【Text by Observers Network, Qi Qian】

To get money from Congress, officials from agencies such as the U.S. Space Force and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have been continuously hyping up "Sino-U.S. space competition" and "China threat." Now, American private companies have also learned this trick.

On October 10 local time, Evan Rogers, CEO of the U.S. space and defense technology startup True Anomaly, said on a Bloomberg program that China is "undoubtedly" ahead of the United States in certain space offensive and defensive capabilities, while calling on the U.S. government to increase investment.

Rogers emphasized the "China threat" to raise a sense of crisis in the U.S. aerospace industry. He claimed that Sino-U.S. competition is intensifying, with the space domain seen as a "potential battlefield," and China as the main competitor in it.

According to Rogers, China is the pioneer in modern large-scale development of space weapons, having started developing them in 2004 and deploying them around 2007, since then constantly expanding its scale. He said that compared to this, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States and its allies lagged behind in research and deployment due to not facing significant "space threats."

He pointed out: "From the perspective of space superiority, the United States has been left behind by China to a large extent... There is no doubt that China is leading. The United States has spent too much time building up its defensive and offensive capabilities. But in fact, the United States currently has no capability for large-scale deployment. Therefore, from the perspective of defense, we are indeed lagging behind."

Video screenshot of Rogers interviewed by Bloomberg on October 10

"In many ways, the space domain is the pillar of America's economic advantage, of course also the pillar of military advantage," Rogers said on the program, "We must protect this infrastructure. We need to defend the high ground and use the high ground for integrated information warfare."

When asked how to defend "space superiority" and "supply chain security," Rogers' answer was unsurprising—investment.

He said that the United States has already accumulated an industrial base in the space domain, and now needs to "invest in it." "I think we are starting to see the peak in this area, but it's still far from our needs, especially in light of China becoming more aggressive," he said.

Public data shows that True Anomaly is a space and defense technology startup based in Colorado.

The company was founded in 2022 and developed a small maneuverable spacecraft called Jackal, designed specifically for close-range observation and collecting images of other satellites. The company also develops simulation and training virtual environment software tools to help military personnel prepare for orbital conflict scenarios.

The Jackal small maneuverable spacecraft developed by the U.S. True Anomaly company

In recent years, the U.S. military has repeatedly hyped up the so-called Chinese "space threat," but has continued to expand its outer space forces.

President Trump announced the construction of the "Golden Dome" missile defense system in May, targeting China and Russia. Stephen Whitening, however, exaggerated the so-called "space threat" posed by China, claiming it is increasingly "real and urgent," and that the "Golden Dome" is a response to this so-called threat.

On June 24, Stephen Whitening, commander of the U.S. Space Command, exaggerated the development of China's space military technology, claiming it is "surprisingly fast" and "concerning," posing a "strategic threat" to the United States.

On July 8, seven former officials who had served as directors of NASA's Science Mission Directorate jointly wrote to the U.S. Congressional Appropriations Committee, strongly opposing the Trump administration's plan to cut scientific budgets. It is reported that the Trump administration planned to cut NASA's science budget from the current $7.33 billion to $3.9 billion, cutting or terminating a large number of space projects including Mars rovers.

The Washington Post reported that drastically cutting NASA's science budget could have serious consequences, "possibly handing the solar system over to China." Multiple former NASA senior officials, scientists, and employees publicly protested, arguing that this move would harm the United States' leadership in space science and give China an advantage in exploring the solar system.

At the same time, U.S. politicians and media frequently hype up the so-called "Sino-U.S. moon landing race." With the steady and solid progress of the Chinese project, the "moon landing" anxiety spreading across the United States is increasingly intensifying.

Media also noticed that the pessimistic statements circulating in the United States that "China will surpass the United States in moon landing" deeply hurt the U.S. Transportation Secretary and acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy. Duffy, in a speech to all NASA staff in September, vowed that the United States "will definitely land on the moon before China," winning the "second space race."

Regarding the repeated hype by the U.S. about the so-called "China space threat," Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning stated at a regular press conference on May 22 that China has always adhered to the peaceful use of outer space, opposed the arms race in outer space, and opposed the weaponization of outer space.

Mao Ning pointed out that China has no intention of engaging in a "space race" with any country, nor does it seek so-called "space superiority." The U.S. openly defines outer space as a "theater of operations," continues to expand its outer space forces, establishes military alliances in outer space, and advances the militarization of outer space, seriously threatening the common safety and development rights of countries in outer space. China urges the U.S. to stop spreading irresponsible statements, stop expanding military buildup in outer space, and truly maintain the long-term peace and security of outer space.

This article is an exclusive article by Observers Network. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7559805611144184346/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author and others. Please express your opinion by clicking on the [Upvote/Downvote] buttons below.