Part 5/9:
The Chinese and American Space Strategies
China’s reliance on lower orbit means their station is more vulnerable to collisions. Meanwhile, the United States operates the International Space Station (ISS) at approximately 400 kilometers, which offers slightly more leeway in collision avoidance but still faces significant risks.
The current environment illustrates a precarious balance: deploying more satellites to improve telecommunications and global connectivity increases the risk of accidents and space debris proliferation. The push to expand constellations like Starlink involves launching thousands of additional satellites, which necessitates more rockets and inevitably generates more debris.