First joint U.S.-British military operation in space sends strategic signal to Beijing

The United States and Britain carried out their first joint military operation in space last September, and a suspected Chinese spy satellite passed about 83 kilometers below the two military spacecraft during the maneuver.

Reuters reviewed space-tracking data, patent documents, procurement notices and academic papers, and interviewed current and former military officials. Several space experts with military backgrounds said the operation was almost certainly intended to send Beijing a strategic message.

The maneuver involved a U.S. military satellite approaching a British satellite under the direction of the U.S. Space Force from a base in Colorado. Slingshot Aerospace identified the nearby Chinese spacecraft as China’s Shiyan-12 01 satellite. Experts said 83 kilometers is a relatively close distance in orbit.

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almost certainly

The United States and Britain had publicly described the operation as their first coordinated satellite maneuver, involving rendezvous and proximity operations. They said the U.S. satellite would observe the British spacecraft and confirm that it was functioning normally, but did not mention the Chinese satellite passing below them.

The operation is the first known space military action conducted jointly by two members of the Five Eyes alliance, which also includes Canada, Australia and New Zealand. U.S. Space Command said the mission demonstrated the allies’ ability to operate together in space. Britain’s Ministry of Defence said space is becoming increasingly important to military operations and that Britain and its partners are conducting advanced orbital operations to protect national and military interests. Neither government commented on the specific distance from the Chinese satellite.

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doing something it should not be doing