Objects in Motion
Space watchers are trying to discern the purpose and meaning of China’s recent deployment of 5 cooperating objects from China’s robotic space shuttle, named the “Space Dragon” in Chinese. Space.com has a somewhat technical article about the facts that have been so far observed about the orbits of these objects and their communication signals. It appears that the signals are empty of content and may just be in a test mode to ensure that the cooperating objects do cooperate.
But this kind of platform has to be looked at as a military asset. During the Cold War the US and the Soviets engaged in the Space Race. Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was the first man in space, while astronaut Neil Armstrong was first on the moon. But the ability to fire rockets into orbit is a demonstration of the ability to fire rockets that either are weapons themselves or provide a weapons or spying platform.
The Space Dragon has a US competitor, the X-37b, that is supposed to launch at the end of the month.
The space race between China and the United States is on.
