Low Earth Orbit Satellites Become Focus of US–China Aerospace Competition

This video image provided by SpaceX, a SpaceX Falcon 9 mission to launch 53 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E), takes off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., on May 13, 2022. SpaceX via AP

Commentary

SpaceX’s Starlink satellites, although primarily a civilian communications system, have played an unparalleled military role in the Russian–Ukrainian war. In light of this, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ramped up its own Starlink program, with a new goal of launching 26,000 low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites into space over the next decade. This ambitious plan is a clear indication of the space rivalry between China and the United States.

LEO Satellites Key to Unmanned Warfare

Zhou Ziding, host of “Exploration Time Military Channel” on YouTube, shared his observations and thoughts on the TV program “Pinnacle View.”