Netizens Warn Musk on China’s anti Starlink radar

China has introduced the SLC-18 P band active phased array radar to trigger space threats at the ongoing Zhuhai Airshow. 

On the Chinese microblogging website Weibo, the radar system quickly grabbed the attention. The radar is mainly designed for space target surveillance, and analysts predicted that it can target low earth orbit (LEO) satellites. It can target these satellites’ orbit at a distance of 500 to 2,000 kilometers from earth. Many orbiting satellites in the LEO are dangerous for intelligence collection and battlefield surveillance.  This becomes the support of powerful countries’ remote intelligence-gathering capabilities. 

Therefore, countries around the world are searching for effective weapons to disorder the satellites of their rival nations. The Chinese anti-satellite radar is specifically created to detect space threats. The tracking system is capable of capturing multi-target tracking data.  May Chinese netizens have warned about Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite. The US-supplied Starlink network is viewed as a threat by Beijing, the reason for satellite assistance in defending Ukraine. According to the sources, the satellite is primarily designed for space surveillance and it can also detect satellites orbiting near earth.

What are the space targets of radar?

The researcher believed that radar can target the Low earth orbit (LEO) satellites which are considered threats because they are dangerous for intelligence collection. Developed nations are utilizing these satellites rapidly for battlefield surveillance. Many nations have been developing technology to disrupt the working of satellites.

Even India is also participating in this, India developed and test an anti-satellite missile in 2019 under its mission shakti. India is continuously working on technology that can eliminate space threats. Many years back India entered an elite club of countries by striking a target including the US, Russia, and China with such abilities.

Why is Starlink a threat to China

Elon mask has a rapidly growing electrical car business in China. But his SpaceX venture is under the Chinese eye. Starlink is an essential part of Ukraine’s war efforts, Due to the satellite services Ukrainian defenders can target Russian locations. And few of them satellite services are offered by SpaceX for free. 

According to the reports, Starlink could increase the speed of US military drones and stealth fighter jets more than 100 times. After signing a contract with the US Defense Department to develop sensitive instruments based on the Starlink system, SpaceX has come under the eye of the Chinese government.

What does the Anti-Starlink radar capable of? 

According to the reports, the system that China is showcasing at its air show is capable of acquiring multi-target tracking measurement data, which means that this system estimates the number and trajectory of the detected target from its sensors. 

It is believed that this is the most powerful radar that China introduced at the airshow. The system uses a solid-state AESA system which can enable it to detect multiple targets with high accuracy including this it can also search, orbit computation cataloging, and forecasting space targets.