Media reports say the Chinese military is planning to develop a weapon that could destroy Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites if it threatens his “national security”.
Starlink is a satellite constellation system operated by Musk’s SpaceX and provides broadband Internet services to commercial and military users around the world. With over 2,300 satellites in orbit, it is generally considered indestructible because the system can function properly after losing a few satellites.
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A paper published in the domestic peer-reviewed journal Modern Defense Technology recommended China develop anti-satellite capabilities, including the ability to track, monitor and disable each Starlink satellite, reports the South China Morning Post. .
Ren Yuanzhen, a researcher at the Beijing Institute of Tracking and Telecommunications under the People’s Liberation Army Unit, wrote, “A combination of soft and hard killing methods must be adopted to prevent some Starlink satellites losing their functions and destroying the constellation’s operating system.” ” In Paper for the Space, Cyber and Electronic Warfare Force.
However, the study cannot be confirmed as the official stand of the Chinese military or the government, the report said.
SpaceX recently signed a contract with the US Department of Defense to develop new technology based on the Starlink platform, including sensitive instruments capable of detecting and tracking hypersonic weapons.
Ren estimates that the contract could increase the data transmission speed of US military drones and stealth fighter jets by more than 100 times. Thus, he suggested, that the Chinese military upgrade its existing space surveillance systems to obtain super-sharp images of these small satellites for experts to identify unusual features, the report said.
“The Starlink constellation constitutes a decentralized system. The collision is not about individual satellites, but about the entire system. This requires some low-cost, high-efficiency measures,” the researchers said.
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Meanwhile, on the lines of Starlink, China also launched a project called Jing Wang – Starnet. Its aim is to provide internet access on a global scale.
According to Chinese space officials, the Starnet system will have only a few hundred satellites, but will achieve high performance by connecting with other Chinese satellites to build a high-speed, powerful and resilient information infrastructure with cutting-edge technology such as laser communications. AI, the report said.
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