The US Space Force is facing a pressing threat from China, which could deploy rudimentary “space stalkers” to disable the West’s most critical satellites. This capability has significant implications for national security and the balance of power in space.
In 2023, General B. Chance Saltzman, US Space Force Chief of Space Operations, warned of a demonstration of a satellite being grabbed by another satellite’s robotic arm and pulled out of its mission orbit. This warning resonates today as China and Russia have advanced anti-satellite capabilities under the guise of dual-use rendezvous spacecraft.
The space stalking threat is real, with Chinese satellites able to follow US satellites at uncomfortably close ranges during peacetime. A command from the ground could disable or relocate American satellites with minimal debris and limited international outcry.
To counter this threat, General Saltzman has taken commendable steps under his leadership. However, the reality is that US preparedness in space has been outpaced for many years, leaving late readiness as the Achilles’ heel in countering space stalking.
The Chinese space stalking threat could have severe consequences, including undermining any credible US intervention in a Taiwan crisis by neutralizing key satellite capabilities. The same vulnerability applies to President Donald Trump’s “Golden Dome,” a hypothetical homeland missile shield that relies heavily on space-based assets for early warning, tracking, timing, and command.
China’s space stalker development is happening rapidly, with three troubling trends emerging since 2023. First, China has demonstrated a series of proximity maneuvers in low Earth orbit, involving Chinese Shiyan-24C spacecraft and Shijian-6 space objects. Second, China’s Shijian-21 and Shijian-25 conducted two separate rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) in geosynchronous orbit within a single month. Third, China launched the classified Shiyan-28B to a low Earth orbit.
To counter this threat, five critical measures must be taken:
1. Announce a Timely Bodyguard Program: Developing US bodyguard spacecraft capable of neutralizing space stalkers is essential for long-term resilience and a credible deterrent posture.
2. Declare Red Lines and Defensive Zones: Establishing clear and enforceable red-line policies to maintain safe separation from hostile satellites can provide credible deterrence and avoid miscalculation.
3. Prioritize Bodyguard-Related Projects: Fast-tracking projects to develop space bodyguards that match the capabilities of China’s stalkers while being significantly smaller and more cost-effective is crucial.
4. Spread Public Awareness of the Threat: Raising public awareness about the threat of space stalking-and the US plan to ensure timely readiness—is essential to building public support and generating political will needed to fund critical defensive capabilities.
5. Secure Top-Priority Funding: Allocating sufficient funding for the bodyguard system is necessary to develop a robust defense against space stalking, whenever it emerges over the next several years.
The US cannot afford to wait to counter China’s fast-developing space stalker threat. Developing a robust defense against space stalking is essential to maintaining national security and the balance of power in space.
Source: https://nationalinterest.org/feature/america-must-prepare-for-chinese-space-stalking