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Also maybe gives China cover/justification to start shooting down these low satellites.

by georgeg23 4y ago

meepmorp 4y ago
No. Shooting down satellites is a very different thing.
- postalrat 4y ago
  Because they fly a bit higher?
  - rfrey 4y ago
    Yes. Sovereign airspace versus not.
    - mensetmanusman 4y ago
      I wouldn’t put it past the Chinese to deploy islands of atmosphere and release air in low earth orbit, and then declare that it is now part of the Chinese atmosphere before they start shooting down satellites.
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
    - blendergeek 4y ago
      Also Kessler syndrome.
- macintux 4y ago
  China hasn’t indicated it cares a great deal about international law. (One could make the same argument for the U.S., but that’s not the open question at the moment.)
  - gateorade 4y ago
    International law’s got nothing to do with it. Basically Every spacefaring has made it their policy that an attack on one of their satellites would be treated as an act of war and everything would be on the table in terms of retaliation
  - kccqzy 4y ago
    If China didn't care about international law it would've said it sent the balloon on purpose. Instead it found a cover story of some civilian balloon gone awry. They cared enough about international law to lie.
boc 4y ago
That’s an escalator that China can’t afford to ride. The US would deorbit everything China ever put into space if they started shooting at satellites. Those satellites are part of the strategic triad and would be a direct threat to the US nuclear umbrella. The AEGIS systems off the Chinese coast would take care of any attempts to add satellites back into space.
- georgeg23 4y ago
  Low-Earth orbit satellites are not currently part of triad (but may be part of a future nuclear defense shield / interceptor system). They are also much easier to shoot down. See Space Development Agency https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Development_Agency https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Development_Agency That's what China has been most upset about at United Nations.
- systemvoltage 4y ago
  There are some rumors that the ICON was shot down by the Chinese (No facts are found supporting those rumors): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionospheric_Connection_Explorer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionospheric_Connection_Explore... That happened last month in November 2022. It mysteriously destroyed itself.
- michelb 4y ago
  Curious, are all satellites known? I’m sure there are hundreds of unknown, untracked, secret satellites floating around?

Also maybe gives China cover/justification to start shooting down these low satellites.

meepmorp 4y ago

No. Shooting down satellites is a very different thing.

postalrat 4y ago
Because they fly a bit higher?
- rfrey 4y ago
  Yes. Sovereign airspace versus not.
  - mensetmanusman 4y ago
    I wouldn’t put it past the Chinese to deploy islands of atmosphere and release air in low earth orbit, and then declare that it is now part of the Chinese atmosphere before they start shooting down satellites.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - blendergeek 4y ago
    Also Kessler syndrome.
macintux 4y ago
China hasn’t indicated it cares a great deal about international law. (One could make the same argument for the U.S., but that’s not the open question at the moment.)
- gateorade 4y ago
  International law’s got nothing to do with it. Basically Every spacefaring has made it their policy that an attack on one of their satellites would be treated as an act of war and everything would be on the table in terms of retaliation
- kccqzy 4y ago
  If China didn't care about international law it would've said it sent the balloon on purpose. Instead it found a cover story of some civilian balloon gone awry. They cared enough about international law to lie.

boc 4y ago

That’s an escalator that China can’t afford to ride. The US would deorbit everything China ever put into space if they started shooting at satellites. Those satellites are part of the strategic triad and would be a direct threat to the US nuclear umbrella. The AEGIS systems off the Chinese coast would take care of any attempts to add satellites back into space.

georgeg23 4y ago
Low-Earth orbit satellites are not currently part of triad (but may be part of a future nuclear defense shield / interceptor system). They are also much easier to shoot down. See Space Development Agency https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Development_Agency https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Development_Agency That's what China has been most upset about at United Nations.
systemvoltage 4y ago
There are some rumors that the ICON was shot down by the Chinese (No facts are found supporting those rumors): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionospheric_Connection_Explorer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionospheric_Connection_Explore... That happened last month in November 2022. It mysteriously destroyed itself.
michelb 4y ago
Curious, are all satellites known? I’m sure there are hundreds of unknown, untracked, secret satellites floating around?