America’s space-competition-related fears have always been geared towards Moscow. But now, with China rising and asserting herself amongst the stars, the U.S. may be renewing Cold War-era fears over who controls the heavens—and thus the world. 

Is China preparing for war in outer space? Possibly, said the U.S. Space Force, after disclosing that the Chinese had been conducting “proximity operations” in low-Earth orbit that could be a rehearsal run for disrupting U.S. space operations.

According to Vice Chief of Space Operations General Michael A. Guetlein, the Chinese proximity operations involved “five different objects in space maneuvering in and out and around each other in synchronicity, and in control…that’s what we call dogfighting in space.”

Dogfighting, of course, is the informal term for air-to-air combat between two aircraft. So far, no form of dogfighting has ever been conducted outside of Earth’s atmosphere. But while the disclosure of the Chinese proximity operations are new, the associated concerns, that Earthly adversaries would compete for control of the stars, is hardly new.

Preparing for a War in the Next Realm

Control over the next military domain has long been a defining feature of terrestrial empires. First, the Roman Empire controlled the land and thus controlled the world. Then the British controlled the sea, and thus the world. Finally, the Americans controlled the skies, and thus the world. Who will control space?

That question, and that mindsight over battle realm superiority, has been a driving force behind U.S. space exploration since the onset. The shock of Sputnik, and the resultant commitment to an American space effort, stemmed largely from the fear that the Soviets were bidding to dominate the heavens, working to populate low-Earth orbit with satellites that could drop bombs onto a defenseless United States at will. That fear was a driving force behind the creation of Project Mercury, NASA’s first manned space program, which led to Project Gemini, the Apollo missions, and so on.

The acuteness of the fear that an enemy power would dominate space has ebbed and flowed, correlating directly with the NASA budget over the years. When the fear is acute, NASA is well funded and motivated, and achieves amazing results on a tight schedule—as in the 1950s and 1960s, when NASA landed the first astronauts on the moon. When that fear recedes, NASA tends to decline, drifting without an obvious purpose—for instance, canceling the Space Shuttle program after the fall of the Soviet Union. 

America’s space-competition-related fears have always been geared towards Moscow. But now, with China rising and asserting herself amongst the stars, the U.S. may be renewing Cold War-era fears over who controls the heavens—and thus the world. Naturally, “Guetlein said these activities by U.S. adversaries explain why the Space Force needs to transform itself into a service that no longer treats space as a benign environment and are validation for its existence and funding, which at $30 billion a year is the lowest budget among the DOD’s military service,” Air & Space Force Magazine reported.

That outer space has never been converted into a realm for combat, and rather has been a place of understanding and sharing, is a small miracle and perhaps one of humanity’s more redeeming 20^th and 21^st century acts. While America needs to protect herself and to react to intelligence as it develops, the increased weaponization of space is a concerning prospect, which great diplomatic effort should be exerted towards avoiding.

About the Author: Harrison Kass

Harrison Kass is a senior defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.

Image: Shutterstock / Broadcast Media.

The post China Is Gearing Up for “Dogfighting in Space” appeared first on The National Interest.