The United States not only wants to firmly control the maritime hegemony in its hands, but also tries to firmly control the space hegemony in its own hands!
According to the Global Times, the American X-37B aerospace fighter is undergoing its 7th flight test after a period of refinement. Unlike previous launches on a light rocket, the X-37B was launched on a Falcon 9 heavy rocket. According to information released by the United States, the X-37B will set a new record for the height of this orbit - 220,000 miles (about 36,000 km). This is the first time in human history that a spacecraft has been hit to an altitude close to geosynchronous orbit and various tests have been carried out in high orbit. Several times ago, the United States has allowed the X-37B to carry out various test verification work in medium and low orbits. Now, why is the United States still putting the X-37B for various tests in high orbit?What is its purpose?
The X-37B is an unmanned and reusable spaceplane developed by the American company Boeing. The aircraft is carried into space by rocket, can stay in space for long periods of time, and can fly at a maximum speed of 25 times the speed of sound. It is reported that the last time the American X-37B was in Earth orbit was as high as 908 days. This time it is expected to be more than 1,000 days. Since the X-37B can fly in Earth satellite orbit and enter the atmosphere, it can also automatically return to the ground after the end of the mission. As a result, it is considered the prototype of a future space fighter. The United States has never forgotten to enhance its combat capability and control over space. In 2018, when Trump was in office in the United States, he also announced the creation of the "Space Force", the sixth branch of the United States. For the 7th high-orbit flight test of the X-37B, Saltzman, chief of operations of the US Space Force, said that the flight will conduct "breakthrough" tests to lay the foundation for future space combat capabilities, such as the "future space domain perception technology" test.
While Saltzman did not say what the "breakthrough" test meant, one thing is clear: the X-37B will be the cornerstone or platform for U.S. space operations. According to the analysis and introduction of domestic military experts, the core of X-37B space operations is divided into four aspects: space reconnaissance and surveillance, space confrontation operations, rapid space support response, and space ground strike. Space reconnaissance refers to reconnaissance of the ground similar to satellites, and also refers to the reconnaissance and surveillance of enemy satellites by the X-37B. Different from conventional satellite reconnaissance and surveillance satellites, the X-37B has the advantages of real-time orbit change, more maneuverability and faster speed.
X-37B's space confrontation operations refer to attacking, capturing, or jamming enemy space targets. Because it is an air-space fighter, as a space combat platform, it is fully capable of carrying ** in-orbit operations. If necessary, the X-37B is fully capable of destroying enemy satellites and ground targets by launching its own **. Once the enemy's satellite system is destroyed, it will lose its most important reliance on the modern warfare method based on satellite navigation, satellite communications, and missile precision strikes. At that time, the US military, which has space superiority, will carry out dimensionality reduction strikes against enemy countries. Therefore, the successful test of the X-37B in the United States will pose a huge threat to China's Beidou navigation system and other satellites.
The United States' attempt to use the X-37B to develop space ** is an extremely dangerous signal, and China cannot but be on guard. In response to the U.S. X37B, China is also secretly developing its own air and space fighters. However, due to the fact that it started more than a decade later than the United States, it is not as good as the X-37B in some technologies. However, the Chinese's spirit of hard work and refusal to admit defeat will definitely allow Chinese aerospace fighters to catch up with the US X-37B!