The head of the U.S. Space Force, Gen. Chance Saltzman, recently warned a congressional commission about China’s rapidly developing space program. He emphasized that this presents a significant challenge to American dominance in orbit, although he cautioned against viewing it as a simple "space race." Saltzman described Beijing’s space ambitions as a “powerful destabilizing force” in the increasingly contested space domain.
Testimony presented to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission indicated that China’s on-orbit capabilities are second only to the United States. Saltzman stated, “We’re progressing every day in our readiness. I’m still pretty satisfied with the U.S. Space Force.” He noted that direct comparisons can be misleading due to differing strategic focuses: China primarily concentrates on the Western Pacific, while the U.S. maintains a global presence.
A key concern is China’s growing arsenal of counterspace weapons, including ground-based anti-satellite missiles, laser systems, and electronic warfare capabilities. Saltzman highlighted Chinese experimental satellites capable of manipulating other satellites – technology potentially adaptable from civilian “inspection and repair” to military applications.
Addressing concerns about overly restrictive space policy, Saltzman clarified that space issues “haven’t risen to the level where we need to adjust our policies,” although he suggested several areas for improvement. This includes reducing classification levels to enhance information sharing with private industry and streamlining approval processes for on-orbit testing and tactics validation. He explained, “We have to go to very high levels of approval for testing, training. We do all training in simulation, we don’t do live training due to policies in place.”
However, Saltzman emphasized that resource constraints, not policy, are the more significant hurdle. He stated, “The budget is what I have, that is a form of self-constraint. We have more unfunded than funded,” referencing a previously mentioned “shrinking” Space Force due to budget reductions. While basic program categories are covered, resources are spread thinly, hindering faster development and increased capacity. He cited Space Force training simulators as an example, noting their “pretty low fidelity” compared to anticipated threats.
David Cavossa, president of the Commercial Space Federation, testified that while the U.S. leads globally, China is “aggressively pursuing its goal to become a world leader in space by 2050.” He pointed to China’s advantages, including state-backed financing and fewer regulatory constraints, and highlighted China’s progress with the Tiangong space station, lunar research, Mars exploration, and rapid deployment of low Earth orbit satellite constellations. Cavossa concluded, “The United States commercial space industry has the innovations and the talent to maintain American leadership in space and dominance in technology. We just need a willing partnership with the government to realize our full potential.”