China Upset with Elon Musk and SpaceX

Starlink satellites had a pair of near-collisions with the Chinese Space Station.

Jeremy Kariuki

Wednesday, December 29, 2021 at 03:40 PM ET

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Elon Musk has not commented on China's issue with SpaceX's Starlink satellites. [Credit: NASA]

Key Takeaways:

Chinese citizens and government are criticizing Elon Musk and Starlink after two satellites had near-misses with the Chinese space station in July and October, forcing it to perform evasive maneuvers.
China formally reported the incidents to the United Nations, highlighting concerns about the safety of their astronauts and questioning the accountability of private space companies.
The Starlink satellites reportedly changed course and entered the Chinese space station's orbit, contributing to a broader context of a growing space debris crisis and lack of debris removal efforts.

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Elon Musk is under fire from Chinese citizens over two near misses between Starlink satellites and the Chinese space station.

The Chinese government submitted a notice to the United Nations stating that their astronauts were put in danger during two near-misses with SpaceX satellites. The first altercation occurred in July, when the Chinese space station performed evasive maneuvers to avoid the collision with the Starlink satellite.