In episode 52 of the Aerospace advantage podcast Congress and Defense, Russian Satellite Shootdown, and China’s Nuclear Stance: The Rendezvous, host John “Slick” Baum welcomes the Mitchell team to discuss stories that have dominated the news cycle. After stalling out for months, it looks like the Senate’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act is headed for the floor. What should we be looking for in this bill?  Next, as if things weren’t bad enough with the Chinese launch of the fractional orbital bombardment system, we’ve got the Russians blowing up a satellite, filling several orbits with thousands of fragments of debris. Finally, General Hyten, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, discussed what many of us have long suspected: China’s nuclear build-up is about gaining a first-strike capability. These are incredibly important topics, so make sure you join us for this episode.