China needs Nasa, SpaceX hotline to avoid space collision scares, Chinese scholar says

Delayed response to SpaceX satellite events reveals China’s shortcomings in sharing space flight information, Wu Riqiang says

Renmin University scholar and former missile engineer calls for deal similar to the Nasa-SpaceX data-sharing agreement and a hotline

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A rocket carrying 22 satellites blasts off from a spacecraft launch site in China’s southern Hainan province in February. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 8:33pm, 9 Mar 2022Updated: 8:58pm, 9 Mar 2022

China should consider setting up communication mechanisms with SpaceX and Nasa – even a hotline – to avoid collisions in outer space, a Chinese scholar has advised.

Wu Riqiang, associate professor at Renmin University’s School of International Studies, also rejected the theory that the US military tried to spy on China when SpaceX’s Starlink satellites came too close to the Chinese space station in July and October.

Rather, the near-collision with the satellites – operated by tech billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX aerospace company – were “more like incidental technical accidents”, said Wu, a former missile engineer with the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation.

His analysis was part of an article published in the latest edition of World Affairs, a journal affiliated to the Chinese foreign ministry.

Wu Riqiang is an associate professor at the Renmin University in Beijing. Photo: Weibo

In his article, Wu also urged China and the US to establish “a more timely” communication channel, such as a hotline, to share information about potential satellite collisions.

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