China Is Taking War To Earth Orbits: A 'Space Pearl Harbor' Is On The Way

Gatestone Institute ^ | 03/28/2025 | Gordon Chang

[SeekAndFind]

"With our commercial assets, we have observed five different objects in space maneuvering in and out and around each other in synchronicity and in control," the U.S. Space Force's Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Michael Guetlein told the 16th annual McAleese Defense Programs conference in Arlington, Virginia on March 18.

"That's what we call dogfighting in space. They are practicing tactics, techniques and procedures to do on-orbit space operations from one satellite to another."

Guetlein's stark comment about China signals a break with the past. "This marks the end of the Western-American-liberal dream of nations leaving wars on Earth so they can cooperate in space to advance humanity," Richard Fisher of the International Assessment and Strategy Center told Gatestone after the general's widely publicized remarks. "Communist China has now taken war to the heavens, to low earth orbit, and very likely, will take war to the moon, Mars, and beyond. The heavens are no longer safe for the democracies."

Space is now a highly contested domain, but it wasn't always this way. "We told ourselves we would be the dominant power forever," Brandon Weichert, author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, said to Gatestone. "We coasted on that notion for far too long. Rising powers, notably China and Russia, saw how reliant we were on space—and how poorly defended our systems were. Our access to the strategic high ground is now more threatened than ever before."

As Weichert points out, "bureaucratic inertia and a lack of visionary leadership from both political parties" allowed China and Russia to develop the capabilities to threaten America in space.

There was another party at fault: The U.S. military failed to protest when it could see there was an obvious threat. "There was a gentlemen's agreement until recent that we didn't mess with each other's space systems," Guetlein said. "We didn't jam them, we didn't spoof them, we didn't lase them, we just kept them safe."

Why was the U.S. so gentlemanly? Presidents believed that because the U.S. had more space assets than others, it was not in America's interest to trigger a race to build weapons to destroy those assets. Yet this view, appearing commonsense at first glance, was naïve: It was apparent even then that neither China nor Russia could be enticed into good behavior. Generals and admirals should have sounded the warning.

There was a lot to warn about. On January 11, 2007, for instance, China demonstrated its intentions by launching a modified ground-based DF-21 missile to destroy an old Chinese weather satellite.

In 2022, a Chinese satellite "grappled" a defunct Chinese satellite and towed it to a "graveyard orbit."

Moreover, as Fisher notes, China had already configured its one large orbiting platform, the Tiangong Space Station, for military missions as well as civilian ones. One of its modules can launch either very small satellites that can perform interception missions or satellites carrying powerful laser and microwave weapons that can destroy satellites in multiple orbits.

What was the American response to the obvious Chinese advances in space-warfare capabilities? Vice President Kamala Harris in April 2022 announced a unilateral moratorium on ground-launched anti-satellite missile tests, in the hopes that other nations would follow suit.

With this posture, it is no wonder why America's lead in space warfare—if it exists—is narrowing.

Now, China is making fast progress in building space weapons. "The Chinese ISR"—intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance—"capabilities are become very capable," said Guetlein. "They have gone from what we used to call a 'Kill Chain' to a 'Kill Mesh.'" A Kill Mesh combines ISR satellites with an array of weapons systems.

The Chinese array appears impressive. As Fisher points out, the People's Liberation Army has developed ground-based ASAT—anti-satellite—interceptors to destroy satellites in both low earth orbit and much higher medium earth orbits. At the same time, China, as Guetlein's comments make clear, is working on "co-orbital" interceptors, satellites that can follow, approach, dock with, or use robotic arms to grapple other satellites into useless orbits.

For the future, Fisher reports, China is developing large, unmanned space planes that can re-enter the atmosphere to maneuver toward a new orbit and then relaunch into space to deploy energy and missile weapons. The PLA also appears to be working on large combat platforms that can attack satellite targets in multiple orbits. Expect the Chinese military also to deploy clusters of combat satellites to attack the Lunar and Martian satellite networks of the future.

"The recent demonstration of Chinese 'dogfighting' capabilities in space is an indicator that Beijing means to use force on earth," says Weichert. "By targeting sensitive U.S. military satellites, the People's Liberation Army can render us deaf, dumb, and blind, long before it strikes."

The Chinese are evidently planning to blind not only America's military but also America's civilian society, which is heavily dependent on space assets. Almost nothing modern in America will work when the Chinese are finished attacking in the heavens.

As Weichert said, "A space Pearl Harbor is at hand."

[curious7]

Then accelerate development of a fusion drive, and build drones with them. Remotely operated with onboard AI. The Navy has been testing mostly-autonomous drones so put what they’ve learned in a space-capable craft and evolve from there.

[A strike]

Slick Willie and Loral Corp. executives should be hanged for treason.

-fJRoberts-

[daniel1212]

Now, China is making fast progress in building space weapons. "The Chinese ISR"—intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance—"capabilities are become very capable," said Guetlein. "They have gone from what we used to call a 'Kill Chain' to a 'Kill Mesh.'" A Kill Mesh combines ISR satellites with an array of weapons systems. The Chinese array appears impressive. As Fisher points out, the People's Liberation Army has developed ground-based ASAT—anti-satellite—interceptors to destroy satellites in both low earth orbit and much higher medium earth orbits. At the same time, China, as Guetlein's comments make clear, is working on "co-orbital" interceptors, satellites that can follow, approach, dock with, or use robotic arms to grapple other satellites into useless orbits. For the future, Fisher reports, China is developing large, unmanned space planes that can re-enter the atmosphere to maneuver toward a new orbit and then relaunch into space to deploy energy and missile weapons. The PLA also appears to be working on large combat platforms that can attack satellite targets in multiple orbits. Expect the Chinese military also to deploy clusters of combat satellites to attack the Lunar and Martian satellite networks of the future. "The recent demonstration of Chinese 'dogfighting' capabilities in space is an indicator that Beijing means to use force on earth," says Weichert. "By targeting sensitive U.S. military satellites, the People's Liberation Army can render us deaf, dumb, and blind, long before it strikes."

This in inevitable progression. Godless communism must dominate all, as a proxy servant of the devil which seeks to. And US naivety, which includes the ignorant presumption that democracy is itself the answer, and that helping China with tech and trade would result in that, helped China to be the #1 military threat.

I envision a modular construction like the Transformers in which units are launched and assemble themselves into a Starship Enterprise type of vessel.

Yet the West is committing suicide, not simply financially, but by making God its enemy, a war which cannot be won by any adversary.

The below applies:

Israel hath cast off the thing that is good: the enemy shall pursue him. They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off. For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof. (Hosea 8:3-4, 14)

[daniel1212]

U.S. agrees to sell supercomputer to China, officials say Administration aims to embrace, not isolate, Beijing. By New York Times News Service UPDATED: October 24, 2018 at 6:41 PM EST

WASHINGTON — In a good-will gesture toward China, the Clinton administration has agreed to sell it a sophisticated $8 million supercomputer, senior administration officials said yesterday.

The decision is part of the administration’s strategy to embrace, rather than isolate, China despite disagreements over human rights, weapons proliferation and trade. The Clinton administration is determined to grab an ever-larger share of China’s market, the fastest growing in the world, and reduce a trade deficit that could exceed that with Japan by the end of the decade.

Even more significant for American business, the administration has also decided to lift the ban on important components for China’s nuclear power plants, such as generators, senior Commerce Department officials said. That could mean billions of dollars in sales for General Electric Co. - https://www.baltimoresun.com/1993/11/19/us-agrees-to-sell-supercomputer-to-china-officials-say-administration-aims-to-embrace-not-isolate-beijing/

[SMARTY]

Is it true that Billy Boy didn’t even charge the Chinese for the technology, but rather, GAVE it away?

[sauropod]

Bkmk

[Nateman]

The ultimate high ground is the Moon
Mere to rocks tossed from that platform would hit Earth with the force of Atomic bombs.

[Nateman]

The ultimate high ground is the Moon
Mere rocks tossed from that platform would hit Earth with the force of Atomic bombs.

[PIF]

China is developing large, unmanned space planes that can re-enter the atmosphere to maneuver toward a new orbit and then relaunch into space to deploy energy and missile weapons.
—

Meanwhile, the USAF has no plans to make more X-37 space planes. And the Space Force has no budget to do make more either.

Better hope we have an anti-gravity or electrostatic drive space planes on the works, or just forget competing with China in space, like the US is dwarfed by China in building naval vessels.

[PIF]

Yes and as a companion piece he also showed them how to make miniaturized klyston switches, allowing the Chinese to make thermonuclear warheads small and light enough for their ICBMs. See how that all goes together? Additional classified tech he sold to them for campaign cash.

Then there was a years long stint allowing Chinese navy operatives to reside on board every vessel in the Navy, with no restrictions on access.

[Racketeer]

“Slick Willie and Loral Corp. executives should be hanged for treason.”

You are exactly right. However, I pray the recent B-2 and F35 deployments to the region will end the Iran program once and for all.

If China makes any kind of move whatsoever, knowing how broke they are, Americans must stop buying anything Chinese, including their restaurant food.

[Rappini]

You can thank Bubba Klinton and the Rand Corporation for the Chicoms ability to launch missiles and now control space.

[Grampa Dave]

Page 3, From a book written by Tony Seidel:
‘Cold War Spooks’:

“If we had believed the intel, we had in hand in 1941:

“There would have been no Pearl Harbor!”

[Grampa Dave]

The Chinese are evidently planning to blind not only America’s military but also America’s civilian society, which is heavily dependent on space assets.

Almost nothing modern in America will work when the Chinese are finished attacking in the heavens.

As Weichert said, “A Space Pearl Harbor is at hand.”