Of the 848 Chinese satellites operating today, 179 are military and intelligence satellites, 271 are civil (including the Beidou constellation for navigation and timing), 362 are commercial, and 36 are academic. To put this in perspective, the United States has a total of 6,975 operational satellites today — eight times as many as China — and since 2015, the total number of U.S. satellites has increased by over 2,100%.
Blurred Lines of Chinese Satellite Use
Military leaders are concerned because the lines between Chinese
military, civil, and commercial satellites are blurred. In a conflict, the
United States expects that all Chinese space assets can and will be used by the
military. This is not the case for the United States, where the vast majority
(94%) of satellites are commercial.
Comparison of Military Satellites
When comparing the total number of Chinese satellites to only U.S.
military and intelligence satellites, the picture changes. The United States
has just 300 military and intelligence satellites in operation — roughly a
third of China’s total space assets.
Leveraging U.S. Commercial Space Innovation
China’s rapid advances in space and counterspace technology are
concerning, but even more concerning is the United States’ failure to fully
leverage the innovation of its own commercial space sector. The creation of the
Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve (CASR) is a step in the right direction,
but it is only a small step. It merely creates the option to use commercial
satellites in a crisis, akin to the Civil Reserve Air Fleet, which has been
used only three times in its 73-year history.
Call to Action for U.S. Space Strategy
Congress and the executive branch should heed the warnings about China’s
space capabilities. Although the United States enjoys a substantial lead in
space technology, China is moving quickly to copy U.S. technology and counter
the advantage it provides. It is time to get serious and make hard choices. It
is time to unleash the Space Force.
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