China accuses U.S. of mismanagement of Musk?s satellite risks

China accused the U.S. of not taking responsibility for problems caused by satellites launched by Elon Musk-backed SpaceX, highlighting the potential risk for conflict between the world?s two top space-faring nations.

The U.S. didn?t respond to requests for information when?SpaceX?s?Starlink satellites last year came dangerously close to the Chinese space station, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a regular news briefing Thursday in Beijing.

?While in orbit Chinese astronauts were facing real and urgent safety threats,? Zhao said. ?After the accident, China?s competent authorities tried multiple times to reach the U.S. by email but received no reply.?

The Chinese statement came after a new incident involving SpaceX satellites, with the company saying that as many as 40 of its 49 low-orbit satellites that launched Feb. 3 were hit by a?geomagnetic storm?and fell back to earth.

China notified the United Nations in December that there had been ?close encounters? last July and October when satellites approached China?s space station. The U.S. responded last month, saying that there had been no need to send notifications to China because the incidents hadn?t met the threshold of established emergency collision criteria.

?If there had been a significant probability of collision involving the China Space Station, the United States would have provided a close approach notification directly to the designated Chinese point of contact,? the U.S. said in a Jan. 28?submission?to the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.

With that explanation, the U.S. was trying to ?shift responsibilities and distract attention,? Zhao said. ?It is not showing the due responsible attitude as a space power.? (Courtesy Bloomberg)