According to a report by "Defense News" on September 27, General Shes, a senior official of the U.S. Space Force, stated at the Air and Space Forces Association meeting that China remains the primary competitor of the United States in space, and is rapidly catching up with the U.S.

He said that China is eager for new progress every day, saying that although I can't say that China's capability building has new progress every day, at least there are new capabilities emerging every month, which has already posed a risk to U.S. assets in orbit.

From the U.S. perspective, space is the ultimate high ground. Once China rivals or even surpasses the United States in this field, the eyes and ears of the U.S. in global military operations will be seriously affected, possibly putting the U.S. at a disadvantage in future battles or wars.

This anxiety runs through the statements of U.S. officials. The U.S. has no choice but to constantly emphasize the need to launch more satellites to maintain an advantage in intelligence and early warning.

In fact, this complaint from the U.S. itself reflects their shift from past confidence to fear of reality.

U.S. Space Force

China's achievements in the space domain have indeed formed systematic breakthroughs.

Firstly, in terms of satellite scale and types, China has achieved comprehensive coverage. Not only is the number of satellites among the world's top, but the types are also complete, covering communication, navigation, remote sensing, reconnaissance, and scientific experiments.

The Beidou Navigation System has achieved global coverage, becoming the most important navigation system after the U.S. GPS, widely used in global infrastructure, logistics, agriculture, and transportation.

Secondly, in terms of rocket launch capabilities, China's Long March series of launch vehicles maintains a record of high-density launches, ranking first in the number of launches per year, and with a very high success rate, forming a routine and fast-paced launch rhythm.

Commercial spaceflight is also rapidly rising, with multiple private enterprises entering low-Earth orbit satellites and reusable rocket fields, beginning to challenge the market position of SpaceX in the U.S.

Regarding deep-space exploration, China has achieved a soft landing on the moon, Mars exploration, and sample return. The success of the Chang'e and Tianwen missions has made China the second country after the U.S. capable of independently completing Mars exploration.

The Tiangong space station is now the only long-term operational orbital experimental platform in the world, providing a new stage for international scientific research.

The most critical aspect is in anti-space capabilities. China demonstrated kinetic interception capabilities as early as 2007, and since then, it has continued to make breakthroughs in electronic interference, laser blinding, and orbital accompanying interference.

This means that China not only can build a large in-orbit system during peacetime but can also effectively suppress the opponent's space advantages during wartime. In other words, the U.S. general's statement that China would like to have progress every day is not exaggerated, but rather a true reflection of China's all-around and rapid advancement.

Chinese Space Station

This rapid development has already created pressure on the U.S. from all aspects.

The U.S. military previously relied on a large satellite network as its eyes and ears to ensure the suddenness and dominance of global military operations.

But now, China's large-scale ISR satellite network can track U.S. aircraft carriers, expeditionary forces, and air force movements in real time, greatly increasing the transparency of U.S. operations.

Meanwhile, China is developing various anti-satellite means, from kinetic missiles to electronic interference, from laser illumination to accompanying interference, which could cause partial failure of U.S. communication, navigation, and early warning systems in conflicts.

If it loses space support, the U.S. C4ISR system will suffer serious damage, and the advantages in operational coordination and long-range strike will be weakened.

Another issue is the financial pressure. The U.S. is forced to continuously invest huge amounts of money to build distributed constellations and small satellite clusters to counter China's pressure. This means the defense budget will further expand, while the U.S. fiscal deficit is already high.

Beidou Satellite

From a longer-term strategic perspective, the impact of China's space progress goes beyond the military.

Militarily, China has weakened the U.S. long-term monopoly over the high ground, forcing the U.S. to re-evaluate the stability of its nuclear deterrence and missile defense systems, and forcing the U.S. military to shift its deployment model in the Asia-Pacific from arbitrary entry to cautious movement.

Non-militarily, China's Beidou Navigation System provides the world with an option other than the U.S. GPS, especially widely used in countries along the "Belt and Road", directly weakening the U.S. technological monopoly.

The Tiangong space station has become an important platform for international scientific research. With the U.S. International Space Station about to retire, many countries may have no choice but to choose cooperation with China.

The rise of commercial spaceflight has also given developing countries more cost-effective and diverse partners.

At the same time, China is pushing for the prohibition of weaponization of space in the United Nations, gradually enhancing its voice in space rule-making, making it difficult for the U.S. to unilaterally set rules.

In other words, the rise of China's space power not only puts the U.S. military at risk in war, but also makes the U.S. lose the ability to dominate globally in peace through technological superiority and institutional arrangements.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7554604459905663531/

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