Opportunities, which Russia and China have in outer space, cause concern in Washington. This was stated by the commander of the US Space Force, General John Raymond, in an interview with The New York Times.
According to him, opponents understand how important the use of space systems is for the United States, therefore, they are developing technologies to deprive Americans of access to them. “Think of lasers that can blind or disrupt our systems,” Raymond said.
He added that Moscow and Beijing own laser installations of various powers, which from the Earth can destroy or damage American satellites. In addition, countries have anti-satellite missiles and other systems. So, according to him, Moscow allegedly used a satellite designed to destroy US satellites in low Earth orbit. China also has a satellite that has a “robotic arm” to influence other devices.
“Both states have opportunities in orbit that cause concern. All these threats are present at the moment. We are not talking about what will happen in the future,” the general summed up.
In December 2020, the director of US national intelligence, John Ratcliffe, said that Russia is not a “responsible space power.” According to him, Russia, especially recently, behaved in a threatening and provocative manner in outer space, which created a potentially dangerous situation.