• Forum
• SITREP
• Military
• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security

• Space

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Public Eye

Further Reading

SJ-12

Chinese Demonstrates Satellite to Satellite Rendezvous, Inspection Test Bed for Duel Purpose Military Technology

9-2-10

On June 15, 2010 China launched on a Long March-2D booster from the Jiuquan satellite launch center with the SJ-12, Shi Jian-12 Shijian-11-02, secret S&T research satellite for conducting a rendezvous maneuvering technology and satellite inspection demonstration utilizing the SJ-6F Shi Jian-6F as the target satellite. The implications are that China has now demonstrated they have developed satellite inspection and orbit to orbit ASAT capability without creating a debris field. The slow series of maneuvers between June 21 and August 11-19, 2010 demonstrated the slowness of the proximity approach for inspection and or ASAT mission’s requirements. Because SJ-6F Shi Jian-6F orbit was disturbed on the August 19, 2010 proximity approach by SJ-12, Shi Jian-12 Shijian-11-02 it would appear that there may have been contact between the two satellites with no resulting debris identified. This military rendezvous technology demonstration serves both the human crewed program Shenzhou-8, Tiangong-1 rendezvous technology needed as well as the military mission duel purpose requirements of both military operations.

Some Background

China ’s warning diplomatically of war in space and its threat reflects its published white papers as well as it diplomatic front presentation in the face of no positive response from the West to its treaty desires and in part this has also driven their actions but that is not all.

For years we have observed Chinese weapons systems development activities right on queue to their plans showing what they want us to see and that is emphasized by the various provocative testing they have been doing but it is generally not policy of this and previous administrations to discuss on going active intelligence collected on their activities for our own national security reasons.

It has been their goal of the Chinese Government to push their basic sciences to push the basic technologies for its national defense and command economy development supported by the capitalist economic zones. In all cases the space program no matter how presented is supported and run by the military and the State authoritarian apparatus. IE: the Military is the State and the State is the military and China would not run unless it was that way from the Chinese Communist Parties way of thinking.

Does the Party control the Military or does the Military control the Party?

State planning is the all powerful driver controlling everything but China only shows us only what it wants us to see not everything. The point is they all work under the same roof so there is no differentiation between Civil and Military State to a very large extent.

Multi policy military development requirements of the State plan drive this stuff in a series of three successive five year plans as well as their military S&T shock reaction to the Gulf War to its military know how capability. They had to catch up and match to get ahead as fast as was possible. However for every S&T policy program move on the civil side is matched by an equivalent military side move not necessarily shown publicly. Much like the Soviets the Chinese duplicate projects to back things up incase of losses and they are then recycled for the next program step. No other rendezvous have taken place except the missile intercept operations done some three times before success.

The program expectations of the piloted Chinese program dictated the duplication of this rendezvous technology for both military and so called civil Shenzhou spacecraft purposes. They had to demonstrate rendezvous technology before the Shenzhou-8 through Shenzhou-10 series to not embarrass them selves publicly with failure of a big State project and also do the military side of the same technology demonstration thus serving its duel purpose. I put far more emphasis on their S&T planning drivers than anything else but they have not shown all. They may demonstrate the technology but if they deploy it or use it then that is a matter none of us want to broach. Let’s face it as their own leadership has said that if the western economic zones were not allowed to develop the Chinese economy china would have become like the former Soviet Union ’s economy and would have long since collapsed.

China is flying several kinds of satellites in constellations with repeating patterns in navigation and communication and NOSS type programs as well as imaging satellites with military and civil purposes.

When ever Chinese Nationals come to any foreign land they have assignments whether they know it or not to bring back to the PRC. The long term level of intelligence consumption in their foreign activities is unprecedented in its depth to the naive. For years it has been clear that they have absorbed much from the open society of the democratic western world in an official policy way that seems natural to them and easy to accomplish. Witnessing their intelligence activities and recent US trials certainly emphasis this fact and it direct impact on their growing space program enterprise. They are literally trying to catch up in every activity that we accomplish to stay even but to what end and intent?

China is definitely no friend of the U. S.

China ’s game is deceitful diplomatic deception in the public image to the world. This is the game they play for keeps at our expense. I am reminded that diplomacy is the art of perception management projected convincingly the high game of disguise projected as a myth of lies. Their image to draw attention from the real target events time place deception verses reality. Image is the game not truth and there in lies deception a diversion from reality. To draw attention from the real targets events time place deception. The Chinese are very good at perception management - Deception is a PRC way of life. They only let us see what they want us to see for our consumption. However it is critical to ask:

1. What did they try to do verse what they actually accomplished?

2. What did they say about their effort?

3. What did they build?

4. What did they do with what they built as compared to what they said?

5. Why and for what with what all through this entire analytical process?

This is but one example.

How many other Chinese activities also come under this overall aggressive military State policy?

The Chinese can call their so called defensive test what they want for the public countries to consume but what it was and is known to be is quite another thing thus Defense Secretary Dr. Robert Gates Dr. Gates questioning and others question on the “Chinese Intentions” that continues to be repeated.