Chinese Space Weapons

[D2112]

Chinese Test Anti-Satellite Weapon
By Craig Covault, Aviation Week & Space Technology, Cape Canaveral
Wednesday, January 17, 2007





Courtesy of Aviation Week & Space Technology and Aviationnow.com

U. S. intelligence agencies believe China performed a successful anti-satellite (asat) weapons test at more than 500 mi. altitude Jan. 11 destroying an aging Chinese weather satellite target with a kinetic kill vehicle launched on board a ballistic missile.

The Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, NASA and other government organizations have a full court press underway to obtain data on the alleged test, Aviation Week & Space Technology reports on its web site Aviationnow.com.

If the test is verified it will signify a major new Chinese military capability.

Neither the Office of the U. S. Secretary of Defense nor Air Force Space Command would comment on the attack, which followed by several months the alleged illumination of a U. S. military spacecraft by a Chinese ground based laser.

China's growing military space capability is one major reason the Bush Administration last year formed the nation's first new National Space Policy in ten years, Aviation Week will report in its Jan. 22 issue.

"The policy is designed to ensure that our space capabilities are protected in a time of increasing challenges and threats," says Robert G. Joseph, Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security at the U. S. State Dept.

"This is imperative because space capabilities are vital to our national security and to our economic well being," Joseph said in an address on the new space policy at the National Press Club in Washington D. C.

Details emerging from space sources indicate that the Chinese Feng Yun 1C (FY-1C) polar orbit weather satellite launched in 1999 was attacked by an asat system launched from or near the Xichang Space Center.

The attack is believed to have occurred as the weather satellite flew at 530 mi. altitude 4 deg. west of Xichang located in Sichuan province. Xichang is a major Chinese space launch center.

Although intelligence agencies must complete confirmation of the test, the attack is believed to have occurred at about 5:28 p.m. EST Jan. 11. U. S. intelligence agencies had been expecting some sort of test that day, sources said.

U. S. Air Force Defense Support Program missile warning satellites in geosynchronous orbit would have detected the Xichang launch of the asat kill vehicle and U. S. Air Force Space Command monitored the FY-1C orbit both before and after the exercise.

The test, if it occurred as envisioned by intelligence source, could also have left considerable space debris in an orbit used by many different satellites.

USAF radar reports on the Chinese FY-1C spacecraft have been posted once or twice daily for years, but those reports jumped to about 4 times per day just before the alleged test.

The USAF radar reports then ceased Jan. 11, but then appeared for a day showing "signs of orbital distress". The reports were then halted again. The Air Force radars may well be busy cataloging many pieces of debris, sources said.

Although more of a "policy weapon" at this time, the test shows that the Chinese military can threaten the imaging reconnaissance satellites operated by the U. S., Japan, Russia, Israel and Europe.

The Republic of China also operates a small imaging spacecraft that can photograph objects as small as about 10 ft. in size, a capability good enough to count cruise missiles pointed at Taiwan from the Chinese mainland. The Taiwanese in the past have also leased capability on an Israeli reconnaissance satellite.

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=1188

[D2112]

China tries to reassure the world on space missile 'aimed at peace'
Jane Macartney, Richard Beeston and Tim Reid

Strike raises fear of Star Wars race
'Soft underbelly' of US exposed




China signalled yesterday that its first missile strike against an orbiting satellite was intended to force the US into talks aimed at abolishing weapons in space.
As it faced an international chorus of protest against its test — the first such launch for 20 years — its officials insisted that they wanted space to be free of weapons.



“As the Chinese Government, our principle stand is to promote the peaceful use of space,” a Foreign Ministry spokesman said. “We oppose the militarisation of space. In the past, in the present and in the future, we are opposed to any arms race in space. Of this everyone can be confident.”

The reassurances failed to placate jittery Asian neighbours and Western powers, which fear that the surprise Chinese muscle-flexing is part of a campaign to raise its global military posture while raising the spectre of a space arms race.

China is the first country since 1985 to destroy a satellite in space and only the third — after America and the former Soviet Union — to master so-called Star Wars technology. The clear message is that if China can shoot down its own orbiter it could also attack satellites operated by other nations.

Beijing has increased defence spending by 10 per cent every year since 1990. Last year spending rose nearly 15 per cent to $35.5 billion (£18 billion). Experts believe that the true figure is far higher, in part because the official budget does not include military development costs.

Yesterday Britain and Japan added their voices to the growing criticism, which has included the US, Australia, South Korea and Canada. A Downing Street spokesman said that Britain was concerned about the impact of debris caused by the destruction of the satellite and the secretive manner in which the test had been carried out. A formal protest was made this week to the Chinese by the British Embassy in Beijing.

Alexander Downer, the Australian Foreign Minister, said that China’s new-found capacity to shoot down satellites was “not consistent with ... the traditional Chinese position of opposition to the militarisation of outer space”.

Washington’s response will be crucial in determining what happens next: an arms race in space or an agreement to limit the use of Star Wars technology. American analysts said that the test had exposed the “soft underbelly” of America’s national security apparatus, because most of the Pentagon’s spy satellites orbit at a similar height to the weather satellite destroyed by the Chinese test.

White House critics said that the Chinese test was a result of President Bush’s aggressive unilateralism, this time in his space policy. Last year the US expressly ignored Chinese and Russian calls for a global ban on the development of space weapons. Instead, a new policy preserved America’s right to develop military space technology, while “dissuading” others.

Edward Markey, a Democrat congressman, said that President Bush should initiate an international agreement “to ban the development, testing and deployment of space weapons and anti-satellite systems”.

But Jeffrey Kueter, president of the George C. Marshall Institute, said that the Chinese move should spur the Bush Administration to develop new space defence systems.

“We now know for certain that China has the direct capability to destroy satellites in space and the indirect capability to deny their use,” he said.

Chinese analysts said that they doubted the action would damage China’s relations with the US. Shi Yinhong, of the School of International Studies, said: “Every big power, if it wants to maintain its status as a big power, will get into the field of space.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2556823,00.html

[scott free]

Their population is something like double that of America & all of Europe combined. If (more like when) we ever have to take on them, the Russkies & Arabs/Persians...Lordy, End Times.

[penchief]

I guess that would be the logical result of our resisting China's overtures for restricting space weaponry. They decided to join in.

This is typical of this administration. Think about it. They criticize North Korea and Iran for pursuing nuclear weapons on the heals of our telling the world that we want to create a "new class of nuclear weapon" and then proceeded to invade and occupy Iraq.

Now, we criticize China for shooting down a satelite because we wouldn't negotiate a space non-proliferation treaty with them or the rest of the world because of the ideology of this administration. Which is not unlike other treaties that we have renegged on during the Bush Administration.

Well, we wanted to develop space weapons by ourself but now we've got a space weapon race that I'm sure will benefit the space weapon industrial complex as well as the reactionary right wing in this country.

[scott free]

If ever the overused term "slippery slope" was applicable to something, its weaponizing space.

[KChiefer]

If ever the overused term "slippery slope" was applicable to something, its weaponizing space.

Woooorrrd UP!

[patteeu]

Do any of you believe that China and other countries that develop the capability to militarize space would refrain from doing so just because we sign an agreement with them and stop doing so ourselves? I don't. The USSR never signed an arms control agreement that they lived up to. I'd imagine that that's true of the US too although I'm not as sure about that. The bottom line is that space WILL be militarized and we should plan on either grabbing the bull by the horns or being gored by it.

[gblowfish]

I'm not too worried.
They're probably building an ENORMOUS bottle rocket.

[mlyonsd]

This is a big deal. Ignoring it is sticking one's head in the sand.

[scott free]

Do any of you believe that China and other countries that develop the capability to militarize space would refrain from doing so just because we sign an agreement with them and stop doing so ourselves? I don't. The USSR never signed an arms control agreement that they lived up to. I'd imagine that that's true of the US too although I'm not as sure about that. The bottom line is that space WILL be militarized and we should plan on either grabbing the bull by the horns or being gored by it.

I agree, but it doesnt make it any less of a vicious, and even more dangerous circle than the Cold War arms build-up.

Where does it end this time??? I think the whole world will be caught in a web of its own making.

Maybe its inevitable, but it doesnt make it any less frightening.

[Adept Havelock]

While certainly a cause for concern, I find myself far more worried about Japanese Space Weapons.

I've heard some models have the ability to become giant robots. :eek:

.

[scott free]

While certainly a cause for concern, I find myself far more worried about Japanese Space Weapons.

I've heard some models have the ability to become giant robots. :eek:

.

Thats the coolest battleship i've ever seen!!!

Speaking of which, i think its HIGH TIME that Japan be allowed to rebuild its military, they are true allies of ours these days & would be EXCELLENT help in event of some terrible war.

Highly disciplined & incredibly industrious...sounds like a great fighting partner to me.

I cant believe they havent really pushed for it yet, they should. They would be a fantastic counterweight to China in the region.

[Adept Havelock]

Thats the coolest battleship i've ever seen!!!


Old cartoon called "Starblazers", IIRC. I think it's supposed to be the old Yamato from WW2, refloated and equipped for Space, or some such nonsense. Where's GoChiefs when he'd actually be useful? :cuss:

It's still not as scary to me as the ones that can become giant killer robots.

[KC Jones]

If ever the overused term "slippery slope" was applicable to something, its weaponizing space.

I have a different opinion on this entirely. With the most recent invasion of Iraq, we showed the world what is possible with a tightly integrated real time information on troop movements and guided weapons systems. Namely, we could deliver amazingly accurate and close air support. We practically eliminated the "fog of war" due to our space based command and control systems. We didn't need months of "dumb" bombing to soften up the enemy because we could wait until they were deployed in the field nearby our troops. If we alone have these controls, It's very much possible for us to take on much larger forces. If the Chinese could knock out our satellites, then it becomes a numbers game and they win.

[ChiefaRoo]

China and the USA will never, ever, ever, fight over land so numbers of people are irrelevant. If they decide to invade Taiwan we might use our Navy and Airforce to hold them off but we would not land troops in Taiwan IMO. It is in our best interest as well as theirs to get along. China will eventually become a democracy but it will take another 20 years or so. The one thing the chinese want more than anything is to be respected and to be a prosperous country. You don't become prosperous by going to war with your greatest trading partner.
The USA has long known that China or Russia could use ASAT's against us. You don't even need a sophisticated weapon all you have to do is to lob a missile outside of the atmosphere and detonate a nuke and the EMP and shockwave would smash a lot of the sat's in low Earth orbit. I am sure the USA military has a back up plan or they are already launching sat's further out, using airplanes as communication relays etc. Plus we've told any nation that attacks our GPS sats it would be considered an act of war. The Chinese know this. They don't want to fight the USA anymore than we want to fight them.

[ChiefaRoo]

I have a different opinion on this entirely. With the most recent invasion of Iraq, we showed the world what is possible with a tightly integrated real time information on troop movements and guided weapons systems. Namely, we could deliver amazingly accurate and close air support. We practically eliminated the "fog of war" due to our space based command and control systems. We didn't need months of "dumb" bombing to soften up the enemy because we could wait until they were deployed in the field nearby our troops. If we alone have these controls, It's very much possible for us to take on much larger forces. If the Chinese could knock out our satellites, then it becomes a numbers game and they win.

If the fight is on their soil your right but we will not fight them on their soil and they will never have the power to project to our soil so it's a mute point unless they invade Taiwan which would primarily employ our Fighters and Subs and surface ships. You don't need precision bombing for that. All I'm saying is China isn't going to attack Japan or Hawaii.

[patteeu]

I agree, but it doesnt make it any less of a vicious, and even more dangerous circle than the Cold War arms build-up.

Where does it end this time??? I think the whole world will be caught in a web of its own making.

Maybe its inevitable, but it doesnt make it any less frightening.

I don't think it ever ends. Unilateral withdrawal from this race isn't going to end it either though. It will just make us losers.