[52-6F-62]

> shot down FY-1C as a test of a kinetic kill vehicle (leaving tons of high speed space debris)

Do you have more info on this? Or anyone?

That's so crass. It's plain indefensible. I really want to know more.

edit: Thanks for the links.

[djrogers]

Googling the phrase "China shot down FY-1C" came up with a bunch of stuff, the first of which was the wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Chinese_anti-satellite_mi...

[rhcom2]

Also America's tests:

(2008) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Burnt_Frost

(1985) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solwind

[solarengineer]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Chinese_anti-satellite_mi...

[psisbwvaiia]

Why is it indefensible to defend your nation’s sovereignty. Many nations have google maps blur out their military bases for example.

I’m sure lots of North Americans wouldn’t want Chinese satellites overhead for concern of privacy.

I mean, generating tons of space junk is not cool. But what else are you going to do if others are lurking on your airspace?

It is going to be shift is policy though. We are going to need to update space law.

[jonknee]

> I’m sure lots of North Americans wouldn’t want Chinese satellites overhead for concern of privacy.

Umm, there are of course Chinese satellites overhead and they have excellent imagery of all of our military bases. As we do for theirs (and every other country!). Orbits aren't very friendly to avoiding airspace.

[52-6F-62]

I mean specifically generating high-speed shrapnel in orbit. That's going to have implications for a very long time.

If there is a willingness to do it once, it tests the barrier of what's acceptable.

It's bad for everyone—present, and future.

[tarlinian]

National sovereignty over airspace does not extend into orbit. Otherwise nearly every earth science satellite in polar orbit would be in violation of international law.

[walrus01]

shooting down shit and generating orbital debris in polar orbits is incredibly dangerous to the commons that is low earth orbit, generally.

accidental example:

https://www.google.com/search?client=ubuntu&channel=fs&q=iri...

no nation-state wants to start the game of shooting down another's satellite, either military or commercial, because everything up there is so vulnerable. it would open china to retaliatory strikes taking down their own polar orbit LEO, inclined LEO (35-45 degree) molnia, MEO and GEO satellites. satellites are fragile things and can be killed with one 200g chunk of tungsten at a closing velocity of 18,000 km/h.

[sambull]

Why is a Chinese sattelite less private than a sheriffs helicopter, private imaging plane running grids or an American satellite? Or my neighbors drone?

Your defining 'space' as airspace is odd also

[mirimir]

How far does "airspace" extend? I can see that for low orbit, but geostationary?

[aphextron]

The SpaceX satellites won’t be in GTO, they will be in LEO, around 600 miles altitude. Well within kill range for ballistic missiles.