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(The Epoch Times)—China and Russia are populating space with dual-use satellites while concealing their military applications, according to a new report from the U.S. military.
“China and Russia view the U.S. as overly reliant upon space for military and information superiority. Seeking asymmetric advantages in future conflict, both countries are designing, testing, and demonstrating counterspace weapons to deny, disrupt, or destroy satellites and space services,” the report says. “They often mask or conceal these activities to avoid international condemnation.”
The report, titled “Competing in Space,” was jointly written by the National Space Intelligence Center, a U.S. Space Force unit, and the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, a U.S. Air Force unit.
“The dual-use nature of some spacecraft technologies makes counterspace tests or hostile activity difficult to detect, attribute, or mitigate,” the report adds. “For example, sensors to inspect other satellites and robotic arms for servicing other satellites support peaceful missions, but can also be used to target or attack spacecraft.”
A debris mitigation satellite could function as a weapon system, the report says, pointing to China’s satellite Shijian-21, which in January 2022 towed a defunct Chinese navigation satellite to a graveyard orbit.
The report named another Chinese satellite, Shijian-17, which is equipped with a giant robotic arm. “Space-based robotic arm technology could be used in a future system for grappling other satellites,” the report says.
Russia has deployed several prototype orbital anti-satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), including Cosmos 2504, 2519, and 2536, for testing “kinetic kill capabilities,” according to the report.
Most Earth-orbiting satellites are located in LEO, which is about 1,200 miles from the surface of the Earth. Other orbits include the medium Earth orbit (MEO), the highly elliptical orbit (HEO), and the geostationary orbit (GEO). GPS satellites are located in the MEO.
Space Capabilities
The report said Chinese military exercises “regularly incorporate jammers against satellite communications” and other targets, thus making Beijing likely to have been developing jammers targeting “a wide range of satellite communications supporting government and military operations.”
Other space capabilities that China and Russia are pursuing include directed-energy weapons.
“China has multiple ground-based laser systems of varying power levels that could blind or damage satellite sensors. By the mid-to-late 2020s, Beijing may have higher-power systems capable of damaging satellites,” the report says.
In 2021, China tested a hypersonic weapon system that, according to some experts, employs a deployment method similar to the Soviet concept known as the fractional orbital bombardment system. The report said the Chinese hypersonic weaponry “could prevent reliable missile warning and complicate defense engagements.”
Since December 2018, when a previous version of the report was published, there has been a drastic increase in the number of satellites. As of the end of 2022, there were 7,096 satellites, more than triple from 1,880 six years ago, according to the report. The United States led with 4,723 satellites, while China had 647 and Russia 199. The rest of the world had 1,527 satellites.
“Over the past decade, China has rapidly developed into a major international space power, effectively multiplying its number of on-orbit satellites tenfold,” the report says. “More than half of the approximately 200 satellites China launched in 2022 were remote sensing satellites.”
Now, China operates more than 300 remote sensing satellites with diverse sensors, the report said, thus “improving the Chinese military’s ability to observe U.S. aircraft carriers, expeditionary strike groups and deployed air wings.”
Space Norms
Competition pitting the United States against China and Russia extends beyond Earth’s immediate orbits. Asteroids, the moon, Mars, and other celestial bodies could provide countries with valuable resources or strategic advantages, according to the report.
China is aiming to put its astronauts on the moon by 2030. Meanwhile, several nations including Venezuela, Pakistan, South Africa, and Belarus, have signed up for a planned moon base project led by China and Russia. It is officially known as the International Lunar Research Station.
The report highlighted Chinese and Russian activities at the Lagrange Points in space, including China’s Queqiao relay satellite, which is stationed at one of these five points. Due to these points’ relative distance between the Earth and the moon, spacecraft can remain in these regions for a longer period while consuming less fuel. Experts have compared these points to strategic oceanic gateways such as the Strait of Hormuz.
“These regions are uniquely valuable for long-term missions, such as surveillance, space environment monitoring, or data relay, in deep space,” the report says.
The key to the future in space is “preserving space access” for all nations, the report said, but there is a lack of international consensus on space norms.
“Despite the substantial increase in new space operators, technologies, and spacecraft, the international community has not achieved consensus on major norms, rules, or principles governing activities in space since the 1970s,” the report says.
It noted that China and Russia have endorsed a draft treaty for space that “fails to address a variety of anti-satellite weapons and lacks meaningful verification mechanisms.”
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As of December 2023, 33 nations have signed up to the U.S.-led Artemis Accords, which commit signatories to a common vision of peaceful, sustainable, and transparent cooperation in space.
“The expanding utility of space systems has extended the boundaries of conflict and exacerbated the world’s vulnerability to dangers in the space environment. Actors seeking to challenge international order will have access to systems capable of devastating and lasting impacts on our progress on Earth and in space,” the report concludes.
Mysterious “Skyquakes” Are Causing Strange “Booms” in the Sky, and Scientists Have No Explanation
by Michael Snyder
(End of the American Dream)—What is causing the extremely loud “booms” that people are hearing in the sky all over the world? We are being told that “skyquakes” are responsible, but scientists have no idea why these “skyquakes” are occurring. In some cases, the “skyquakes” cause such powerful shaking that…
The Biggest Sale on Long-Term Storage Beef EVER
by Sponsored Post
Let’s cut to the chase. Prepper All-Naturals is offering an unprecedented 40% off for it’s “Beef Steak” survival bags with promo code “steak40”. With a 25-year shelf life and a single ingredient (beef, of course), our most popular product is available for a very limited time with the biggest discount…
Seattle Is Ordered to Stop Blocking Illegal Alien Deportations in the Most Hilarious Court Decision Ever
by PJ Media
A federal court has just pooped in the oatmeal of the West Coast, Messed Coast™governors and local election officials suffering from acute cases of Trump Derangement Syndrome who think they can stop illegal alien deportations. And after this hilarious and thorough legal takedown from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals,…
Illegal Alien Terror Suspect Found Dead in Cook County Jail Cell
by Slay News
An Islamic illegal alien has been found dead in his jail cell after being arrested on terrorism charges. According to CWBChicago, 22-year-old Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi was found dead at the Cook County jail in Illinois on Saturday. Abdallahi was arrested on felony terrorism and hate crime charges in October. He…
Trump’s Wild Bunch Is Ready for Action
by Frank Miele
If for no other reason than that it will elicit fear in the hearts of autocracy-phobics, I propose that Donald Trump’s second-term Cabinet be known as “The Wild Bunch.” The name is best known as the title of Sam Peckinpah’s classic 1969 western featuring a colorful cast of aging outlaws…
FAA Issues Flight Restrictions Over Questionable Drone Activity Near Trump’s Bedminster Golf Course
by Just The News
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday said that it has issued two flight restrictions on the area surrounding President-elect Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf club in New Jersey, following questionable drone activity. The drone sightings were first reported on Nov. 18, but have continued into this week, according to Fox…
Ex-FBI Agent Convicted for Stealing From Jan 6 Defendant During Raid
by Trending Politics
A former Houston-based FBI agent has been convicted of stealing valuables and cash while conducting searches. In one instance, the agent stole cash and silver bars from a non-violent January 6 defendant’s home. Nicholas Anthony Williams, 36, was indicted on January 31 in the Southern District of Texas. Williams, who…
Democrats, Media Elite Urge Biden to Pardon Trump’s Alleged ‘Enemies List’
by Breitbart
President Joe Biden should issue preemptive pardons to his political allies and those deemed to be on President-elect Donald Trump’s alleged “enemies list,” Democrats and their media allies believe. Delivering a preemptive pardon indicates an admission of guilt, although Democrats claim a preemptive pardon would only be intended to block…
Fani Willis Forced to Release All Communications With Jack Smith, J6 Committee
by Trending Politics
The Fulton County Superior Court has ruled against District Attorney Fani Willis, ordering her to disclose communications with Special Counsel Jack Smith and the House January 6 Committee. The decision, announced on Tuesday, follows a lawsuit brought by Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group, which accused Willis of violating Georgia’s…
Lindsey Graham Is the Warmongering NeoCon Leading the Charge to Upend Pete Hegseth
by JD Rucker
Pete Hegseth represents a shift away from the wokeness that has infected the United States military. This is possibly the biggest reason President-Elect Donald Trump tapped him to be the next Secretary of Defense and the vast majority of Republicans on Capitol Hill can support this, at least for the…
‘Where Are Black Democrats?’: Charles Payne Tells Personal Story to Call Out ‘Huge Double Standard’ of Biden Family
by Nicole Silverio, DCNF
(DCNF)—Fox Business host Charles Payne called out the alleged “huge double standard” of President Joe Biden’s family Tuesday by revealing that his brother, who struggles with a crack addiction, is currently serving a jail sentence. Payne said his brother, who is getting out of jail on Friday, is likely one…
Zelensky Admits Ukraine Can’t Retake All Its Land: ‘We Must Seek Diplomatic Means’
by Breitbart
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky conceded in an interview on Tuesday that Ukraine does not have “enough forces” to restore sovereignty over Russian-occupied Crimea and “must seek diplomatic means” to end the Russian invasion and regain its land. The state-run Ukrinform outlet reported that Zelensky described Crimea – which Russia colonized…
Ultra-Processed Foods: How Bad Are They for Your Health?
by Olivia Cook
(Natural News)—Despite the serious health risks associated with eating junk food, they remain the most consumed food products in many countries, particularly developed ones. But a review published in The BMJ, which studied 9.8 million people, warns that eating a lot of ultra-processed foods can increase your risk for 32 diseases. Among these are heart…
“Already Pretty Far Down the Line”: The Container Store Could File for Bankruptcy as Soon as Next Year
by Tyler Durden, Zero Hedge
(Zero Hedge)—As the retail apocalypse that started with Amazon and e-commerce continues, the latest victim is The Container Store. The retail giant could file for bankruptcy as soon as next year, according to the New York Post, who said the retailer is blaming its recent descent on “a weak housing…
Mysterious ‘Car-Sized Drones’ Over New Jersey Prompt FBI Investigation
by Zero Hedge
Several weeks of mysterious drone swarms over the skies of one New Jersey county near the military research and manufacturing facility Picatinny Arsenal have sparked concerns among residents and prompted an FBI investigation. “It’s kind of unsettling,” Mike Walsh, a Morris County resident who has spotted the drones on numerous…
UNESCO’s New Mission: Train Influencers About Combatting Online “Misinformation”
by Reclaim the Net
The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is now incorporating teaching influencers how to “fact check” into its activities. UNESCO claims that influencers have become “primary sources of news and cultural information” around the world – which prompted it to carry out a survey into how these online personalities…