China Threatens To Destroy Musk’s Satellites
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BEIJING, CHINA (Worthy News) – China’s military is investigating how to destroy billionaire Elon Musk’s satellite system, Worthy News monitored Thursday.
Chinese military researchers urged Beijing to develop a “hard kill” weapon to take down the investor’s Starlink satellites if they threaten Communist-run China’s security.
Musk says the Starlink satellites are to provide internet access worldwide, including in hard-to-reach places. Starlink has also helped Ukraine maintain online communications during the Russian invasion.
In less than two days after Russian forces rolled into Ukraine, Musk’s company SpaceX dispatched a shipment of Starlink satellite kits to fortify the country’s internet network.
While the West appreciated this action, it was viewed differently by China, a close Russian ally.
China suggested it wasn’t concerned about a possible collision with Chinese rockets or satellites. However, Chinese researchers claim that Starlink could be used for military purposes targeting China.
KILL METHODS
“[A] combination of soft and hard kill methods should be adopted to make some Starlink satellites lose their functions and destroy the constellation’s operating system,” said five senior scientists in China’s defense industry.
Their assessment came after an investigation into Starlink led by Ren Yuanzhen, a researcher with the Beijing Institute of Tracking and Telecommunications.
The institute operates under the Strategic Support Force of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
China’s threat to attack Starlink could undermine a multi-billion dollar project by Musk, who has been at the forefront of space launches and technologies.
Analysts say Beijing considers SpaceX and Starlink as critical parts of America’s military space complex.
Experts have warned that Musk, 51, will struggle to balance the competing interests as the U.S. China space race accelerates.
MILITARY PRESSURE
Chinese military pressure could threaten the naturalized American business magnate and investor’s business model.
China is where Musk’s electric car company Tesla makes roughly a quarter of its revenues, topping over $67 billion in the last 12 months ending June 30, according to estimates.
Musk has tried to play down the tensions in China Cyberspace, the official magazine of China’s internet regulator.
He shared news from three of his companies—Tesla, Neuralink, and SpaceX—and called on “like-minded Chinese partners” to help him build a “future worth waiting for.”
The Tesla CEO is believed to be the first foreigner to write for China Cyberspace, a magazine edited and published by the Cyberspace Administration of China.