China warns of space arms race, targets US LEO satellite plans

China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) newspaper, PLA Daily, has issued a stark warning about an escalating arms race centered on low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. The report specifically targets SpaceX's Starlink constellation and the US military's satellite network development plans, signaling Beijing's growing concern over the militarization of space.

The newspaper emphasized that the era of military applications for LEO satellite constellations is rapidly approaching, increasing the strategic value of space through satellite networks, orbital competition, and frequency control. It explicitly accused US companies and the government of driving this militarization. Researchers from China's Space Engineering University's Space Security Research Center noted that the U.S. has continuously expanded the military applications of LEO satellite forces, leveraging its technological advantages and mature commercial ecosystem.

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The era of military applications for low-Earth orbit satellite forces is rapidly approaching. The strategic value of space is increasing unprecedentedly in terms of satellite networks, orbital competition, and frequency control.

LEO satellites, operating between 300 and 1,500 kilometers above Earth, can provide continuous reconnaissance of global areas by exchanging information among satellites and with ground control stations. SpaceX's Starlink is cited as a prime example, with over 10,000 satellites already in orbit, having played a crucial role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The report also pointed out the integration of LEO satellite networks with drone warfare in modern battlefields.

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The United States has continuously expanded the military applications of low-Earth orbit satellite forces, relying on its leading technological advantages and mature commercial ecosystem.

PLA Daily expressed alarm over the US accelerating its militarization of LEO satellites, citing a $4.2 billion contract between the US Space Force and SpaceX. This contract supports a program to detect and track aircraft and missiles from space using hundreds of satellites. The US is also pursuing its own satellite constellation plans, including the National Reconnaissance Office's Starshield constellation and the Space Development Agency's network of 1,000 satellites.

While the report notes that Russia, the European Union, and Japan are also speeding up their LEO network development, it conspicuously omits China's own ambitions. However, the South China Morning Post points out that China is actively pursuing its own LEO satellite initiatives. The state-backed Guowang satellite constellation plans a network of approximately 13,000 satellites, while Shanghai Yuanxin Weike Technology Co. is developing a Starlink-like system called Qianfan, aiming for a constellation of 14,000 to 15,000 satellites.

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The Starlink system already has more than 10,000 satellites in orbit and played a key role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.