China has increased its ability to monitor and protect itself by using satellites that are based in Antarctica. These satellites are equipped with advanced technology that can help China detect security threats and carry out surveillance activities more effectively. This means that China has greater capability to track what’s happening both inside and outside of its borders, which can help them stay safer and more secure.
China announced that it plans to build new ground stations in Antarctica to help with its satellite work and collect data. This comes as concerns grow about China’s surveillance programs and the risks they pose to the United States.
The project is being led by a subsidiary of the state-owned company China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC). China Space News, which is also part of the CASIC group, reported that the defense contractor won a bid worth 43.95 million yuan (about $6.52 million) to construct a ground system for an ocean observation satellite.
The upcoming upgrade to China’s satellite capabilities has raised worries about their surveillance programs and how their expanded data collection abilities could be further enhanced with the new developments in Antarctica.
However, a specialist is concerned for different reasons about the planned construction of new facilities at the Zhongshan research base in eastern Antarctica.
US Military General Raises Alarm Over Potential Threat To American Space Assets From China’s Capabilities
Rick Fisher a US military general has expressed concern that China’s space capabilities may pose a potential threat to American space assets. This means that China’s ability to carry out activities in space could jeopardize US operations and technologies in space. The general believes that China’s advanced space capabilities could be used for military purposes, which could impact the security of US operations in space. Overall, the statement implies that the US military is monitoring China’s space activities closely and taking measures to protect its own space assets.
Rick Fisher, senior fellow with the International Assessment and Strategy Center, told Fox News Digital there has been concerning activity on the Zhongshan base for years.
The Chinese base, opened in 1989, was built for research relating to marine, glaciological, geological and atmospheric sciences. But, by 2021, under the guise of civilian research, China reportedly began employing advanced military capabilities, according to the Chinese military expert.
“In 2021, state media revealed that China had put a LIDAR — a laser radar — into the Zhongshan station to conduct ‘atmospheric research,'” Fisher told Fox News Digital. “Any kind of laser raises the possibility that the LIDAR could be upgraded to be a far more powerful laser.”
Fisher explained that the use of a more powerful laser from the Zhongshan base will enable China to damage or destroy targeted satellites.
The technology used to damage a satellite could also break away pieces of the device and increase the amount of debris in low Earth orbit that could further impair existing satellites.
The Zhongshan research base was constructed in accordance with the 1959 Antarctic Treaty, which is an international agreement that mandates the use of the southernmost continent for peaceful scientific research and prohibits military activities. China is among the 52 nations that have agreed to abide by this treaty.
The United States and its military have been backing research expeditions in Antarctica for nearly 70 years, but according to Fisher, there is a significant distinction.
While countries such as the United States, Germany, and Norway have had space exploration facilities in Antarctica, none of them, unlike China, are developing Fractional Orbital Bombardment Systems (FOBS).
FOBS, which were first introduced during the Cold War, were designed to evade early warning detection systems in the United States by launching a nuclear warhead from the south, over South America, rather than from the west, over Russia.
US Military Recovers Section of Chinese Spy Vessel from Atlantic Ocean
A US crane ship has recovered a large part of what is believed to be a Chinese spy vessel from the Atlantic Ocean. The ship was reportedly equipped with advanced technology that could be used for espionage purposes. The recovery of this vessel by the US military highlights the ongoing tensions between the US and China and the strategic competition between the two nations. This incident also demonstrates the importance of monitoring and protecting the world’s oceans as a key battleground in the modern era.
“According to Fisher, the program was made obsolete with the development of deep space early warning detectors, but the expert warned China has revived this technology and tested its FOBS capabilities twice in 2021.
“If you’re going to be attacking the United States in that manner — traversing Antarctica — it is extremely useful to have the ability to update a FOBS bus,” he said, referring to the technology that would launch either a nuclear warhead or hypersonic missile.
This would ensure “that the bus that would launch these weapons has the most accurate targeting updates and can achieve the highest accuracy in striking targets in the United States,” Fisher added.
Few details were released on the new ground stations set to be developed at China’s Antarctic base, but Beijing’s military influence over its space program has prompted widespread concern regarding its space ambitions.”
“Zhongshan base is becoming … a surveillance location from which to be able to better target American satellites. It’s a base that will … be able to guide new Chinese space weapons to American targets,” Fisher said.”
