Issue 94

18 Mar: China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI) released an article from researcher Kristin Burke highlighting the People’s Liberation Army (PLA)’s interest and investment in developing on-orbit servicing capabilities. The PLA is preparing its satellite operators to perform on-orbit satellite refueling, for peacetime and wartime space logistics. They are also already integrating lessons learned into corresponding military doctrine and training tools. More excerpts below. Full Article.

– The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has approved new commercial players to enter the field to provide, not only technology, but also frameworks to shape international norms.

– In 2018, a Beijing based Strategic Support Force (SSF) unit under the Space Systems Department (SSD) published a comprehensive article on the PLA’s requirements for a simulation tool to train military satellite operators in space-based refueling.

– In 2022 the PLA’s National University for Defense Technology (NUDT) recommended adding specific fuel and time requirements for five anticipated mission sets: 1) on-orbit refueling and repair; 2) auxiliary position maintenance; 3) adjusting inclination; 4) deorbiting a defunct satellite; and 5) rescuing a failed satellite.

– The PLA has been developing policy and doctrine for on-orbit logistics.

– The PLA’s Academy of Military Sciences (AMS) published the Lectures on the Science of Space Operations in 2013, which described the importance of having a military unit capable of supporting space equipment sustainment with on-orbit logistics. The book specifically mentions refueling and repair.

– The PLA’s broader doctrine covering all military operations, not just space operations, mentions in-space servicing. The PLA National Defense University’s 2020 Science of Military Strategy stated that “orbital services” are an important development trend, and that the PLA needs to play a role in the international legal debates on debris disposal.

– PLA experts are writing books to deepen operational planning. In 2021, key PLA satellite servicing experts from the SSF SSD, together with the AMS Joint Operations Experimental Center wrote a dedicated textbook on scheduling satellite servicing and related mission planning.

– Since at least 2016, China’s civilian Ministry of Science and Technology has included on-orbit servicing in its technology development plans.

– One Chinese province and two Chinese cities have published 14th Five Year Plans (2021-2025) including technology development support for on-orbit servicing.

China’s last and most recent versions of its national space plan have included debris mitigation and significantly expanded the section listing on-orbit servicing plans, to include goals for international cooperation and influencing international norms…a Chinese official document in English describing their plans for international cooperation and negotiation on in-space servicing is a strong signal they are interested in discussing their plans