US Launches First of Hundreds of Missile Defense Satellites Amid Increasing Threat From China, Russia

A SpaceX rocket carrying the Surface Water and Ocean Topography satellite lifts off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Dec. 16, 2022. NASA via AP

The U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA) successfully launched the first of what’s planned to become a planetary constellation made up of hundreds of satellites as America’s first line of defense against enemy missiles.

The launch came as the United States steps up its actions to counter threats posed by China and Russia.