--- title: "Space Force Says a Chinese Spacecraft Is Practicing Dogfighting Maneuvers in Orbit" description: "The US Space Force has accused China of \"dogfighting in space,\" a term that usually refers to fighter jets caught up in an aerial battle." date: "2025-03-22" modified: "2025-03-22" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/space-force-china-dogfighting" categories: - "Space" - "Space Force" tags: - "china" - "satellites" - "space force" --- # Space Force Says a Chinese Spacecraft Is Practicing Dogfighting Maneuvers in Orbit ![The US Space Force has accused China of "dogfighting in space," a term that usually refers to fighter jets caught up in an aerial battle.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* The US Space Force has accused China of "dogfighting in space," a term that usually refers to fighter jets caught up in an aerial, close-range battle. During a defense program conference this week, Space Force vice chief of space operations Michael Guetlein said that the military arm had observed "five different objects in space maneuvering in and out and around each other in synchrony and in control," as [quoted by *Defense One*](). The Space Force is "starting to see our near-peers focusing on practicing dogfighting in space with satellite-on-satellite," he said. If confirmed, the practice could indicate an escalation in the defensive military capabilities of world powers in orbit, highlighting a heating up "[space arms race]()." As *Defense One* reports, Guetlein's comments were referring to maneuvers made by three experimental Chinese satellites — called Shiyan-24C, as well as two still unidentified space objects dubbed Shijian-605 A and B — last year. At the time, the Space Force observed the objects carrying out a "series of proximity operations" in low-Earth orbit, according to Guetlein. The Shijian-6 system is believed to be [capable of "electronic intelligence]()" allowing satellites to eavesdrop on communications, including naval comms traffic. "They are practicing tactics, techniques, and procedures to do on-orbit space operations from one satellite to another," Guetlein said. The Space Force general said that the satellites are just one of several activities of US adversaries in space, including Russia's "nesting doll," satellite demonstration in 2019, which involved smaller spacecraft [closely following the movement of US satellites](). China has [similarly been accused]() of having its satellites "zigzag" across different altitudes and come uncomfortably close to US satellites. Guetlein accused Russia and China of breaking internationally agreed-upon rules. "Unfortunately, our current adversaries are willing to go against international norms of behavior, go against that gentleman's agreement, and they're willing to do it in very unsafe and unprofessional manners," he said, as quoted by *Defense One*. As a result, Guetlein argued there was a growing "capability gap" between the US and its adversaries, which could end up putting the country's assets at risk and allow other countries to claim control over the space domain. "We're only going to be as good as the amount of resources that we're willing to put towards space superiority," he said at the event this week. **More on satellite-on-satellite action:** *[China Joins SpaceX in Ruining Astronomy for Everybody]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()