While Progressives and many Conservatives cheer at the gutting of our space program, our main rival China is beefing up there. They are improving their space capabilities and investing in their space program. They have learned their lesson of the scrapping of their fleets in the 1430’s. China sees space as the next frontier and are deadly serious about this.

Army Lt. Gen. Ronald L. Burgess, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, disclosed new details of China’s space weapons programs last week, including information regarding China’s anti-satellite missiles and cyber warfare capabilities.

Burgess stated in little-noticed written testimony prepared for an appearance before the Senate Armed Services Committee that Beijing is developing missiles, electronic jammers, and lasers for use against satellites.

Much of the space warfare activity is being carried out under the guise of China’s supposedly non-military space program, he said.

[….]

“China’s successfully tested a direct ascent anti-satellite weapon (ASAT) missile and is developing jammers and directed-energy weapons for ASAT missions,” he said. “A prerequisite for ASAT attacks, China’s ability to track and identify satellites is enhanced by technologies from China’s manned and lunar programs as well as technologies and methods developed to detect and track space debris.”

China’s January 2007 anti-satellite missile test involved a modified DF-21 missile that destroyed a Chinese weather satellite. The blast created a debris field in space of some 10,000 pieces of space junk that could damage both manned and unmanned spacecraft.

Americans better wake up and demand a serious space program. We are making the mistake of Ming China, when they abandoned their fleets. Investment in space pays off and generates jobs. Its better to spend on space than waste money in Afghanistan. Too Americans are shortsighted. Having learned their lessons 600 years ago, China will not repeat that mistake.