China’s official military newspaper has warned of an arms race over low-earth satellites, citing developments such as SpaceX’s latest contract with the US Space Force.
Low-earth orbit (LEO) constellations typically operate at 300km to 1,500km (185-930 miles) above the Earth and are becoming increasingly important in areas such as communications and satellite navigation.
But in a series of articles covering a full page on Monday, PLA Daily warned: “The era of the militarised application of low-orbit constellations is arriving at an accelerated pace.”
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It said the “strategic value of space” was becoming “unprecedentedly prominent”, covering areas such as satellite networks, orbital competition and spectrum seizure.
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One article, written by Feng Songjiang and Wang Xiaoyan, from the Space Security Research Centre, said: “Relying on its first-mover technological advantages and mature commercial ecosystem, the United States has continued to increase the militarised application of low-orbit constellations.
