China is building on-orbit space situational awareness capabilities to navigate crowded orbits

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HELSINKI — China is developing a dependence on space-based space situational awareness as its space activities expand, according to a new report. China’s on-orbit presence has grown dramatically in recent years, with a boom in numbers of satellites launched, and the construction of the Tiangong space station. However, its space situational awareness (SSA) architecture heavily relies on space-based systems due to its limited global ground sensor network, according to a report from the China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI). The report provides new insights into China’s SSA infrastructure and outlines its unique constraints and priorities. China has sent at least 10...