The United States and China are now competing for space supremacy, as control of the universe has become as important as dominance of land, sea, and air.
War in space is no longer science fiction, and the first opponents in the celestial struggle may be China and the USA. This is stated in the material of The Economist.
Thus, Iran announced on January 28 that it had launched three satellites. This has led to concerns in Western countries that they could be used in ballistic missile programs. The United States, on the other hand, has been wary of China, which has recently been trying to equal or exceed the US superiority in space.
Important
“Space has become our most critical battlefield,” says Admiral Christopher Grady, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
American generals are scrutinizing space, watching the rapid expansion of satellites and monitoring dangers.
On December 28, China launched robotic spaceplanes and the US x37-b took off from Cape Canaveral. Both missions were secret. Spaceplanes’ abilities to fly long missions, deliver and capture payloads, change orbit, and return to Earth for refueling make them a potentially important weapon.
Russia launched Kosmos 2570 in October 2023. He released one satellite, which then broadcast a third. For the American command, such things resemble tests of a “killing machine”, that is, a projectile intended to destroy satellites.
Shortly before the large-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Federation distributed malware through part of the ka-sat network, which is owned by the US firm Viasat and operated by a partner. It disabled the satellite Internet modems of approximately 50,000 European users, including many Ukrainian military units. But within weeks, Ukrainian troops were back online, thanks to a large constellation of smaller broadband Starlink satellites launched by SpaceX. Russia’s attempts to hack and jam satellite signals continue, and Russia has warned that commercial systems “could become a legitimate target for retaliation.”
Also read: China will send a lander to the Moon where NASA will land astronauts: mission goal
“All this shows that space is not just a place for peaceful exploration, but an arena for future military operations. Control of space has become as important as domination of land, sea and air. Space technology makes military forces more powerful.” “Lose superiority in space and you risk losing wars on Earth,” writes The Economist.
The publication suggests that in any future conflict between America and China, satellites will be needed to find and destroy targets over vast distances of the Pacific Ocean, for example, and it is clear that America is intensifying its efforts to maintain its superiority in space.
Let us remind you that China can also offer services to space tourists until 2025. The first group of tourists will go on a suborbital flight, and the price of tickets to space will be between 287,200 and 430,800 dollars (2 million to 3 million yuan).
It was also reported that in the 60s the Americans managed to win the “Battle of the Moon” against the former USSR, now China instead of this country is “playing” against the USA.
Source: Focus
Alfred Hart is an accomplished journalist known for his expert analysis and commentary on global affairs. He currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker, where he provides readers with in-depth coverage of the most pressing issues affecting the world today. With a keen insight and a deep understanding of international politics and economics, Alfred’s writing is a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the world we live in.