China overtakes US in rapid launch and replacement of satellites, threatening space dominance: report

China has likely overtaken the United States in its ability to launch and quickly replace satellites, particularly following conflict or accident, reports the South China Morning Post.

What's the deal: The report, published by Georgetown University's Center for Security and Emerging Technology, highlights China's development of small mobile solid-fuel rockets that can be launched from mobile platforms.

This advancement in Tactically Reactive Space Launch (TRSL) over the past decade puts China ahead of the United States, which has conducted only one TRSL demonstration to date.

"The United States has the most advanced space industry in the world, but it has not demonstrated an equivalent capability to launch rockets on short notice," said Sam Bresnick, co-author of the report.

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Why it matters: The ability to quickly replace damaged or destroyed satellites is a key element of space resiliency. While the US remains ahead in most metrics, it lags behind in rapid launch capability, a critical factor if the satellites were to come under attack.

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Satellite photo from space by Andrei Armiagov on Shutterstock

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