Space 2.0
China and Russia are deliberately targeting the United State’s infrastructure in space. Just this February, the United States was warned about the approaching success of Russia’s capability to launch nuclear weapons into space, ultimately to target and destroy many of our communication satellites.
This may sound pretty familiar: Russia, in a period of conflict and war, builds a rocket capable of carrying a nuclear weapon, sounding the alarm for America to invest heavily in innovation and defense, igniting stiff competition. However, dissimilar to this original Space Race of the mid 1900s, the strife between Russia and the U.S. today includes more resources, better intelligence, and higher stakes.
Satellites are indispensable for our daily routines. Consider life without GPS on your phone or access to accurate timekeeping. Many people don’t realize how much we as individuals rely on space, let alone how important it is for the military’s defense. John Plumb, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy of the U.S., emphasizes the significance at a conference in April,
“Russia and China both know that space is essential to the U.S. way of war, and they have developed a variety of means to attack our satellites.”
It is perhaps the reason Russia decided to invest in experiments targeting our space infrastructure in the first place, in violation of the Outer Space Treaty to which more than 130 countries have signed up to, including Russia. If Russia had the ability to shut off communication between Ukraine’s military and the U.S., for example, they would immediately achieve military advantage.
In a White House press briefing in February, National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby confirms Russia’s developments of anti-satellite weapons, posing a threat to the U.S from a multitude of angles. He lists: communications, command and control, transportation, meteorological concerns, financial, commercial concerns. “I don’t want to minimize the potential here for disruptions should there be an anti-satellite capability of any significance,” he states. “It could affect services here on Earth. There’s no question about that. That’s why we are taking this so seriously.”
It isn’t just Russia that we should be on the lookout for. This space race has a third player: The Peoples Republic of China PRC. In 2007, the PRC conducted its first successful direct-ascent anti-satellite ASAT weapons test, launching a rocket targeting and destroying another satellite in orbit, creating an incredible amount of extremely harmful space debris. In 2022, China launched a satellite with a robotic arm into space, where it successfully grabbed hold of another satellite giving it the ability to manipulate the location of the satellite and relocate it into a dead zone. This mission was claimed to be or space debris mitigation, but given its classified nature may indicate that China is developing an on-orbit offensive capabilities.
From 2019 to 2023, China doubled its number of annual space launches and more than tripled how many satellites (both commercial and military) it put into orbit. Now, under project Guowang, China plans to build a network of 13,000 satellites to rival Musk’s Starlink network of 5,000. According to the Department of Defense’s Space Force, many of China’s Investments are specifically focuses on positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT), to ensure warfighting potential.
The United States is aware of China’s increase in space investments, as well as their ongoing cooperation with Russia. Since 2014, the two U.S. adversaries have established joint space agreements, beginning with the “China Russia Commission on Important Strategic Satellite Navigation Cooperation” where they integrated their satellite systems to have an advantage navigation system over the U.S.. Since then, multiple cooperative missions have been established, from agreement to cooperate on deep space missions to data-sharing and joint development.
Although unsure of the exact level of cooperation amongst the two countries, the U.S. Department of Defense has acknowledged the increasing threats to our national security posed by their cooperative efforts in space. As a result, the DoD has allocated significant budget resources to space defense, including the formation of the “Space Force”.
To put it in perspective, the FY24 defense space budget of $33.3 billion reflects a substantial 15% increase from FY23, indicating the strategic importance of maintaining U.S. superiority in space capabilities and the increasing threat against our national security.
Although many civilians may not understand the significant reliance we have on space, Russia and China do. And beyond the sci-fi seeming threats of missiles and robotic arms, the biggest threat the Space Force accounts for are threats relating to electronic warfare, cybersecurity, and IP theft.
In confronting the escalating threats to national security in space, the DoD takes a multifaceted approach. This entails bolstering offensive capabilities, strategically allocating resources for space defense, enhancing satellite infrastructure for greater resilience, and continuing to focus on partnerships with allies and commercial entities.
As we look up to the stars and see wander and possibility, it is important to recognize the need for policy, regulation, and defense to keep the stars open for freedom for exploration and freedom from war.
Understanding the need to stay ‘in the fight’ during both peacetime and conflict, the Space Force is “committed to protecting America and our Allies in, from, and to space.. Now and into the future.”
What is the Space Force?
The United States Space Force, established on December 20, 2019, is a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces dedicated to space warfare operations. Its primary purpose is to protect U.S. interests in space and ensure freedom of operation for U.S. spacecraft. Today, the United States Space Force continues to develop and implement advanced technologies for space-based defense systems, including satellite protection and anti-satellite capabilities, to safeguard U.S. assets in the increasingly contested domain of space.