Why China reacted so strongly to its Tiangong space station’s near-misses with Elon Musk’s satellites

[Zsari]

Fool, blowing up space objects flying towards you you basically guarantees the destruction of your ship

Not necessary to blow things up, just capture anything that came close, disable their propulsion and eject them towards earth will do.

 

[kankan326]

If that were so then why has China created MILLIONS OF ITEMS OF VERY DANGEREOUS debris in a vast uncontrolled and diffuse orbits with ASAT tests.
Starlink orbits are known and predictable . China has created millions of hazards in unknown unknowable unpredictable debris flying at hundreds of miles a second within the space occupied by worlds satellites. They did this by blowing up satellites with ASAT weapons test.

Besides, Starlink satellite orbits are known and trackable, Chinese and Russian anti-satellite tests cause small, untrackable debris that endangers not only western space missions, but Russian and Chinese ones too.

From which media you guys were told only China and Russia made anti-satellites tests and US was such a responsible country that never did that tests before? Matter of fact, US is the first ever country that started anti-satellites test.

 

[Beny Karachun]

From which university you guys were told only China and Russia made anti-satellites tests and US was such a responsible country that never did that tests before? Matter of fact, US is the first ever country that started anti-satellites test.

In the US latest 2008 test ,they launched a missile at an orbit decaying satellite which would soon crash.
The satellite had a lot of poisonous gas and was seen as a danger for the crash zone if parts of the satellite won't burn up in the atmosphere, so they took advantage of the situation and tested an SM-3 missile against it.

Last one before it was in 1985, and it had 3 main results

• It raised the possibility that the objects optical systems were detecting were large and dark, not small and bright as was generally assumed. This had implications for the calibration of optical and radar orbital debris detection systems.
• The test also created a baseline event for researchers seeking a characteristic signature of a hypervelocity collision in space.
• Awareness was raised about the orbital debris problem.

after this test, the US learned about the effects of such tests and stopped them.
Such information is known to China and Russia, yet they seem to keep on doing those tests.

 

[Kai Liu]

China will be Musk's Achilles and PRC will take Tesla/Musk down, only a matter of time...

Yes, Elon Musk will be soon in Beijing to keep his factory.

Starlink is revolutionary and is more important to the human race than any Chinese space station, if it manages to provide internet access to 3 more billion people, and improve the internet of billions as well. It will also be probably the most profitable business ever made, up until space mining begins.

I won't believe a cent about this type of boasting shxt just like their Mars colonization...

 

[kankan326]

Awareness was raised about the orbital debris problem.

The only question here: Who can guarantee US would not attack China's and Russia's satellites if war happens? All people with least IQ can predict that US , even aware of debris problem, would 100% do it if China and Russia don't have the same ability. Of course China and Russia had to follow US step to start their own anti satellite tests. If there is some one that should be blamed. Blame the problem initiator

 

[Beny Karachun]

I won't believe a cent about this type of boasting shxt just like their Mars colonization...

Well that comes out of jealousy of the mere thought SpaceX will win the space race.

Undoubtedly, SpaceX is the most successful and advanced space-related company, more successful than any government agency.
Starlink already works. All that's left to do is expand it and optimize it to perfection.

The only question here: Who can guarantee US would not attack China's and Russia's satellites if war happens? All people with least IQ can predict that US , even aware of debris problem, would 100% do it if China and Russia don't have the same ability. Of course China and Russia had to follow US step to start their own anti satellite tests. If there is some one that should be blamed. Blame the problem initiator

I actually think the US actually won't destroy Chinese satellites that would pose direct threat to American satellites and the same applies to China (since the threat is mutual, because of the shared collision orbits)

Such a step could even lock us on earth for all eternity, or until a solution to the debris is found.

 

[kankan326]

I actually think the US actually won't destroy Chinese satellites that would pose direct threat to American satellites and the same applies to China (since the threat is mutual, because of the shared collision orbits)

Such a step could even lock us on earth for all eternity, or until a solution to the debris is found.

Only if China has the same anti satellite ability, US would hesitate. So don't blame China's anti satellite test.

Well that comes out of jealousy of the mere thought SpaceX will win the space race.

Undoubtedly, SpaceX is the most successful and advanced space-related company, more successful than any government agency.
Starlink already works. All that's left to do is expand it and optimize it to perfection.

Considering the huge cost of starlink, the price must be high if it is profitable business. Too high than ground based ones.

 

[Song Hong]

If that were so then why has China created MILLIONS OF ITEMS OF VERY DANGEREOUS debris in a vast uncontrolled and diffuse orbits with ASAT tests.
Starlink orbits are known and predictable . China has created millions of hazards in unknown unknowable unpredictable debris flying at hundreds of miles a second within the space occupied by worlds satellites. They did this by blowing up satellites with ASAT weapons test.

Most of the debris were created by US. They conducted the most anti satellite test.

 

[Beny Karachun]

Only if China has the same anti satellite ability, US would hesitate. So don't blame China's anti satellite test.

I don't blame China for having them.
I blame China and Russia for doing so carelessly, and then complain about Starlink.

The threat small untrackable debris poses is infinite times more dangerous than any Starlink satellite which can easily be avoided since its orbit is known.

Considering the huge cost of starlink, the price must be high if it is profitable business. Too high to be affordable for most people.

The price doesn't have to be high, profit is long term. They're working on ways to make the satellite dishes cheaper. Also, it isn't necessarily an internet service that aims to provide internet for individuals living alone, but rather communities which could build an internet network in their village and as a result provide individuals with without hundreds of kilometers of fiber optics through the wilderness.

Starlink will cost 20-30 billion dollars overall to complete but it could potentially give the company an estimated profit of 30 billion dollars a year.

 

[JSCh]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1475621964538650633

https://twitter.com/x/status/1475622785154174979

I think the problem is that the starlink satellite is actually changing orbit while not answering call to coordinate. This make the orbit unpredictable and dangerous.

In the July encounter, the Chinese space station actually has to make avoidance maneuver the second time just after the first because the starlink actually change orbit. The second close encounter is worse than the first, close to 3 km (some say less than 1 km if CSS not move). Imagine if you are the one controlling the CSS, unable to predict how starlink change course.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1475627384363790337

 

[Song Hong]

The US is now a rogue state of advance technology. Its time to kick out Tesla and ban starlink from doing business in China.

 

[kankan326]

I don't blame China for having them.
I blame China and Russia for doing so carelessly, and then complain about Starlink.

The threat small untrackable debris poses is infinite times more dangerous than any Starlink satellite which can easily be avoided since its orbit is known

Starlink will cost 20-30 billion dollars overall to complete but it could potentially give the company an estimated profit of 30 billion dollars a year.

#25 told you otherwise. The anti satellite test debris won't stay in the orbit forever. They will eventually fall as they gradually lose speed. The starlink stars, on the other hand, are eternal threat to all low earth orbit space crafts.

The price doesn't have to be high, profit is long term. They're working on ways to make the satellite dishes cheaper. Also, it isn't necessarily an internet service that aims to provide internet for individuals living alone, but rather communities which could build an internet network in their village and as a result provide individuals with without hundreds of kilometers of fiber optics through the wilderness.

Starlink will cost 20-30 billion dollars overall to complete but it could potentially give the company an estimated profit of 30 billion dollars a year.

Ground based web suppliers are not short term business either. How is it possible starlink to compete with them in pricing?

 

[Beny Karachun]

#25 told you otherwise.

It doesn't tell me otherwise, my point still stands, the very fact China knows Starlink precise orbits and can maneuver out of collision and be certain it won't collide with any untrackable debris shows how much safer it is than Chinese missile test debris.

Anyways, Starlink satellites have their own autonomous collision avoidance systems and actively deorbit themselves back into earth when they reach the end of their life, so collision shouldn't occur.

 

[kankan326]

It doesn't tell me otherwise, my point still stands, the very fact China knows Starlink precise orbits and can maneuver out of collision and be certain it won't collide with any untrackable debris shows how much safer it is than Chinese missile test debris.

Anyways, Starlink satellites have their own autonomous collision avoidance systems and actively deorbit themselves back into earth when they reach the end of their life, so collision shouldn't occur.

Your narrative doesn't meet the reality. China has told the world starlink is not safe. Believe it or not, up to you. And make sure the starlink won't be used by US government for military purpose, drones attack for example. Otherwise starlink can be easily destoryed.

 

[Beny Karachun]

Ground based web suppliers are not short term business either. How is it possible starlink to compete with them in pricing?

Because reaching Antarctica with internet fibers is more costly and complicated than launching a satellite to do the same apparently.

There are billions of people that live in rural areas with no/slow internet connection.

Antarctica is just an example. A starlink satellite in orbit provides internet over the area it orbits, that means in order to provide constant internet there needs to be many satellites in a single orbit.
However that doesn't make internet available just to a single area but to all of the area under the orbit, so it isn't as if you're launching a satellite for every African village out there, the same satellites that will provide internet to Kenya would also provide internet to any country under the same equator line.

In the end, it's less complicated to launch satellites to cover the entire world than to connect it with wires.

A good proof of concept is satellite TVs, cable is very expensive to install, so for many cities and even countries satellite TV is the most efficient way for TV broadcasting.