China Fielding Robotic Space Weapons That Can Attack Other Satellites

China is developing orbital counterspace technologies capable of disrupting, damaging or destroying other satellites, according to the US Defense Intelligence Agency's October 2026 Challenges to Security in Space report. The assessment identifies robotic mechanisms, including the Shijian-17 satellite's grappling arm, alongside jamming, directed energy and other potential attack methods. It also notes close approaches by the TJS-3 experimental communications satellite, whose proximity to foreign spacecraft the agency considers inconsistent with its stated mission. The findings concern assessed military applications of technologies that can also support civilian operations, rather than documenting an attack by a Chinese robotic spacecraft.