China, Russia Disguise Attack Threats Posed by Their Satellites, US Says

Space Force issues its first public report on adversaries
Efforts cited to ‘deny, disrupt or destroy’ satellites

A rocket carrying the Shijian-21 satellite blasts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province, China, on Oct. 24, 2021.Photographer: Li Jieyi/VCG/Getty Images

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By Anthony Capaccio

January 25, 2024 at 5:01 PM UTC

Updated on

January 26, 2024 at 8:22 AM UTC

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China and Russia have launched satellites that are meant to inspect and repair other spacecraft but could be used to attack US assets, according to a new report from the US Space Force.

The dual-use nature of some spacecraft, such as the Chinese satellites Shijian 17 and 21, “makes counterspace tests or hostile activity difficult to detect, attribute or mitigate,” the Space Force said in its first public assessment of threats since the service began operation in December 2019.