NASA Accuses China Of Being Too 'Aggressive' In Space

[beijingwalker]

NASA Accuses China Of Being Too 'Aggressive' In Space
By Inigo Monzon
09/25/19 AT 5:30 AM
NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine criticized China’s current space programs and missions. The NASA official accused China of being too aggressive and using its space activities for military purposes.

Bridenstine made the strong statements against China and its space program earlier this week. The NASA administrator noted that China is only fast-tracking its space and Moon missions in order to test its latest technological advancements and to rival the U.S.

“China’s activities are in many ways aggressive in space,” Bridenstine told Nikkei Asian Review. “When we think about the future of space, we want it to be peaceful.”

Although China has been successful with its recent scientific space expeditions, many people including Bridenstine believe that the country is more focused on militarizing space. The country is oftentimes compared with Russia due to the two countries' apparent desire to become a space superpower.

This became very apparent in 2007 when China launched a missile to take down a satellite in low-Earth orbit. Space agencies and country officials regarded China’s action as irresponsible due to the risk it posed on astronauts and other satellites operating in space.

“If we’re going to achieve what NASA wants to achieve, we can’t have people threatening to wreck low-Earth orbit,” Bridenstine said.

The NASA administrator noted that the concept of militarizing space could push the U.S. to impose additional tariffs and export restrictions against China. According to Bridenstine, NASA and the U.S. will not allow China to acquire resources that can be used to create weapons that can be used in space.

“Some people call space – China specifically – the American Achilles’ heel,” he said. “Well, it’s important for people to understand that we are not going to allow investments that could potentially destroy space.”

“We’re not going to allow those investments to work,” he added.

Aside from China’s current space activities, Bridenstine’s strong stance against the country is also based on its priorities. Maintaining an active space program is expensive for any country. For a nation like China, it should be more focused on more important aspects such as ensuring social security instead of venturing into other costly activities.

https://www.ibtimes.com/nasa-accuses-china-being-too-aggressive-space-2832777

 

[beijingwalker]

For a nation like China, it should be more focused on more important aspects such as ensuring social security instead of venturing into other costly activities.

This makes me laugh.., it's like a typical sore loser's whine instead of remarks coming from a supposed super power.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Taken out of context as usual...

“China’s activities are in many ways aggressive in space,” Bridenstine told Nikkei Asian Review.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Pi...ief-hits-at-China-s-aggressive-space-activity
NASA chief hits at China's 'aggressive' space activity

The head of the U.S. space agency on Tuesday criticized China for using space for military purposes, warning that any attempt to militarize it would be met by action from the U.S.

"China's activities are in many ways aggressive in space," said Jim Bridenstine, administrator of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, in an interview with the Nikkei Asian Review. "When we think about the future of space, we want it to be peaceful."

The warning comes as competition for technological leadership intensifies between the U.S. and China. U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed a series of punitive tariffs and export restrictions against China, accusing the country of engaging in intellectual property theft and unfair trade practices.

Some suspect that China and Russia are developing satellites to attack other satellites or disrupt their operations. China earned notoriety when it shot down its own satellite with a missile in 2007, creating masses of debris in low-earth orbit, jeopardizing the lives of astronauts and the operations of other satellites.

Bridenstine stressed that NASA's goals in space were for exploration, discovery and scientific purposes. "If we're going to achieve what NASA wants to achieve, we can't have people threatening to wreck low-earth orbit," he stressed.

The Sino-U.S. rivalry comes at a time when space has been opened up to commercial activity thanks to technological progress that has made it less expensive and more accessible to private businesses.

China sees space as critical to its goal of becoming a major global power. The U.S. is concerned that China is not only trying to catch up technologically, but is seeking to test its satellite network, which is currently a weak link in its economic infrastructure.

"Some people call space -- China specifically -- the American Achilles' heel," Bridenstine said. "Well, it's important for people to understand that we are not going to allow investments that could potentially destroy space. We're not going to allow those investments to work."

China is already a major space power, being one of only three countries that have independently sent humans into space and constructed its own space station.

In January, it became the first country to land a probe on the far side of the moon. Beijing plans to send a manned mission to the moon and to build a research station there within the next decade and become a space power on par with the U.S.

The challenge for the U.S. is that, as a democracy, it is difficult to devote resources to space activity, when there are many other competing spending requests, such as for social security. As a result, it is looking to like-minded countries, such as India, to form partnerships.

"We see India as a potentially great partner," Bridenstine said. "That's how we see India. And India has the idea that they want to go to the moon as well."

India is one of a handful of countries that have succeeded in putting a satellite into the moon's orbit. In September, it aimed to become the first country to land a mission in the moon's south pole region, without success.

The U.S. is leading a new international effort for manned space missions, known as the Lunar Platform Orbiting Gateway. The initiative involves putting a manned space station into lunar orbit to use as a base for missions to the moon and eventually to Mars.

Canada and Australia have formally announced their participation and support for the initiative. Japan has not made a formal commitment, but is widely expected to do so this year. Japan has built a research unit for the current International Space Station operating in low-earth orbit and delivers regular supplies to it.

"These technologies that have been developed by Japan have applicability at the moon," Bridenstine said. "Japan has demonstrated great success in low-earth orbit and we want to take that all the way to the moon and eventually on to Mars."

Dealing with orbital debris is another area of cooperation that Japan and the U.S. are examining.

Debris are created when satellites collide or explode and are expected to increase as the number of satellites multiplies, raising the risk of collision.

Bridenstine says that he wants to see the task of cataloging and tracking debris be moved to civilian operators. Currently the responsibility lies with the U.S. Defense Department, which tracks debris, and in cases of collision risk with a satellite, sends alerts to satellite operators, allowing them to move the satellite out of the way.

The challenge is to develop technologies that identify the location of debris much more precisely than the DoD is currently doing, so that satellite operators can gauge the risk of collision more accurately and take action to avoid it. NASA is also developing robotic technology to move debris out of orbit.

"Japan is a great partner in all of these activities," Bridenstine said.

 

[beijingwalker]

China earned notoriety when it shot down its own satellite with a missile in 2007, creating masses of debris in low-earth orbit, jeopardizing the lives of astronauts and the operations of other satellites.

Didn't US also shoot down their own satellites?

"USA-193, also known as NRO launch 21 was a U.S. military reconnaissance satellite (radar .... This was not the first time the United States shot down one of its own satellites; the Air Force had shot down a satellite as early as 1985. "

 

[OIO]

NASA Accuses China Of Being Too 'Aggressive' In Space
By Inigo Monzon
09/25/19 AT 5:30 AM
NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine criticized China’s current space programs and missions. The NASA official accused China of being too aggressive and using its space activities for military purposes.

Bridenstine made the strong statements against China and its space program earlier this week. The NASA administrator noted that China is only fast-tracking its space and Moon missions in order to test its latest technological advancements and to rival the U.S.

“China’s activities are in many ways aggressive in space,” Bridenstine told Nikkei Asian Review. “When we think about the future of space, we want it to be peaceful.”

Although China has been successful with its recent scientific space expeditions, many people including Bridenstine believe that the country is more focused on militarizing space. The country is oftentimes compared with Russia due to the two countries' apparent desire to become a space superpower.

This became very apparent in 2007 when China launched a missile to take down a satellite in low-Earth orbit. Space agencies and country officials regarded China’s action as irresponsible due to the risk it posed on astronauts and other satellites operating in space.

“If we’re going to achieve what NASA wants to achieve, we can’t have people threatening to wreck low-Earth orbit,” Bridenstine said.

The NASA administrator noted that the concept of militarizing space could push the U.S. to impose additional tariffs and export restrictions against China. According to Bridenstine, NASA and the U.S. will not allow China to acquire resources that can be used to create weapons that can be used in space.

“Some people call space – China specifically – the American Achilles’ heel,” he said. “Well, it’s important for people to understand that we are not going to allow investments that could potentially destroy space.”

“We’re not going to allow those investments to work,” he added.

Aside from China’s current space activities, Bridenstine’s strong stance against the country is also based on its priorities. Maintaining an active space program is expensive for any country. For a nation like China, it should be more focused on more important aspects such as ensuring social security instead of venturing into other costly activities.

https://www.ibtimes.com/nasa-accuses-china-being-too-aggressive-space-2832777

ridiculous!

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

"the Air Force had shot down a satellite as early as 1985. "

Yep a missile from an F-15 fighter hit a 345mile high satellite 2000 miles away. Pretty impressive...then when space stations became 365 day affairs it was looked at as pretty stupid.

 

[Yaseen1]

u.s have send x37B rocket containing harp weapon at end of august 2019 to cause weather attack on adversaries which is major threat to world

 

[Usama Ahmed 86]

Coming from those who were nuking the space, i dont even know if this is a term or not. US and USSR were exploding nukes in space just to mess with the earth's magnetic field as it could blind enemy radars for a considerable amount of time.

 

[Beast]

Typical sore loser comment by American. Can't get up and then claim we are aggressive.

I will not be surprised next time American will accuse China reforestation plan is a threat to mankind.

 

[moweike]

The universe belongs to the US

 

[Usama Ahmed 86]

No points for comments on the guy' shirt.

 

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

China is not US jurisdiction. US refused to conquer the world without firing a shot when the US had nukes in 1945 and no one else did.

 

[Nan Yang]

China is not US jurisdiction. US refused to conquer the world without firing a shot when the US had nukes in 1945 and no one else did.

If if if..

 

[moweike]

Typical sore loser comment by American. Can't get up and then claim we are aggressive.

I will not be surprised next time American will accuse China reforestation plan is a threat to mankind.

China’s tree-planting drive could falter in a warming world
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02789-w

Although not the US, it is the UK.
But this is Western culture

 

[beijingwalker]

China is too aggressive in developing herself, US is not happy and presents solemn representation to the Chinese government, would you just slow down, please.