it is in.
Two possibilities:
1) The shot altitude was chosen to fit the capabilities of the SM-3.
2) Of course, the possibility that can never be disproven: Deception by deliberately shooting under your capabilities.