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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| National Space Council discusses space threats and opportunities posed by China |
| 2018-02-23 |
| [SpaceNews] A discussion of China at the latest National Space Council meeting took a more nuanced view of the country than is typical in such conversations, seeing the rising space power as a competitor and adversary but also a potential partner. A panel discussion on national security space at the Council’s Feb. 21 meeting at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center focused primarily on the growing capabilities of, and the growing threat posed by, China’s space efforts, including the development of counterspace capabilities that could disrupt American space systems in the event of a conflict. “Russia and China are each developing counterspace capabilities to use during a potential future conflict with the United States to reduce U.S. and allied advantage and effectiveness, eroding our information advantage,” said Susan Gordon, principal deputy director of national intelligence. She singled out China’s “impressive rise — and it is impressive — as a space power,” citing a more than ten-fold increase in number of operational satellites since 2000 and development of advanced technologies, such as tests of quantum satellite communications. He noted China’s space program was largely run by the military, including much of its industry. “China’s space industrial complex is not so much a revolving door as a broad atrium for Chinese aerospace engineers and managers amidst all these state-owned enterprises, and the result is far closer to a single integrated space enterprise, with relatively few demarcations between the military and the civilian,” he said. That also applies to the growing number of private space ventures in China that, at first glance, appear to be separate from that larger military-controlled industry. “Given the interest in melding civilian and military capacity, as well as past evidence of behavior in the telecom sector, it is vital to recognize that these private firms, at the end of the day, respond with alacrity to central government directives,” he said. However, Jeff Manber, chief executive of NanoRacks, saw opportunity working with such companies and others in China. The company flew an experiment from a Chinese university to the International Space Station last year, the first Chinese payload to go to the station. “As the president has said, we want to revamp and reconsider our relations with China, and I can see no better opportunity than to do it here, where we’re not involved today but we’re clearly leaders of the free world,” Manber said. The National Space Council offered no indication of where it stood on potentially increasing cooperation with China. After Manber’s comments to the Council, its chairman, Vice President Mike Pence, offered only a two-word comment: “Well said.” |
| Posted by:3dc |
| #2 Russia and China are each developing counterspace capabilities to use during a potential future conflict |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2018-02-23 18:51 |
| #1 The company flew an experiment [studying the effects of the space radiation environment on DNA and the changes in mutation rate] from a Chinese university to the International Space Station last year, the first Chinese payload to go to the station. and so as soon as the instrument package was connected to the lab power and communication buss, the ISS infostructure and communications were compromised. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2018-02-23 18:33 |