Chinese - Bully in Space Too

I love space and astronomy. While I was growing up, I worked in the local public library, putting away books. While working, I must have read every book in the library on astronomy and space exploration. Recently, I started reading books and articles on the topic again (I'll explain why later); one major change recently is China's participation in space.

I remember this event when it happened in 2007 but didn't pay too much attention at the time.

Space.com

The flotsam created by China's anti-satellite test last month is on the radar screens of space debris analysts, as well as space policy experts.

The intentional destruction on Jan. 11 of China's Fengyun-1C weather satellite via an anti-satellite (ASAT) device launched by the Chinese has created a mess of fragments fluttering through space.

The satellite's destruction is now being viewed as the most prolific and severe fragmentation in the course of five decades of space operations.

Way to go, China. Since that event, China is now the #1 polluter with respect to space debris. WSJ had and article last year and once again, it attracted all sorts of fenqing comments claiming Western anti-China bias, even though the source was the Russian Federal Space Agency. I wonder if they still get their 50 cents for really lame comments.

China's official response?

The Chinese government confirmed Jan. 23 that it had sent a missile to destroy one of its own satellites but insisted the test should not be viewed as a hostile act.

In a press briefing in Beijing, Liu Jianchao, spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, reiterated that China "has never participated and will never participate in any arms race in outer space," Liu said, according to excerpts of his remarks provided by China's Xinhua News Agency. "This test was not directed at any country and does not pose a threat to any country."

Liu also said China had informed the United States and Japan of the anti-satellite test after the fact.

Ugh... of course it was directed to every country with satellites. As the article mentions, there's no other reason for the ASAT test. And why not? China doesn't have that many satellites yet so the debris cloud is actually more of a threat to US & Russian satellies, plus the ISS.

The Expedition 27 crew aboard the International Space Station and the team in Mission Control Houston are monitoring a piece of orbital debris that might pass close to the station later today.

There isn’t enough time to steer the station out of the way, as was done last Friday for a different piece of debris, so if the probability of collision continues to remain in the “red” category, the crew will be asked to shelter inside the Soyuz TMA-20 that brought them up to the station in December. That spacecraft is currently docked with the Rassvet module.

The piece of debris is from the defunct Chinese FENGYUN 1C satellite, and flight controllers have been monitoring it since early this morning.

It's like a bully going to a public pool and peeing in the water. Why? Because he can, and maybe he enjoys f*cking up things for everyone else. I feel the lack of accountability inherent in the CCP encourages this type of anti-social behavior. So now the entire crew of the ISS has to hide out in the Soyuz capsule for hours because China wants to be seen as a baller. Likewise, this whole 50 cent army thing has essentially ruined comment boards on any site that mentions China. Long-term, China has increased the risks to its own space program and damaged its PR reputation(!) worldwide.