BY PATRICK TUCKER
lunar swing-by that pulled the satellite inwards a broad arc earlier settling it into a “parking orbit” at Lagrangian ii on the moon’s far side.
The Chinese authorities has said the mission is percentage of a four-stage conception to build a Moon base. “We promise to starting fourth dimension the structure of the [robot-manned] lunar base of operations approximately 2025 in addition to realize a manned landing on the Moon approximately 2030,” Zhao Xiaojin of the mainland People's Republic of China Aerospace Science in addition to Technology Group told Xinhuanet inwards March.
But Gossel said putting a satellite at L2 could also enable Chinese assault spacecraft to zoom past times the Moon — nigh a quarter-million miles away — in addition to and hence sneak upward on critical U.S.intelligence in addition to communications satellites inwards geosynchronous orbit, simply 28,300 miles upward — every bit occurred inwards the 2011 apocalypse-themed celluloid “Melancholia.”
A dipiction of a lunar swing-by trajectory, courtesy of NASA “You could wing some kind out of a weapon approximately the Moon in addition to it comes dorsum — it could literally come upward at [objects] inwards GEO…and nosotros would never know because at that spot is aught watching inwards that direction,” he said. “Why create you lot demand a relay satellite flight approximately L2? So you lot tin communicate amongst something that’s going to province on the other side of the Moon — or hence you lot tin wing approximately the other side of the moon? And what would that hateful for our assets at GEO?”
Michael Griffin, defence forcefulness undersecretary for query in addition to engineering, has been pushing for a to a greater extent than robust reply to threats against States assets inwards space. It’s i ground he in addition to others desire to motility away from big, easily targetable satellites inwards GEO toward large constellations of small, inexpensive ones inwards low-earth orbit.
“China in addition to Russian Federation right away convey the capability to become after” tidings in addition to communications satellites inwards GEO, Griffin told reporters inwards August. “Those assets are what nosotros usage for communication in addition to reconnaissance in addition to missile alarm in addition to position, timing in addition to navigation, a whole bunch of features that nosotros usage for state of war fighting.”
Gossel said that the actual threat from lunar satellites similar the Chang’e 4 is real minor — but that it’s his labor to hold out a scrap “paranoid” in addition to seriously intend nigh fifty-fifty highly unlikely threat scenarios.
Brian Weeden, who directs programme planning at the Secure World Foundation, argued that the possibility was besides depression to constitute a pregnant threat. “I intend speculating nigh armed services applications for China’s lunar programme is akin to Soviet concerns nigh the Space Shuttle beingness a potential weapon,” Weeden said. “There is a grain of truth behind the Shuttle beingness a infinite weapon in addition to the Chinese lunar programme having possible armed services applications. Doesn’t hateful either is reality, though.”
Still, Gossel said, the national-security community’s involvement inwards China’s lunar activities is “building steam.” Stephen Kitay, deputy assistant defence forcefulness secretarial assistant for infinite policy, every bit good every bit the purpose of the Director of National Intelligence convey “an involvement inwards it,” he said. “That’s where I come upward into play.”
Paulina Glass contributed to this post.
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