China estimates that satellites Starlink
, SpaceX properties have, in recent months and twice, threatened the security of the chinese space station
(SSC). To this, Elon Musk replies that there is room for everyone.
There has been rififi in space – and now on Earth – since China lodged a complaint, handed over to the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), in which it lambasted SpaceX and its Starlink satellites, which are working to deploy telecommunications services across the globe. Beijing accuses Elon Musk’s firm of having had to force its space station, Tiangong, to perform evasive maneuvers twice for fear of colliding with Starlink satellites.
The Chinese space station had to perform two avoidance maneuvers, to prevent potential collisions
China believes that Starlink, SpaceX and by extension the United States have violated Article 5 of the Outer Space Treaty, which requires any country observing a phenomenon that could pose a danger to the life or health of astronauts in the area. outer space, to bring it to the attention of other States or the United Nations.
In its complaint, China does not relate not one but two events which, according to Beijing, have endangered the Chinese space station. 1er July 2021, China noted a rapprochement between the SSC and the satellite identified Starlink-1095, after noting that the latter had slowly maneuvered, since May 16, 2021, to an orbit of about 382 km, while until then, it was moving stably at an average orbit of about 555 km altitude. ” For safety reasons, the Chinese space station took the initiative to perform an evasive maneuver on the evening of that day to prevent a potential collision between the two spacecraft. “, Says Beijing.
The second incident reported by China dates back to October 21, 2021. This time, it involves the Starlink-2305 satellite, which has also come a little too close to the station, moving in a stable and almost circular orbit at about 390 km above sea level (with an incline of about 41.5 degrees). Experts deplore a continuous but unknown maneuver by the SpaceX satellite, giving rise to orbital errors ” difficult to assess “, According to Chinese scientists, who thus carried out a new avoidance maneuver,” to prevent a potential collision between the two spacecraft ”, Whose safety was threatened.
It’s just a trivial matter, for Elon Musk
Accusing Starlink, SpaceX and the United States of endangering the life and / or health of the astronauts aboard its station and of failing in their international obligations, China calls on the UN to enforce the provisions of the Processed, as nearly 1,800 SpaceX satellites are in orbit and 12,000 more are expected to optimize Starlink’s broadband Internet coverage.
Main interested, Elon Musk responded to the complaint in his own way, with the American press. The whimsical billionaire, well known in the Middle Kingdom thanks to Tesla, considers that ” the space is simply extremely huge “, and ” the satellites are very small “. He says he has no intention of blocking any country or business. ” We haven’t stopped anyone from doing anything, and we don’t expect to do it “, he added.
The strategy of deploying satellites still seems to be of concern beyond China, as far as the West. The boss of the European Space Agency (ESA), Josef Aschbacher, recently warned the world and made it clear that the thousands of communication satellites put into orbit by Starlink would bring down the number of orbital slots available as well as the number of radio frequencies. . But Elon Musk persists. For him there is enough room for everyone. The businessman thus compares the ” a few thousand satellites ” at ” a few thousand cars on Earth “, Asserting that” it’s nothing “. The debate is open.
Sources: Ars Technica
, UN
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