Chinese researchers assess U.S. space situational awareness, call for boost in China’s capabilities

HELSINKI — Chinese researchers are calling for improved space situational awareness, following an assessment of U.S. capabilities and trends.

An article titled “A Review of Space Situational Awareness Satellites: Silentbarker,” published in the journal ACMSR, provides an in-depth review of the development, status and future trends of space situational awareness (SSA) satellites. 

It focuses in particular on four significant programs developed by the United States. These are the Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX), the Space-Based Surveillance System (SBSS), the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) and Silentbarker.

The report digs into mission objectives and capabilities, noting a trend towards high mobility, high sensitivity and deployment of constellations for space situational awareness. The U.S. Space Force however uses an expanded concept of space domain awareness, which includes  understanding the entire space environment, including the behavior and intentions of other space actors.

The document also implies that China’s capabilities are significant enough to warrant attention and action from the U.S., as seen in their proactive measures to monitor and sometimes interact closely with Chinese satellites.

It also highlights rendezvous and proximity operations (RPOs). It notes one instance of the GSSAP-4 deliberately approaching China’s Shijian-20 satellite in July 2021, closing in to within a distance of 29 kilometers (previous reporting notes an approach to within 10 km, however).

In light of the assessment, the authors, many of whom are attached to the Space Engineering University in Beijing, call for expanded Chinese SSA.

“The impact of space situational awareness satellites extends far beyond the protection of space assets to a wide range of other applications,” the report states. 

Space Situational Awareness refers to the ability to detect, track, catalog, and understand objects and activities in outer space.

SSA can help “monitor and maintain national space security, thereby promoting national defense security and foreign policy implementation,” the report states, while adding that SSA can support international cooperation, and, on the commercial front, optimize the location and orbit of satellites. It also outlines benefits for academic purposes.

China is already at work in this area, says Victoria Samson, chief director of space security and stability at the Secure World Foundation. 

“China is developing a sophisticated network of ground-based optical telescopes and radars for detecting, tracking, and characterizing space objects,” Samson told SpaceNews. 

“Like the United States and Russia, several of the Chinese SSA radars also serve missile warning functions. While China lacks an extensive network of SSA tracking assets outside its borders, it does have a fleet of tracking ships and is developing relationships with countries that may host future sensors,” Samson says.

Furthermore, the country likely also has space-based assets in this area.

“Since 2010, China has deployed several satellites capable of conducting RPO on orbit, which likely aids in its ability to characterize and collect intelligence on foreign satellites.”

However, the researchers are calling for greater commercial capabilities. These can assist optimizing satellite operations, improving service coverage, and managing space traffic.

The U.S. is  currently leading the way, the article says. It notes that its “deployed satellites and mature technology provide many learning opportunities for other countries.”

“To promote the development of this field, we can make full use of our own advantages, adopt advanced space technology, and actively explore and develop space situational awareness capabilities to support the expansion of commercial aerospace,” the article concludes.

While noting various potentials, the article does not suggest specific strategies or initiatives that China might pursue to enhance its commercial or space-based SSA capabilities. China is understood to be studying ways to boost its SSA capabilities. This includes considering sending satellites into retrograde geostationary orbit via the moon.

China has recently expanded its support of the commercial space sector. Much of the focus and funding has fallen on the launch sector, with satellite manufacturing another key capability. However, other areas are seeing commercial entrants, such as ground stations to support emerging commercial space operations. Improved SSA services would assist this growth.

Related