China tests anti-satellite missile

[300miles]

U.S. criticizes China over missile test

WASHINGTON - The United States criticized China on Thursday for conducting an anti-satellite weapons test in which an old Chinese weather satellite was destroyed by a missile.

... Analysts said China's weather satellites would travel at about the same altitude as U.S. spy satellites, so the test represented an indirect threat to U.S. defense systems.

... "Several countries continue to develop capabilities that have the potential to threaten U.S. space assets, and some have already deployed systems with inherent anti-satellite capabilities, such as satellite-tracking laser range-finding devices and nuclear-armed ballistic missiles," he said in his written testimony on Jan. 11, the same day China's test was conducted.

... Precisely what drove China to act now remains a mystery. But the United States has to figure out how to respond, said John Pike, a satellite expert at globalsecurity.org.

Since the mid-1980s, the United States has had the ability to take down satellites, but the Chinese don't have satellites worth attacking, Pike said. The United States may have to develop alternatives to its current spy satellites — perhaps stealthy satellites or unmanned aerial vehicles, which are harder to detect than the current well-established U.S. satellite network.

Reconnaissance satellites in low-Earth orbit — "eyes in the sky" — are essential to how the United States fights wars.

"Our space assets are the first asset on the scene," Pike said. "They are absolutely central to why we are a superpower — a signature component to America's style of warfare." ...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070119/ap_on_go_ot/us_china_test

[Stevenco]

Does China care that the US criticized it?

[mikewrona]

Does China care that the US criticized it?

China has the U.S. over the economic barrel because American business likes cheap Chinese labor, and, the American shopper loves cheap Chinese goods made for American named companies.

This is a snippet from the bbcnews.com:

"China is a major funder of US debt, holding about $260bn (£149bn) in US Treasury bonds - second only to Japan.

Any reduction in China's dollar assets could hit the US economy.

Should China cut its US dollar holdings, this could drive up long-term yields on US bonds, which could in turn put pressure on interest rates."

[300miles]

Concern grows over China's satellite-killing missile test

Beijing insisted Friday it was opposed to an arms race in space after Japan and Britain joined a chorus of concern over a satellite-killing missile test by China -- the first known experiment of its type in more than 20 years.

The United States says China used a ground-based ballistic missile to shoot apart an aging weather satellite on January 11, scattering debris that could damage other satellites and raising risks of escalating military rivalry in outer space.

... U.S. concerns were quickly echoed by Australia and Canada, and then Friday by Japan, which has become increasingly concerned about its giant neighbor's rising military strength.

... Britain added its voice to the alarm over China's reported move, with Prime Minister Tony Blair's spokesman telling reporters "we have concerns about the impact of debris in space and we've expressed that concern."

The last U.S. anti-satellite test took place in 1985. Washington then halted such Cold War-era testing, concerned debris could harm civilian and military satellite operations.

The State Department said Undersecretary of State Robert Joseph had summoned the Chinese ambassador to Washington on Tuesday to seek information about the test.

"Is this one of these things where they have done it for whatever reasons and we are not going to see it happen again? Is this the beginning of a much longer program? Is this ... part of a particular military effort of some kind or is it part of just some other scientific program? There's a lot of questions that are out there," said a U.S. official who asked not to be named, saying China had yet to provide answers.

Blair's spokesman said Britain did not believe the China's test had contravened international law, but it was concerned by the lack of consultation. The test was "inconsistent with the spirit of China's statement to the U.N. and other bodies on the military use of space," he said.

... According to David Wright of the Union of Concerned Scientists in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the satellite pulverized by China could have broken into nearly 40,000 fragments from 1 cm to 10 cm -- or up to 4 inches -- roughly half of which would stay in orbit for more than a decade.

The United States has been researching satellite-killers of its own, experimenting with lasers on the ground that could disable, disrupt and destroy spacecraft.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/china_satellite_dc

[count alucard]

I wonder if the satellite had a Wal Mart smiley face on it?

__________________________________________________ __________

The count says:

"It's better to look forward than backward."

[biker]

Why do you all use this as an opportunity to mock America?

[biker]

While I was riding through the New Mexican desert this April or May, I heard a report on how the Chinese had used earth-based lasers to knock out the optics on a US spy satellite.

The interviewee (might have been Bill Gerst) was surprised that no US papers had picked up on it. He had seen it in the Financial Times of London.

He surmised that the US was not making an issue of it, as it needed Chinese support at that time for sanctions against Iran.

If the US continues to fail to respond to provocative Chinese acts, we can expect further aggression.

[Stevenco]

Why do you all use this as an opportunity to mock America?

It keeps us on our toes. If everyone were pro-American, the country wouldn't be as strong as it is. We need Americans to point out what's wrong with America. That's why it's the gr8est nation on earth.

[TheRightView]

Why do you all use this as an opportunity to mock America?
Because Biker only you see criticism in a mocking manner. We may critize(sp). in a sarcastic manner because it suits us BUT it is still just criticism(sp).

[biker]

When only one in four or five who speak out, does so in celebration of his country, does that country survive?

Let alone thrive?

[Stevenco]

When only one in four or five who speak out, does so in celebration of his country, does that country survive?

Let alone thrive?

Wrong. One in five speak in celebration of the current admin. Don't confuse this gr8 country with the thugs currently running it.

[300miles]

Officials concerned about Chinese debris in space

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Trash from China's satellite-killing missile test has spread widely in space, creating a debris cloud that could jeopardize spy satellites and commercial imagery satellites in low orbits around Earth, U.S. officials said on Monday.

Even the manned International Space Station is vulnerable to being hit by some of the thousands of pieces of trash created when China slammed a ground-based medium-range ballistic missile into an aging Chinese weather satellite about 537 miles above Earth on January 11, the officials said.

...

full (http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyid=2007-01-23T001539Z_01_N22487285_RTRUKOC_0_US-CHINA-USA-SATELLITE.xml&src=rss&rpc=22)

[Timmy]

This just proves the jewish globalists neocons like Milton and Tom Freidman traitors (and its not just jews there are many globalists who are not jewish such as the Walmart family dynasty, Bill Gates, etc) but its Tom Friedman and Milton Friedman and other so called public experts who are constantly espousing why we should be exporting our manufacturing and service industries overseas

but its a whole host of globalists who are using the american taxpayers to protect cheap oil, to protect the sea lanes, to be the worlds policeman so global trade works....but unwilling to pay for it while they have move their corporate headquarters overseas for lower taxes, who have offshored and outsourced their employment .... yet receive the benefits of the american market without paying for it.

and lets not forget that these so called experts are utterly ignoring that our trade partners are not globalists and do not practice free or fair trade. Infact they are predators ignoring our patents, our copyrights, environmental laws, safe working conditions, currency valuations, etc.

and lets also not forget taht these so called experts are utterly ignoring that by hollowing out our manufacturing and service economy they are gutting our nations ability to defend itself and defend the very trade routes necessary to keep this global economy running.

They are traitors...to which neither the democrats or republicans are willing to honor their commitments to the constitution and its citizenry.

[WNYresident]

Officials concerned about Chinese debris in space

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Trash from China's satellite-killing missile test has spread widely in space, creating a debris cloud that could jeopardize spy satellites and commercial imagery satellites in low orbits around Earth, U.S. officials said on Monday.

Even the manned International Space Station is vulnerable to being hit by some of the thousands of pieces of trash created when China slammed a ground-based medium-range ballistic missile into an aging Chinese weather satellite about 537 miles above Earth on January 11, the officials said.

...

full (http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyid=2007-01-23T001539Z_01_N22487285_RTRUKOC_0_US-CHINA-USA-SATELLITE.xml&src=rss&rpc=22)


Maybe this is what they meant to do all along. Ruin all satellites and put everyone on a level playing field from space.

[biker]

this all sounds scary and geopolitical. But it doesn't seem to have had much of an effect on the stock and bond markets.

[Micheal Joseph]

This just proves the jewish globalists neocons like Milton and Tom Freidman traitors (and its not just jews there are many globalists who are not jewish such as the Walmart family dynasty, Bill Gates, etc) but its Tom Friedman and Milton Friedman and other so called public experts who are constantly espousing why we should be exporting our manufacturing and service industries overseas

but its a whole host of globalists who are using the american taxpayers to protect cheap oil, to protect the sea lanes, to be the worlds policeman so global trade works....but unwilling to pay for it while they have move their corporate headquarters overseas for lower taxes, who have offshored and outsourced their employment .... yet receive the benefits of the american market without paying for it.

and lets not forget that these so called experts are utterly ignoring that our trade partners are not globalists and do not practice free or fair trade. Infact they are predators ignoring our patents, our copyrights, environmental laws, safe working conditions, currency valuations, etc.

and lets also not forget taht these so called experts are utterly ignoring that by hollowing out our manufacturing and service economy they are gutting our nations ability to defend itself and defend the very trade routes necessary to keep this global economy running.

They are traitors...to which neither the democrats or republicans are willing to honor their commitments to the constitution and its citizenry.

First off, the above mentioned people, WalMart, Bill Gates etc, are not holloinwg out our country.

Second, where does it state anywhere in the constitution, Bill of rights etc, about what you are rambling on about, and

Third, since we are a type of democracy, that allows FREE trade, allows us to choose where to shop, who to buy from, who to sell to, etc, (Capatalism), things would be a lot worse.

Micheal

PS - I Like to be able to choose where I shop, and what I buy. The decision process is in my hands, not the governments.

[Timmy]

on the contrary Michael, there has rarely been free trade
-19th century england became an industrial powerhouse by stopping manufacturing of textiles in India which prior to the English was one of the largest producers in the world.
-20th century Germany bankrupt after WWI became a technical powerhouse by selectively choosing which countries patents it would respect
-Japan waited until the 1980s to accept the patent from Texas Instruments for the silicon computer chip when they filed it in the 1950s
-China is now engaged in currency manipulation
-US law presently does not tax imports but it does tax domestic goods and services while foreign countries tax imports but credit exports via the VAT Tax system which people like Forbes say this country should adopt and I agree.

Your entitled to your opinion but the entire tax system is rigged against domestic employment and in support of offshoring, outsourcing, and relocating corporate headquarters to low tax countries. They are ineffect receiving the benefits of one of the worlds largest and richest markets and receiving all of the benefits such as our military patrolling those trade routes necessary for global trade while at the same time refusing to participate in the economy or pay the taxes to support the economy.

You may think this is fair but do not expect me to agree! There is no such thing as free trade. Every country protects their own interest and right now the US is not protecting the interests of its poor and middle class...so it can use these existing unfair trade give-aways to support its failed foreign policies!

[Stevenco]

Shutup, moadib, you blithering idiot.:rolleyes:

[300miles]

China weapons test shakes up world view

... China's promotion of anti-satellite weapons is underpinned by its doctrine of "asymmetric warfare" that envisions defeating the U.S. or another powerful foe by knocking away key capabilities rather than through frontal assault.

Anti-satellite weapons development has likely benefited from the increasing attention garnered by China's space program, which entered a new era with its first manned space flight in 2003.

A second mission in 2005 put two astronauts, or "yuhangyuan," into orbit for a week and a third manned launch is planned for next year. This year, China plans to put into space a lunar probe which will orbit the moon at an altitude of 125 miles.

Despite the successes, China's space program had been seen as lacking in innovation, overly cautious and, perhaps most importantly, non-threatening to Washington. That evaluation may now have to change.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070123/ap_on_re_as/china_missile_test

[biker]

300miles:

Have any of your sources shown anything for an attack on a US satellite in the April/May 2006 timeframe?

That story seems to have been blacked out in the US.

[300miles]

^ yikes. No, I haven't heard about that.

[300miles]

this may be related to what you were talking about


Officials fear war in space by China

China's anti-satellite-interceptor test Jan. 11 is part of a covert space-weapons program designed to cripple the U.S. military in a conflict, defense officials said yesterday as Beijing confirmed it had destroyed one of its weather satellites. China said it had not "weaponized" space.

The anti-satellite weapon was identified by U.S. government officials as a nonexplosive "kinetic kill vehicle," which destroys its target simply by colliding with it. It was the first success in four attempts by China to destroy an orbiting object in space over the past two years.
...

U.S. officials familiar with intelligence reports said yesterday that three previous tests were unsuccessful. All four tests involved the launch of a commercial rocket booster carrying an anti-satellite (ASAT) warhead that would separate from the booster in space and seek to crash into the satellite about 530 miles above the earth.

Some U.S. policy and intelligence officials have tried in internal memorandums to play down the significance of the ASAT test, saying that the warhead hit a large, low-earth-orbit satellite and that it would be more difficult to hit higher-orbiting and smaller systems.

Other defense officials, however, said the test has raised alarm bells because it exposed a key strategic vulnerability. They also said that there are major gaps in U.S. intelligence about which other space weapons and capabilities China has or is developing that could cripple or disable U.S. satellites, which handle about 90 percent of all military communications, as well as intelligence and missile guidance.

The Jan. 11 test also alarmed military and defense officials because it undermined American intelligence estimates that China's military trails the U.S. military in terms of weapons and war-fighting capabilities by 10 years.

"The ASAT test showed they are not following us [militarily] but trying to leap ahead," one defense official said.

...
The ASAT weapon separated from the last stage in space and then destroyed the Feng Yun-1C weather satellite, launched in 1999 and orbiting over both poles, by ramming into it at high speed. U.S. officials said debris from the destroyed satellite continues to orbit and poses a risk to some of the 800 satellites now in space, 400 of which are American.

China also illuminated a U.S. satellite with a ground-based laser in another anti-satellite test, according to a report by the congressional U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.

The report, produced by defense analyst Michael Pillsbury, revealed that China has plans for secret space weapons that include ground-based lasers, air-to-space missile interceptors and an exotic plasma bomb that would destroy orbiting satellites by enveloping them in an electronic cloud.

The report also stated that three books written by Chinese colonels in 2001, 2002 and 2005 contain "proposals for covert deployment of antisatellite weapons directed at U.S. assets."

One author, Col. Jia Junming, stated in his 2002 book that Chinese space-weapons development should be covert and "intense internally but relaxed in external appearance to maintain our good international image and position."

The 2005 book, "Joint Space War Campaigns," by Col. Yuan Zelu, calls for deploying an orbiting network of strike weapons that "will be concealed and launched only in a crisis or emergency" to "bring the opponent to his knees."


full http://www.washtimes.com/functions/print.php?StoryID=20070124-121536-8225r

[biker]

300:

Yes, that sounds like it.

I was riding through New Mexico last year when I heard a report on it.

Actually, it was just mentioned in the report. It seems the Chinese fried the optics on one of our spy satellites last Spring. The US apparently didn't squawk at the time, as we were doing something in the UN about Iran and needed China's vote. The reporter said the story seemed only to have been in European papers.

I was riding through the VLA (Very Large Array) of giant radio telescopes at the time, so it was kind of spooky. That's where they monitor the heavens for signs of extraterrestril intelligence.

Signs of the terrestial version are spotty.

[Timmy]

How ironic that china is building an arsenal to attack the US

with chinese educated students from our universities
with american treasuries paid for by undervaluing their currency and linking it to the US dollar
with technology and manufacturing brought over from US corporations for cheap labor

I feel so much better about the free trade globalism espoused by Milton Freidman and Tom Freidman...boy those jews are really smart.

[300miles]

The US was trying to setup cooperation with china involving our military and even NASA and satellite technology.

I hope recent event put an end to that.

Even so, the Chinese will still get what they want from Europe probably. China was a big supporter of Europes GPS system that competes with the US. The US had total control of that kind of data until now. (... or until the European system is operational... not sure when that is.)

[biker]

Gosh, I wonder if all that Chinese access to US classified technology had anything to do with the Chinese national who was making huge donations to the Clinton campaign?

The guy who was subpoened to testify before Congress.

Who fled back to China rather than testify.

I wonder.

[Timmy]

why you think that the republicans and their business lobby are any less indebted to the chinese

Wake up!

the jews and israelis play both the republicans and the democrates ... and guess what so do the chinese. they just have different access points....depending on the party

[Jackie Stecchino]

China is beginning to flex her muscle. Historical China pretty much remained confined to the Asian continent, not expanding outside of the boundaries that are currently China. However with the huge need for energy, China is seeking to become a global power and will begin to actively challenge the US and other western powers, especially naval power. Targeting satellites will be necessary to conduct military operations, should China choose to. But China could also take out communication satellites, weather and others that the western world has become to rely on for everyday financial operations causing a financial collapse.

When the Clinton administration authorized the sale of technology that has facilitated today’s threat, there were those who scoffed at the notion that the components could be used for just such an enterprise, even when experts were saying otherwise. Where is the media now? Little has been discussed about how China acquired such technology. Could it be that Clinton will be given a pass because the former co-president Hillary is running for the Oval office? When China uses this new found might to cripple our ability to counter threats to our economy or military I wonder what will be said then.

[biker]

China is beginning to flex her muscle. Historical China pretty much remained confined to the Asian continent, not expanding outside of the boundaries that are currently China. However with the huge need for energy, China is seeking to become a global power and will begin to actively challenge the US and other western powers, especially naval power. Targeting satellites will be necessary to conduct military operations, should China choose to. But China could also take out communication satellites, weather and others that the western world has become to rely on for everyday financial operations causing a financial collapse.

When the Clinton administration authorized the sale of technology that has facilitated today’s threat, there were those who scoffed at the notion that the components could be used for just such an enterprise, even when experts were saying otherwise. Where is the media now? Little has been discussed about how China acquired such technology. Could it be that Clinton will be given a pass because the former co-president Hillary is running for the Oval office? When China uses this new found might to cripple our ability to counter threats to our economy or military I wonder what will be said then.

Haven't you learned?

The MSM does not willingly publish anything derogatory about Democrats.

Have you seen anything critical about the Democrats new Ethics initiatives and the hypocrisy of having William Jefferson (D-LA) in their caucus?

[300miles]

three books written by Chinese colonels in 2001, 2002 and 2005 contain "proposals for covert deployment of antisatellite weapons directed at U.S. assets."

One author, Col. Jia Junming, stated in his 2002 book that Chinese space-weapons development should be covert and "intense internally but relaxed in external appearance to maintain our good international image and position."

The 2005 book, "Joint Space War Campaigns," by Col. Yuan Zelu, [b]calls for deploying an orbiting network of strike weapons that "will be concealed and launched only in a crisis or emergency" to "bring the opponent to his knees." [b]
Would we even know if these systems were deployed? I'm sure they could easily launch new satellites as something mundane like a communications satellite when actually they are strike weapons.

They want us to think they are technologically behind, when they actually may be able to take us out very soon and we don't realize it.

Our military, govt, and private economy all rely on Satellites. I don't think China realizes they're about to up the paranoia to cold war levels. Now the US will need to create more defenses to protect our satellites and destroy their attack-satellites.

[Jackie Stecchino]

Would we even know if these systems were deployed? I'm sure they could easily launch new satellites as something mundane like a communications satellite when actually they are strike weapons.

They want us to think they are technologically behind, when they actually may be able to take us out very soon and we don't realize it.

Our military, govt, and private economy all rely on Satellites. I don't think China realizes they're about to up the paranoia to cold war levels. Now the US will need to create more defenses to protect our satellites and destroy their attack-satellites.

And people laughed about the star wars initiative. They're kind of quiet now.

[biker]

And people laughed about the star wars initiative. They're kind of quiet now.

The lefty, faux-intellectuals are always quick to mock anyone expressing a concern for America's security.

And the first to run for cover.

Those that aren't taken out by the first wave, that is.

[biker]

And people laughed about the star wars initiative. They're kind of quiet now.

Remember The News' cartoonist ridiculing Pres. Reagan and his particle-board beam whacking the satellites?

I don't believe he's penned anything concerning the ChiCom and their satellite-destroyer.

[300miles]

Space station moves to avoid debris

Moscow, Feb 02 (UPI) -- U.S. and Russian officials changed the International Space Station's orbit to keep it clear of debris from a satellite destroyed by China, a report says.

"We are diverting the orbit of the ISS to prevent a possible collision with large fragments of space debris, a decision the Russian Mission Control took together with the Johnson Space Center in Houston," a Russian Mission Control spokesman told Novosti Friday.

The spokesman said the debris did not threaten the space station, and that an anti-meteorite system protected it from smaller fragments.

China set off an international protest when it announced in January it had used a ground-based missile to hit one its aging weather satellites, Novosti reported.

The United States filed a diplomatic protest, Novosti said, because the weather satellite used approximately the same orbit as its spy satellites. Canada, Australia and Japan also objected.

Russian and U.S. space agencies were both tracking fragments from the weather satellite. U.S. officials said they were following 525 large fragments and had recorded between 500 and 600 instances of debris passing within three miles of orbiting satellites.

[DR_GONZO]

The spokesman said the debris did not threaten the space station, and that an anti-meteorite system protected it from smaller fragments.

Anti-meteorite system?:confused: What's this all about? Lasers, missiles, and such or just a propulsion avoidance system that moves the station around?

[300miles]

Ping Pong Paddles?