Latest news with #Shijian-605A
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Space Force Says a Chinese Spacecraft Is Practicing Dogfighting Maneuvers in Orbit
The US Space Force has accused China of "dogfighting in space," a term that usually refers to fighter jets caught up in an aerial, close-range battle. During a defense program conference this week, Space Force vice chief of space operations Michael Guetlein said that the military arm had observed "five different objects in space maneuvering in and out and around each other in synchrony and in control," as quoted by Defense One. The Space Force is "starting to see our near-peers focusing on practicing dogfighting in space with satellite-on-satellite," he said. If confirmed, the practice could indicate an escalation in the defensive military capabilities of world powers in orbit, highlighting a heating up "space arms race." As Defense One reports, Guetlein's comments were referring to maneuvers made by three experimental Chinese satellites — called Shiyan-24C, as well as two still unidentified space objects dubbed Shijian-605 A and B — last year. At the time, the Space Force observed the objects carrying out a "series of proximity operations" in low-Earth orbit, according to Guetlein. The Shijian-6 system is believed to be capable of "electronic intelligence" allowing satellites to eavesdrop on communications, including naval comms traffic. "They are practicing tactics, techniques, and procedures to do on-orbit space operations from one satellite to another," Guetlein said. The Space Force general said that the satellites are just one of several activities of US adversaries in space, including Russia's "nesting doll," satellite demonstration in 2019, which involved smaller spacecraft closely following the movement of US satellites. China has similarly been accused of having its satellites "zigzag" across different altitudes and come uncomfortably close to US satellites. Guetlein accused Russia and China of breaking internationally agreed-upon rules. "Unfortunately, our current adversaries are willing to go against international norms of behavior, go against that gentleman's agreement, and they're willing to do it in very unsafe and unprofessional manners," he said, as quoted by Defense One. As a result, Guetlein argued there was a growing "capability gap" between the US and its adversaries, which could end up putting the country's assets at risk and allow other countries to claim control over the space domain. "We're only going to be as good as the amount of resources that we're willing to put towards space superiority," he said at the event this week. More on satellite-on-satellite action: China Joins SpaceX in Ruining Astronomy for Everybody
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
China is testing experimental 'dogfighting' satellites in space, US general says
China is testing satellites that can perform complex space maneuvers, a US general said this week. He said they'd observed 5 objects maneuvering around each other in synchronicity and control. The rivalry between the US and China is heating up in areas of technology and global influence. China is testing experimental satellites capable of performing complex coordinated space maneuvers, a US Space Force general said this week. "With our commercial assets, we have observed five different objects in space maneuvering in and out and around each other in synchronicity and in control," Gen. Michael Guetlein, the vice chief of space operations, said at a McAleese Defense Programs Conference in Washington, DC, on Tuesday. He described it as "dogfighting." The USSF later clarified that Guetlein was referring to three Chinese Shiyan-24C experimental satellites and two Shijian-6 05A/B experimental space objects that had been seen carrying out complex maneuvers in low Earth orbit. While dogfighting typically refers to high-speed maneuvers performed in close-range aerial battles, Gueltein said that "what we call dogfighting in space. They are practicing tactics, techniques, and procedures to do on-orbit space operations from one satellite to another." China's experimental Shiyan satellite program has long been the source of speculation, especially as the country's rivalry with the US grows in areas of technology and global influence. After the launch of three Shiyan satellites in 2022, Chinese state media reported that they were being used for "space environment monitoring." But some Western military officials and experts believe they're being deployed to test military capabilities, such as grappling with other satellites in space. "Their proximity to sensitive targets alludes to more sinister intentions," Nicholas Deschenes, a US Army captain, wrote in the English Military Review in 2019, after Shiyans were detected near US satellites. Deschenes said that one model's robotic arm could be used to manipulate or attack other satellites. Clayton Swope, a senior fellow in the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said there was a "clear trend" of China deploying satellites to conduct sophisticated space maneuvers. "We don't publicly have much concrete evidence about their purposes other than to say these satellites are probably testing out new technologies," Swope told Business Insider, adding: "Many likely have a surveillance purpose but could also be testing out capabilities that could be used for anti-satellite weapons." He said the incidents highlighted the need for a treaty to spell out what was acceptable behavior in space, to avoid the risk of accidental conflict. "Both the United States and China should want such an agreement," Swope said, "as it would go a long way to ensure that a misunderstanding of intentions and actions in space does not spiral out of control." Read the original article on Business Insider
South China Morning Post
19-03-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Chinese satellites seen ‘dogfighting', US Space Force official says
China has been observed conducting coordinated manoeuvres with its satellites, a top US Space Force official says, describing it as 'dogfighting in space ' and warning that the 'capability gap' with the United States has narrowed. Advertisement The US Space Force observed 'five different objects in space manoeuvring in and out and around each other in synchrony and in control', General Michael Guetlein, the USSF's vice-chief of space operations, told a conference in Washington. 'That's what we call dogfighting in space. They are practising tactics, techniques and procedures to do on-orbit space operations from one satellite to another,' he said at the annual McAleese Defence Programmes Conference. Guetlein did not say who was conducting the manoeuvres but the USSF later confirmed to American media that the satellites he mentioned were Chinese. It said three Shiyan-24C experimental satellites and two Shijian-6 05A/B experimental space objects had carried out 'a series of proximity operations in 2024' in low-Earth orbit, and that the observation was based on commercially available information. A dogfight usually refers to close-range aerial combat between fighter jets involving complex manoeuvres. But in space, it is far more difficult and slower for a spacecraft to manoeuvre, and the lack of atmosphere and friction also makes it more costly as the spacecraft has to expel its own mass to generate thrust. 11:05 Space race elevates Asia in new world order Space race elevates Asia in new world order This is the first time multiple Chinese satellites have been observed carrying out synchronised movements, though China has carried out many 'rendezvous proximity operations' where spacecraft move close to each other and interact in space. There have also been reports of Chinese satellites approaching and 'stalking' US space assets.
