Advancing Sino-U.S. Space Cooperation

摘要

On January 11, 2007, China successfully executed a direct-ascent anti-satellite (ASAT) test/demonstration by destroying one of its aging weather satellites. This event captured the attention of the world, especially the U.S. It is believed that China is pursuing a host of counterspace capabilities but the question remains as to why. There are many possible reasons for China's pursuit of counterspace capabilities, with one of the more likely being a means to gain an advantage when facing a dominant conventional military force. Whatever China's motivation is, it is important for the U.S. to take action to deter China from further ASAT operations that could possibly harm satellite systems on orbit. It is the intent of this research to propose the idea of U.S.- China space cooperation in order to deter the PRC from potentially harmful ASAT operations. This is especially important given the current lack of dialogue between these two nations with regard to space issues. The respective space policies of the U.S. and China show that each nation is open to space cooperation, and both currently engage in international space cooperative efforts. U.S.-China space cooperation can provide benefits to both nations and ultimately provide greater transparency and trust with regard to each nation's space activities. Acquiring this transparency and trust through cooperation could be an ideal solution in deterring China from further harmful ASAT operations.