China is reportedly developing advanced weapons in space and alarming the United States. Some time ago, China was said to be testing a nuclear hypersonic missile capable of circling the Earth before hitting the target. Now there is another satellite that is called dangerous.
China has just flown a satellite called Shijian 21 whose purpose is to control space debris. However, America suspects this satellite can also be used to destroy other satellites.
The state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. said the satellite was not a weapon. "He was tasked with demonstrating technology to reduce and neutralize space debris," they said.
Data from the US military says Shijian 21 is at an altitude of 35,000 above Earth. The commander of US Space Command, General James Dickinson, in April suspected that the satellite was actually a Chinese attempt to achieve superiority in space and could be used to destroy other satellites.
"One object that stands out is the Chinese satellite with a robotic arm, Shijian. This robotic arm technology in space can be used in future systems to capture other satellites," he said at the time.
The forerunner of the satellite was already in 2013. Indeed, it is different from satellites in general, because it can clamp other objects with its robotic arm.
"This robotic arm technology has two uses indeed, and most certainly will be used as a weapon to capture or destroy enemy satellites. This strongly indicates that China intends to militarize space," said Vinayak Bhat, an expert from India.
These various developments have made the US even more wary, especially regarding hypersonic missiles. The top general of the United States (US) military, General Mark Milley, gave the first official confirmation from the US about China's hypersonic weapons test. Milley also called the trial 'very worrying'.
"What we are seeing is a very significant event of a test of a hypersonic weapon system. And that is very worrying," Milley, who served as the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Bloomberg television.