China Declares That It Has Complained to the United Nations About SpaceX Satellites

Tuesday, December 28, 2021 | Chimniii Desk

Key Highlights

According to Zhao Lijian, the Chinese space station took evasive steps.

Both Beijing and Washington have signed a treaty on the use of space.

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China says SpaceX satellites nearly collided with space station

Beijing has complained to the United Nations over claimed near misses between its space station and SpaceX satellites, a warning that tensions are increasing in the US-China space race.

Two satellites from the Elon Musk-founded business came dangerously close to the station in July and October, prompting the station's astronauts to take evasive action, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Tuesday during a routine press briefing in Beijing.

The Chinese government informed UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres about the event on Dec. 3, Zhao said, adding that the US was not adhering to the Outer Space Treaty's duties.

"While the US talks about responsible outer space behaviour, it is effectively neglecting its treaty duties," Zhao said, noting that the accidents jeopardised the station's taikonauts, the Chinese term for astronauts.

The US-China space rivalry has intensified in recent years. Earlier this month, a prominent Chinese scientist predicted that his country could send astronauts to the moon for the first time by 2030. These remarks come just weeks after President Joe Biden's senior space officer laid out a similar timeline for future American lunar exploration, paving the way for rival missions between two of the world's most well-funded space powers.

China and the United States are both parties to the space treaty, which holds countries "responsible for national space operations conducted by governmental or non-governmental companies." Additionally, it specifies that states are accountable for damage caused by their spacecraft.

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relates to China Says It Complained to UN About Musk’s SpaceX Satellites

Starlink satellites stacked ahead of deployment in May 2019.

Source: SpaceX

SpaceX has orbited over 1,600 Starlink satellites. Musk is also the CEO of Tesla Inc., which has benefited from unparalleled policy concessions and government help in order to build a factory in Shanghai.

Outside of regular business hours, the corporation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

According to the Xinhua News Agency, China launched its Shenzhou-13 spacecraft on Oct. 16, sending three astronauts on a six-month mission to its Tianhe space station. Zhai Zhigang and Ye Guangfu worked outside the station earlier this week, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

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