US, China in crucial race to put spying eyes in the sky

The US and China are locked in an escalating spy satellite race, with both sides tapping their respective commercial space sectors to gain a rapid launch edge.

The US Space Force (USSF) and National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) plan to build several targeting satellites to launch into Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) as part of an ongoing push to increase satellites for intelligence and military targeting purposes.

Air & Space Forces Magazine reported this month that the satellites will provide Moving Target Indication (MTI), helping troops on the ground or in air tracking targets. They are scheduled to replace old US Air Force aircraft that officials say would not survive in a contested environment.

Vice Chief of Space Operations for Intelligence Major General Gregory Gagnon did not specify in the article how many satellites would be needed or when they would launch.

However, he did lay out the basic framework for how they would work and how USSF Guardians would use them to assist combatant commanders around the globe, as stated by the source.

Air & Space Forces Magazine notes that the USSF is already building proliferated constellations for transporting data and LEO missile warning and tracking.

The hope is that a potential adversary won’t be able to shoot down enough satellites to disrupt the network, thus deterring it from trying in the first place.

The report points out that the USSF will likely have to buy dozens of small satellites to have such a targeting solution, as spacecraft in LEO don’t stay in one place, and it takes several to provide steady, persistent coverage over an area.

Satellites offer advantages over reconnaissance aircraft. In September 2023, Asia Times noted that the US plans to move significant