WASHINGTON/BEIJING: The United States and China are rapidly expanding their military capabilities in space, raising concerns that future conflicts could extend beyond Earth into orbit, where satellites may increasingly serve as weapons rather than simply supporting military operations.
The growing competition is being driven by advances in spacecraft capable of maneuvering close to other satellites, deploying smaller spacecraft, monitoring orbital targets and potentially disrupting or capturing enemy systems.
A recent incident involving a secretive Chinese unmanned spaceplane has provided a glimpse into the increasingly sophisticated nature of military space operations.
In June, the Chinese spaceplane released a small satellite hundreds of miles above Earth in an orbital region crowded with commercial and military spacecraft. According to US space-tracking company LeoLabs, the newly deployed object subsequently moved around another Chinese satellite before returning toward the spaceplane.
Little is publicly known about the satellite or the purpose of the mission.
However, the development has attracted attention because the United States operates a similarly secretive unmanned spaceplane, the X-37B, which resembles a small shuttle and is capable of conducting missions in orbit.
The activities of both countries demonstrate how quickly military operations in space are evolving as Washington and Beijing prepare for the possibility that future conflicts could involve attacks on or interference with space-based assets.
Chinese researchers with links to the country’s military establishment are working on technologies that could allow satellites to pursue, approach and potentially capture other spacecraft.
A review of patent documents, procurement notices and academic research indicates that Chinese institutions are also developing technologies that could extend the operating life of spacecraft by enabling them to replenish fuel while pursuing other satellites.
Such capabilities could significantly change the nature of military operations in orbit.
A satellite that can maneuver toward another spacecraft, remain close to it, inspect it or potentially interfere with its operations could serve purposes far beyond traditional communications, navigation and surveillance.
US officials have expressed growing concern over China’s rapid progress.
US Space Force Chief of Space Operations General Chance Saltzman said China was developing capabilities both in space and on the ground that could interfere with or destroy targets.
He described the Chinese threat as substantial.
Satellites have become essential to modern warfare.
The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have demonstrated the importance of space-based communications, navigation, intelligence and surveillance systems to military operations on Earth.
For decades, satellites largely remained in predetermined orbits after launch and performed support functions for forces operating on the ground.
That role is changing.
Military planners increasingly regard satellites as active weapons platforms capable of disrupting other spacecraft through electronic jamming, laser dazzling and other technologies. Some spacecraft may also be capable of physically approaching and capturing another satellite.
The growing dependence of modern militaries on space infrastructure also creates a major vulnerability.
Everett Dolman, a former professor at the US Air Force’s Air War College, warned that a major disruption of US space capabilities could severely damage America’s military operations on Earth, affecting areas ranging from surveillance to missile defence.
He noted that spaceplanes could become particularly important because of their ability to maneuver, deploy satellites and transport cargo.
Their flexibility could make them appear to potential adversaries as a new generation of orbital combat platforms.
While China continues to develop advanced space capabilities, the United States is also strengthening its ability to operate in orbit and cooperate with allies.
In September last year, US space forces based in Colorado directed an American military satellite to move close to a British satellite as China’s Shiyan 12-01 spacecraft passed roughly 83 kilometres below them, according to commercial space-tracking data from Slingshot Aerospace.
The operation was part of a joint US-British military mission.
Although Washington and London publicly announced the operation, they did not initially disclose how close the manoeuvre had brought the allied satellites to the Chinese spacecraft.
Several space experts who spoke to Reuters said the operation appeared to have been intended partly as a strategic signal to Beijing.
Andrew Turner, a retired senior British air force officer and space consultant, described the manoeuvre as a demonstration of allied unity and capability, as well as a warning against interference with the British satellite.
The operation was conducted from Schriever Space Force Base in Colorado and monitored from the US Space Command Joint Operations Center at Peterson Space Force Base.
US Space Command said the mission demonstrated America’s ability to operate with allies in space.
Britain’s defence ministry also stressed the growing importance of space to military operations and said the UK and its partners were conducting advanced orbital activities to protect national and military interests.
The United States and Britain did not comment specifically on the proximity of the Chinese satellite during the operation.
China has rejected accusations that it is seeking to weaponise space.
The Chinese foreign ministry said it was not familiar with the specific details of the US-British operation.
More broadly, Beijing said it opposes the weaponisation of outer space and supports its peaceful use.
Chinese officials have instead accused Washington of contributing to an arms race through initiatives such as the Golden Dome missile defence programme and potential space-based weapons.
Regarding the Shiyan 12-01 satellite and the Chinese spaceplane, Beijing said it had no information on the specific activities described.
Chinese state media has previously described Shiyan 12-01 as a spacecraft involved in space-environment surveys, while the spaceplane has been presented as an experimental vehicle supporting peaceful uses of space.
The US Space Force has similarly said its own unmanned spaceplane is conducting tests and experiments.
The competition is unfolding as Earth’s orbit becomes increasingly crowded.
SpaceX operates thousands of Starlink satellites, while China is developing rival satellite networks.
At the same time, US President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome missile defence programme envisions the possible deployment of space-based interceptors, adding another dimension to America’s plans for protecting its territory from missile threats.
The United States is also developing other technologies that could become important during a future conflict.
US Space Command chief General Stephen Whiting has repeatedly warned that adversaries are developing capabilities designed to deny America access to crucial space-based systems.
He has said hostile forces could seek to attack US satellites early in a conflict in an attempt to weaken America’s military effectiveness on Earth.
Whiting has therefore argued that the United States must adopt a more active military posture in space.
That includes protecting American spacecraft but also maintaining the capability to threaten or attack hostile space assets if deterrence fails.
He has called for orbital interceptors and other space-based weapons.
Whiting has issued increasingly direct warnings about the possibility of fighting in orbit.
At a conference in April, he said the United States needed to be prepared for a conflict in space and capable of prevailing if deterrence failed.
The warning reflects a broader shift in military thinking.
Space is no longer viewed simply as an environment that supports operations on Earth. It is increasingly being treated as a potential battlefield in its own right.
Western officials have identified several potential threats to satellites, including ground-based lasers, electronic jamming, cyberattacks and anti-satellite missiles.
The United States, China and Russia also operate maneuverable satellites capable of approaching and inspecting other spacecraft.
Such spacecraft could potentially be modified to carry weapons, including lasers or projectiles.
Western officials have accused both Beijing and Moscow of demonstrating technologies that could potentially threaten American and allied satellites.
Washington has also accused Russia of developing an anti-satellite capability involving a satellite that could carry a nuclear weapon.
Moscow has denied that it is developing a nuclear anti-satellite weapon in space.
The United States is also developing ways to disable hostile satellites without physically destroying them.
In June, the US Space Force disclosed that it had introduced an earth-based electromagnetic weapon developed by L3Harris Technologies.
The system is designed to disrupt or disable adversary satellites.
Such weapons could offer military planners an alternative to physically destroying spacecraft, which can generate large amounts of orbital debris and potentially endanger other satellites.
Experts nevertheless note that attacking or disrupting a satellite from Earth may remain easier in many circumstances than conducting spacecraft-to-spacecraft attacks.
China’s growing capabilities have attracted particular attention because of increasingly complex manoeuvres involving multiple spacecraft.
US officials have described some Chinese satellite activities as orbital “dogfighting”, involving several satellites maneuvering in close proximity and in coordinated patterns.
Chinese spacecraft have also demonstrated the ability to capture a defunct satellite and move it into another orbit.
The ability to physically manipulate another spacecraft is potentially significant because the same technology could have both civilian and military applications.
A satellite designed to remove space debris, for example, could potentially be adapted to interfere with an adversary’s spacecraft.
Another area attracting attention is China’s reported development of on-orbit refuelling technology.
A US Space Force official said China conducted what was likely an attempt to refuel a satellite in orbit last year.
Successful refuelling would represent a major technological breakthrough.
Most satellites are launched with a limited supply of fuel, which restricts their ability to maneuver and ultimately determines how long they can remain operational.
The ability to replenish fuel in orbit could allow spacecraft to remain active for substantially longer periods.
In a military environment, that could make the difference between a satellite capable of pursuing another spacecraft and one that can itself be pursued.
The development could therefore have major implications for the future of orbital warfare.
Chinese institutions are also researching autonomous technologies for spacecraft operations.
Patent documents indicate that the manufacturer of some of China’s most advanced military aircraft obtained technology capable of allowing satellites to calculate fuel-efficient manoeuvres autonomously while pursuing another spacecraft.
Other Chinese research institutions with close military links are reportedly developing pursuit satellites, including concepts involving multiple spacecraft using nets to capture targets.
The People’s Liberation Army and the institutions involved did not respond to requests for comment.
Researchers have stressed that technologies such as satellite refuelling and spacecraft capture can have non-military applications, including space-debris removal and satellite servicing.
Nevertheless, their potential military uses are attracting increasing scrutiny as the US-China strategic competition expands into orbit.
The rapid development of military space technology marks a significant transformation in modern warfare.
The United States remains the world’s leading space power, but China is expanding both the number of satellites it operates and the sophistication of its missions.
As satellites become more maneuverable, autonomous and capable of interacting with other spacecraft, the distinction between civilian space infrastructure and military assets is becoming increasingly blurred.
For Washington and Beijing, control of space could become crucial to maintaining military superiority on Earth.
China’s official military newspaper, PLA Daily, stated in a 2022 editorial that controlling space was essential to national security, gaining the strategic initiative and achieving victory in war.
The emerging competition suggests that future conflicts may not be confined to land, sea or air.
They could also unfold hundreds of kilometres above Earth, where hunter satellites, orbital interceptors, electronic weapons and unmanned spaceplanes may determine which side retains access to the systems that modern militaries increasingly depend upon.
