Andrew Jones
China is expanding its presence and capabilities in the strategically vital geostationary belt, raising security concerns due to unpredictable satellite movements, according to experts.
Participants in a panel on “A renewed space race” at Chatham House Space Security 2025 conference in London, March 5, identified Chinese spacecraft and behaviors in geostationary orbit that are unpredictable, hard to track, and of concern.
The geostationary orbit belt, or GEO, at 35,786 kilometers above the equator, sees spacecraft orbit at a speed that matches the rotation of the Earth, meaning they stay fixed in position in the sky as seen from the ground. The belt has strategic and commercial importance for communications, intelligence, and military operations.
China has been adding to its fleet of satellites in GEO in recent years with communications and remote sensing satellites, as well as classified spacecraft, described as experimental communications satellites, but with capabilities thought to include proximity maneuvers and satellite inspection, missile early warning, space situational awareness and electronic signals intelligence. Altering their orbit by tens of kilometers above or below the belt allows spacecraft to drift either west or east respectively, changing their position in GEO.
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