Over the last few years, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has increased its investment in outer space, a domain historically dominated by the United States. China’s space research and exploration ambitions threaten to undermine American interests in orbit and pose national security concerns for the United States on the ground. The Vandenberg Coalition welcomes Dean Cheng, Senior Advisor to the China Program at the United States Institute of Peace and Kari Bingen, former U.S. Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, to examine this threat and discuss ways for the United States to effectively counter the CCP in outer space. 

00:00:00 Opening by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti 

00:01:15 Impact of space on American life  

00:07:16 China’s mechanisms to supplant U.S. dominance in space  

00:11:02 Implications of China’s development of counter-space capabilities  

00:14:35 Artificial intelligence & communications in space  

00:18:22 Civil-military fusion in China vs. the U.S. government’s commercial reliance  

00:25:15 Spectrum of American space defense capabilities  

00:27:09 Pathways for space classification, control, & cooperation   

00:30:50 Areas of American dominance & underdeveloped technologies in space  

00:38:46 Coordination between space companies, the U.S. government, & allied nations 

00:43:32 Policymakers’ complex protective mechanisms over private companies  

00:51:00  Biden’s 2024 space budget request increase 

00:52:58 Consequences of the limited legal architecture governing space  

00:57:01 Space as a strategic dimension of U.S.-Chinese competition  

01:00:35 Closing by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti