The Institute Of World Politics

This lecture is part of the Student Speaker Series About the Lecture: China's advancements in space technology and orbital operations are second only to the U.S. Historically assisted by the Soviet Union, China's space program has set an impressive timeline of space launch milestones, meeting every spacefaring goal for the past 30 years. Under the guise of scientific research, PLA documentation and dual-use technology has demonstrated that even commercial space activities serve military interests. As investment in launch capabilities increases and China's presence in cislunar space becomes more of a concern, what are the intentions, plans, and capabilities behind China's interest and activities in space? With tensions rising in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, will China start utilizing space operations to support terrestrial military activity? Does China's capacity to operate in space match its strategic interests? How does China's advancing capabilities create more risk for U.S. space interests