Tensions between the United States and China have seen all-time highs with growing concern about China’s possible military actions towards Taiwan. This possible conflict has no doubt spurred on some rapid research and development for how China may combat its current enemies if the conflict of Taiwan comes to a slugging match.
U.S. Space Force chief of space operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman testified before congress on March 14 addressing some of the more pressing concerns regarding China’s weaponizations of space technology. The more concerning technologies he addressed were ground-based lasers designed to interfere or jam military satellites.
He stated China is “Likely pursuing anti-satellite systems able to destroy satellites in geosynchronous orbit,”. These satellites are important infrastructure for how the United States carries out its missions. Destroying the first line of communications is an adversaries first point of attack.
The threat of possible interference of military communications satellites has always been a persistent thought among personnel in the Department of Defense. One of the limiting factors of any enemy reaching another countries geosynchronous communications satellites was the economic investment of getting there. However, with the ground-based laser systems which in theory would be capable of not only interfering with the satellite’s normal functions but outright destroy their abilities to perform their functions has brought on a new level of concern.
A kinetic attack on a geosynchronous satellite could spell disaster for the vast majority of the rest of the geosynchronous satellites. After the first destruction of the satellite it would trigger a snow ball effect as the debris would be used as thousands of other projectiles. Possible destroying communication networks across the globe. This is called Kessler Syndrome and is a very real concern for space agencies around the world.
The Solution?
Gen. Saltzman told congress that the Space Force is planning to move a bulk of its communications to low to medium earth orbits similarly to what Starlink has accomplished.
However, this still doesn’t get rid of the Kessler Syndrome problem. If any one of those satellites are broken up it could spell disaster for hundreds of other satellites.
