--- title: "Chinese Scientists Reportedly Plotting How to Destroy SpaceX Satellites" description: "Chinese researchers are investigating ways to disable and even destroy SpaceX's Starlink satellites if they ever prove to be a threat to national security." date: "2022-05-26" modified: "2022-05-26" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/chinese-scientists-plotting-destroy-spacex-satellites" categories: - "Space" - "SpaceX" tags: - "china" - "elon musk" - "SpaceX" - "starlink" - "the digest" --- # Chinese Scientists Reportedly Plotting How to Destroy SpaceX Satellites ![Chinese researchers are investigating ways to disable and even destroy SpaceX's Starlink satellites if they ever prove to be a threat to national security.]() *\Image: SpaceX\* ## Hard Kill Chinese researchers, including several associated with the country's defense industry, are investigating ways to disable or even destroy SpaceX's Starlink satellites if they ever prove to be a threat to national security, the [*South China Morning Post* reports](), in a sign that the Chinese military community increasingly sees SpaceX's orbital infrastructure as a potential adversary. A [new research paper]() published in China's peer-reviewed journal *Modern Defense Technology* lays out the researchers' recommendations, according to the newspaper. "A combination of soft and hard kill methods should be adopted to make some Starlink satellites lose their functions and destroy the constellation's operating system," the paper reads, as quoted by the *SCMP*. ## Knock 'Em Out While Tesla has [found a huge footing in the country](), Elon Musk's space venture has proven to be less popular in China, with two satellites coming dangerously close to China's brand new space station last year, according to the *SCMP*. SpaceX also has close ties to the Pentagon and has [delivered several top-secret missions]() into orbit on behalf of the US military. According to the Chinese researchers, Starlink's ion thrusters could provide enough power to go on the offensive and knock Chinese targets out of orbit. That's why, they argue, China needs to develop technologies capable of intercepting each of these satellites' signals. Musk, for his part, seems aware of the potential for military attacks on his satellite swarm. "I hope we do not have to put this to a test, but I think we can launch satellites faster than they can launch anti-satellites missiles," he said of Russia during an [*Insider* interview]() earlier this year. ## Anti-Satellites That point certainly hasn't gone over the heads of the Chinese researchers. "The Starlink constellation constitutes a decentralized system," the paper reads. "The confrontation is not about individual satellites, but the whole system. This requires some low-cost, high-efficiency measures." The country is already working on several different anti-satellite technologies, including lasers and communication jammers. How representative these plans are of China's greater military efforts, though, is unclear. But the research goes to show that SpaceX's efforts to build a global broadband network is creating enemies among various world powers. **READ MORE:** [Chinese researchers say China's military must be able to destroy Elon Musk's Starlink satellites in a war]() \[*South China Morning Post*\] **More on Starlink:** *[Elon Musk Alarmed by Threat From Russian Space Program Chief]()* ## 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]()