China has a satellite with an arm – and America worries it could be used to snatch other spacecraft
- Reference: 1618984687
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/04/21/the_legit_real_star_wars/
- Source link:
In [1]the hearing , US Space Command commander General James Dickinson outlined the current state of affairs as follows:
[2]
China is building military space capabilities rapidly, including sensing and communication systems and numerous antisatellite weapons. All the while, China continues to maintain their public stance against the weaponization of space.
Similarly concerning, Russia's published military doctrine calls for the employment of weapons to hold us and allied space assets at risk.
Dickinson described China's space services as robust, inclusive of high-tech radar imagery and intelligence data complemented by improved launch vehicles and global navigation. While individual technologies seem benign, collectively they can mask military activities, particularly as Beijing actively seeks space superiority.
[3]
Of specific concern is China's ability to destroy other nations' satellites. As Dickinson pointed out in [4]written testimony [PDF], the Middle Kingdom's space programme is second only to the United States in the number of operational satellites.
Dickinson wrote:
One notable object is the Shijian-17, a Chinese satellite with a robotic arm. Space-based robotic arm technology could be used in a future system for grappling other satellites. China also has multiple ground-based laser systems of varying power levels that could blind or damage satellite systems.
China is developing a broad complement of jamming and cyberspace capabilities, directed energy weapons, on-orbit capabilities, and ground-based antisatellite missiles that can achieve a range of effects. China will attempt to hold US space assets at risk while using its own space capabilities to support its military objectives and overall national security goals.
China maintains Shijian-17 is an experimental communication and broadcast services satellite with a few other bells and whistles like electric propulsion and space debris verification technology. However, the spacecraft has [5]conducted unusual orbital manoeuvres that bring it closer to satellites.
Russia tested satellite-to-satellite shooter, say UK and USA [6]READ MORE
Testimony at the hearing also claimed Russia is testing mobile ground-based missile, the "Nudol", to destroy low earth orbit satellites. The Nudol joins satellite prototypes COSMOS 2504 and COSMOS 2536 and other ground-based low power lasers in Russia's arsenal of possible antisatellite weapons.
Earlier this month, a [7]US congressional research report said [PDF] China and Russia prefer "destroying the ability of adversary forces to operate effectively rather than physically eliminating them." These strategies appear to have been deployed through malware cyberattacks like [8]Hafnium and [9]Solarigate .
[10]
While China seeks to establish itself as a space superpower, it has already [11]this week declared itself a network and manufacturing superpower. ®
Get our [12]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings/to-receive-testimony-on-united-states-strategic-command-and-united-states-space-command-in-review-of-the-defense-authorization-request-for-fiscal-year-2022-and-the-future-years-defense-program
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YH-3uro0t1T0NbDcqllJJAAAANg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YH-3uro0t1T0NbDcqllJJAAAANg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Dickinson04.20.2021.pdf
[5] https://aerospace.csis.org/data/unusual-behavior-in-geo-sj-17/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2020/07/24/russian_attack_satellite_allegation/
[7] https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11805
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2021/03/03/hafnium_exchange_server_attack/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2021/04/15/solarwinds_hack_russia_apt29_positive_technologies_sanctions/
[10] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YH-3uro0t1T0NbDcqllJJAAAANg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2021/04/21/china_connectivity_data/
[12] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Quick idea of the back of my head
No, no, no. You miss understand. They are not making this statement to make you stop sending all your money to the US military complex. They are making this statement to make you send EVEN MORE.
In other news, the US is spraying champaign because one of their satellites successfully grappled an on orbit satellite, and started to control it.
Low earth orbits will be unusable ...
if the squabbles up there continue, they will just cause zillions of fragments that will bump into other satellites causing more fragments.
Re: Low earth orbits will be unusable ...
So if the Chinese are going to use a robot arm to steal satellites they will be demonstrating an example of responsible warfare.
I wonder if the US military were tempted to use the shuttle arm to nick an adversary's satellite?
Re: Low earth orbits will be unusable ...
One wonders if they might not already have tried that? After all, how would we know?
Re: Low earth orbits will be unusable ...
Well, they're not going to be able to try it with a Shuttle now.
Re: Low earth orbits will be unusable ...
As if the X37 doesn't have an arm.
Yeah, for all I know, it might carry a giant inflatable penis in its equipment bay but I think an arm is more likely.
Re: Low earth orbits will be unusable ...
If I was going be an ultra sneaky superpower bent upon planetary domination I might include a small nuclear warhead on my satellites, just in case a rival tried to nick one.
Re: Low earth orbits will be unusable ...
Well, it has happened (although in Mexico and not in actual space);
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoE4m8RqOWs
The Story Of How The CIA Stole & Returned A Soviet Spacecraft Before Being Noticed
When will they ever learn? Can they ever learn, or is AIdDivine Intervention Required ‽
Have you ever wondered how the West [Uncle Sam, Five Eyes, NATO Allies and other piggybacking limpet forces] would fare and justify their constant clarion call for ever expanding fiat currency resources/nationalised virtual blood and treasure if the East wasn't there for them to paint and treat as an enemy always threatening intimidating neighbours with overwhelming forces and superior technology, believed either secretly home grown and naturally indigenous or advanced and improved, successfully pirated and reverse engineered Western ware converted and subverted for warfare?
Peace would create for them a real problem, methinks, and a great difficulty which they would struggle miserably and fail spectacularly to address and resolve to any degree of universal satisfaction.
Such more than just suggests a most definite lack of Advanced IntelAIgents and Simple Common Sense with endemic systemic human learning difficulties contributing inordinately to rapid systems demises/Elitist SCADA Executive Office collapses ........ which of course one can fully expect to be comprehensively exploited to an nth degree.
By whom and/or what, and to what end purposes, is a whole new other world to get into in order to have any hope at all of being instructive and effective in its myriad novel active fields. Stepping through that portal is nothing less than a giant quantum leap for mankind. And it is not without its necessary perils which ensure and guarantee only the best of behaviours is allowed and generously graciously shared so take extreme extraordinarily especial care.
A satellite junk collector ...
Let's think about this ...
Space harpoons, space nets, space impactors, space robot grapplers, in-orbit satellite refuelers, in-orbit assembly robots ... all terrible news. But all are "friendly" methods and ideas for approaching redundant satellites and debris to remove it. Yes, all *could* be used as military "enemy satellite" removal tools but they are not, and that's obviously true because the frendly powers that designed/built them said so ...
We see China building a satellite with a robot arm and manoeuvring closer to a second satellite as if to grapple it ... I'm not sure which heading above it fits into but it's obviously very, very military and dangerous to friendly forces so give us millions to militarise space - "SPACE FORCE FOREVER!" (or whatever they've decided to steal from a film and chant)
Re: A satellite junk collector ...
In fairness the Soviets beat everyone to it having an actual canon in space (not the point and click but point and clunk - no boom since its a vacuum and all that).
The promise of not military in space is naive in the extreme to think that no one would ever dare. Its just that they at least try to hide it and not make a huge fuss over it. No large scale space navy battles.. Its abit like Nukes. Everyone knows they're still working on them but they just don't openly test them (except for fringe lunatics in hermit states).
Beat that!
> China has a satellite with a grappling arm
So presumably the americans will feel obliged to build a satellite with two and the russians will declare they are making one with three
Thus leading to an arms race in space.
Re: Beat that!
"Thus leading to an arms race in space."
Arm wrestling in spaaace!
Re: Beat that!
boo, you beat me to it! :(((
Re: Beat that!
"Why are you punching yourself?"
"Mr. President, we must not allow... a space arm gap!"
Laughable
Why grapple satellites or take them out one-by-one with a laser? Three-five nuclear explosions in space, and whole constellations of satellites are dead.
Somebody in Pentagon must have stumbled on James Bond's "Dr. No" movie all of a sudden. Even there, the perpetrators were after manned space capsules, not satellites.
Oh sure
" China is building military space capabilities rapidly, including sensing and communication systems and numerous antisatellite weapons "
This from the country that still clings to the fable of modified mainboards from Huawei, despite never having ever brought a shred of proof to the table.
I'd ask for proof on this, but we all know that the answer will be : "Classified".
Of course the US military is hyping up the dangers. I completely believe China is building itself up. Why wouldn't it ? It has a bunch of American warships off its shores 24/7 (for many reasons, I know). But how do you know about any ground-based anti-satellite weaponry ? Did the Chinese military send you pics ?
China has a satellite with an arm
miss, miss, he stole me comment! :(((
My solution.
I think we should just ban all governments and military from participating in space ventures.
Leave it to commercial enterprises (pun intended) run by professionals (and grown ups).
Quick idea of the back of my head
Maybe we should stop sending them all our money ?