Elon Musk’s Starlink Satellites Angered China. Behind the Scene of the Dispute

Space has turned into a garbage dump with about 30,000 satellites and space debris. Now, it is becoming more dangerous, not only to the International Space Station (ISS) orbiting at about 400 kilometers in altitude but also to scores of satellites. This slippery slope has recently come to the fore once again as China complained its space station was forced to avoid Starlink internet satellites to prevent collisions.

The incidents emerged after China submitted a document to the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs earlier this month, according to BBC. “Starlink satellites launched by SpaceX have had two close encounters with the China Space Station,” the report says.

According to the report, the first close encounter took place on July 1, and a potential collision between a satellite and China’s station was prevented following Beijing’s “initiative to conduct an evasive manoeuvre.” The second avoidance that increased the tension between China and space tycoon Elon Musk occurred on October 21 when a Starlink satellite came dangerously close to the station.

SpaceX made no statement regarding the issue for now. Users on Weibo, a microblogging platform regarded as Twitter in China, blasted Musk’s company over the incidents. “Prepare to boycott Tesla,” said one user. “How ironic that Chinese people buy Tesla, contributing large sums of money so Musk can launch Starlink,” another user commented.

China also blamed Washington for endangering Chinese astronauts in space. The country’s foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian urged the US “to act responsibly.”

Despite declines in sales, Tesla is still popular among people in China. The electric vehicle manufacturer is building a factory in Shanghai.

Starlink satellites will provide high-speed internet

Elon Musk is determined to distribute high-speed, broadband internet connectivity through his Starlink satellites to those who live in underserved regions. He even went a step further and said this project providing internet from low Earth orbit to ground will be able to be serviceable anywhere except the north and south poles. There are currently over 1,800 active Starlink satellites in orbit.

Space station launched by China

China’s Tiangong Space Station is a new outpost for astronauts and is currently under construction in orbit. Once completed, Tiangong will be able to provide life support to three crew members.