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> Nobody is going to disclose & use anti-satellite technology over internet censorship. This constellation is plausibly if not probably duel-use technology. Y

• Nextgrid 4y ago
  If war breaks out is the key. They'd rather keep their ability to destroy it under wraps until it becomes a matter of national security. Disclosing it or using it prematurely over a benign issue such as internet censorship would be stupid.
  • MichaelCollins 4y ago
    In the unlikely event that SpaceX tries to enter the Chinese market illegally, I wouldn't put it past China to swat one of Starlink's satellites using a conventional anti-satellite weapon (one of the sort they have already revealed), just to make a statement. But I think SpaceX won't do this anyway; they'll continue to comply with local/national laws during peacetime. It's not in their interest to stir the pot and cause diplomatic trouble. But more to your point I agree; they won't try to destroy the constellation itself over something as petty as a few people using Starlink to circumvent their 'Great Firewall'. People sufficiently motivated to get around the firewall already can, without the need for Starlink. The CCP doesn't seem to care about it; the firewall doesn't need to be perfectly airtight to control the population, it only needs to be 'good enough'. And they wouldn't want to expose any new anti-satellite weapons they have, particularly soft-kill weapons that might be addressed after discovery with a software patch.