NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. \u2014 At a time when the United States dominates reusable rocket technology, U.S. military officials are warning that China\u2019s rapid progress in the field could one day erode that lead and reshape the strategic balance in orbit.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the Air & Space Forces Association\u2019s annual conference on Sept. 22, senior Space Force leaders said Beijing\u2019s pursuit of reusable orbital rockets underscores the national security value of the technology \u2014 and raises alarm about how China might use it once it reaches maturity.<\/p>\n
When it comes to space technologies, \u201cChina has moved their development to the left \u2026 And it is concerning how fast they\u2019ve done it,\u201d said Brig. Gen. Brian Sidari, deputy chief of space operations for intelligence at the U.S. Space Force.<\/p>\n
Reusable rockets have dramatically lowered launch costs and increased launch frequency, thanks largely to SpaceX\u2019s pioneering work. The U.S. has relied on that advantage to rapidly deploy satellites, replenish constellations and build out broadband networks such as Starlink. China, meanwhile, sees reusability as a linchpin for its own ambitions.<\/p>\n
Sidari said the real concern will come when the Chinese \u201cfigure out how to do reusable lift that allows them to put more capability on orbit at a quicker pace and cadence.\u201d He added that once Beijing reaches that threshold, they will take a page from the U.S. industry in deploying megaconstellations. \u201cSo that does concern me,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s easier said than done, so they do have to figure it out.\u201d<\/p>\n
For now, the United States retains the upper hand. Beyond SpaceX, companies like Blue Origin and Rocket Lab are working to scale reusable systems, though they remain far from matching SpaceX\u2019s cadence. But officials believe China\u2019s eventual adoption of reusable technology could enable rapid, large-scale deployment of both commercial and military satellites \u2014 reducing America\u2019s current lead.<\/p>\n
New satellite developments<\/p>\n
Chief Master Sgt. Ron Lerch, Sidari\u2019s senior enlisted advisor and an intelligence specialist, called Beijing\u2019s progress in other areas of space technology equally troubling. He pointed to a recent in-orbit refueling operation<\/a> in the geostationary belt by China\u2019s Shijian-21 and Shijian-25 spacecraft, describing it as \u201cgame changing\u201d for a country that still lacks reusability.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd so when it comes to replenishing our toolkit, getting more capability, reconstitution, having reusable launch is what affords us that ability, and the Chinese don\u2019t have that,\u201d Lerch said.<\/p>\n Still, China is moving rapidly in other orbital domains. Lerch highlighted the Sept. 9 launch of Yaogan 45<\/a>, a remote sensing satellite Beijing has described as a platform for scientific experiments and disaster prevention. U.S. officials, however, are focused on its placement.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a remote sensing system, but if you look at where it\u2019s actually being put in the slot, it\u2019s in MEO,\u201d Lerch said, referring to medium Earth orbit. \u201cSo this is 2,000 kilometers above Earth, very unusual to put a remote sensing satellite higher than low Earth orbit. And so that alone is very interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n The United States has long been the only power to use medium Earth orbit for satellite operations. Lerch said China began launching Skynet broadband satellites<\/a> into MEO in 2024, followed this year by a move to add remote sensing capability there as well. \u201cIt looks like a year ago, they started to put the infrastructure at MEO to be able to move around data. And a year later, the Chinese are now putting remote sensing capability at MEO as well. That\u2019s interesting, and that starts to paint a picture that they value remote sensing to the point where they want resiliency and layers of it.\u201d<\/p>\n