Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Reuters: US military carried out a new strike targeting a ship in the Caribbean Sea
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Israeli raids targeted a cement plant, an asphalt factory, and fuel tanks in the Ansar area in South Lebanon
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: A series of violent Israeli raids targeted the outskirts of the town of Ansar
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Israeli warplanes raided the outskirts of the town of Shmestar in Bekaa, eastern Lebanon
Donald Trump will speak with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Thursday: White House
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: Israeli warplanes raid the town of Bnaafoul, Saida district
YAF: Israeli enemy will pay for this crime.
Yemeni Armed Forces: Son of Major General Al-Ghamari martyred alongside him in Israeli aggression.
Yemeni Armed Forces: YAF mourns martyrdom of Chief of the General Staff Mohammad Abd al-Karim al-Ghamari.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Palestinian shot and killed by IOF east of Al-Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip

China's Space Capabilities Developing at 'Twice the Rate' of US

  • By Al Mayadeen Net
  • Source: Agencies
  • 5 Dec 2021 08:22
  • 1 Shares
2 Min Read

US General David Thompson, vice chief of space operations for the US Space Force, said that China's development and delivery capabilities in space will exceed the US.

  • x
  • China is developing space capabilities 'twice the rate' of US
    China is developing space capabilities 'twice the rate' of US.

China is building its space capabilities at "double the rate" of the US, revealed General David Thompson, vice head of space operations for the US Space Force.

Thomson spoke on a panel of US experts and leaders, at the Reagan National Defense Forum, and confessed that China would overtake the US in space capabilities by the end of the decade. 

"The fact, that in essence, on average, they are building and fielding and updating their space capabilities at twice the rate we are means that very soon if we don't start accelerating our development and delivery capabilities, they will exceed us," Thompson said, adding, "2030 is not an unreasonable estimate."

Thompson was joined by Jim Cooper, a Tennessee Democrat who chairs the House Armed Services Committee's strategic forces subcommittee, which helps oversee the Space Force's budget, and Chris Kubasik, president, and CEO of L3Harris Technologies, a defense contractor that develops Space and Airborne Systems.

Related News

ANZ forecasts gold to hit $4,400 by year-end, peak at $4,600 in 2026

Top US commander in Latin America steps down amid growing scrutiny

US competes with China

Cooper said, "Hell yes," when asked if the US is competing in a so-called space race with China.

"It's great that the private sector is so much more innovative than our Air Force was, and we need to get the Space Force to be much more innovative and try to keep up with the private sector," Cooper said.

He added: "To really be superior, we've got to go beyond Elon Musk's imagination, Jeff Bezos' imagination, beyond their pocketbooks. (The) budget right now is $17 billion -- that's a lot of money, but considering how crucial space is, are we doing enough?"

Cooper proposed that the Space Force is more like the National Reconnaissance Office, which manages government space spacecraft and delivers satellite intelligence to several US government organizations.

"The NRO has actually done a pretty amazing job," Cooper said. "They're not as well-known as some other agencies. ... But I had a recent side-by-side briefing with the NRO and Space Force. My conclusion after that briefing was: thank God for the NRO. I anxiously await the day that I can say the same about the Space Force."

  • Space
  • United States
  • China
  • David Thompson

Most Read

Iran strikes secret Israeli-US bunker under Tel Aviv high-rise

Tel Aviv high-rise struck by Iran hid Site 81, secret US-Israeli base

  • Politics
  • 14 Oct 2025
Palestinian journalist Saleh al-Jaafarawi in an undated image in Gaza, occupied Palestine (Social media)

Gaza Palestinian journalist Saleh al-Jafarawi killed by collaborators

  • Politics
  • 12 Oct 2025
drop site

New report details extensive Israeli arson in Gaza after ceasefire

  • Politics
  • 13 Oct 2025
Illustration of fists breaking shackles, representing the liberation of Palestinian detainees from Israeli prisons. (Illustrated by: AL Mayadeen English/Batoul Chamas)

4 prominent Palestinian detainees to be freed: Who are they?

  • Palestine
  • 13 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
The bodies of deceased Palestinians, held by Israel during the war, lie in plastic bags on the floor of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, following their release, Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025 (AP)
Politics

'Israel' returns 30 Palestinian bodies; some bear marks of torture

Gaza buried under 70 million tons of war debris as crisis deepens
Politics

Gaza buried under 70 million tons of debris, 20,000 lingering UXOs

Ex-White House adviser Ashley Tellis charged over secret files
Politics

Ex-White House advisor accused of amassing troves of top secret files

An Israeli soldier rests by a mobile artillery unit at a gathering point on the border with the Gaza Strip, in southern “Israel”, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. (AP)
Politics

Global arms bans isolate 'Israel', yet its war machine keeps running

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS