US pressures Argentina and Chile to halt Chinese space projects

The United States has succeeded in halting Chinese astronomy projects in Argentina and Chile over strategic concerns that the facilities could be used for military purposes.

According to The New York Times, Washington intensified pressure on both countries amid concerns that the installations could serve espionage and satellite-tracking functions.

Following pressure from the US administration, Argentine authorities halted completion of a project under construction in San Juan province that was set to become South America’s largest Chinese radio telescope.

Data obtained by the newspaper showed that US officials have been trying since 2021 to persuade Buenos Aires to reconsider its cooperation with China in the space sector.

Washington fears the facilities could act as a cover for monitoring US satellites and communicating with Chinese spacecraft.

Construction of the $32 million China Argentina Radio Telescope (CART) project was being carried out jointly by the National University of San Juan and the National Astronomical Observatories of China.

After the expiration of the existing agreement between the two countries, Argentine customs authorities seized components considered critical to the installation of the facility. The intervention effectively froze the massive project.

A similar process was reported in Chile. The Chilean government was said to have decided to suspend construction of a planned Chinese observatory in the Atacama Desert following pressure from the United States.

China’s embassy in Buenos Aires described Washington’s actions as an effort to “contain and suppress” Beijing. Chinese authorities continue to insist that the projects are entirely civilian and scientific in nature.

The United States had previously raised similar objections to a Chinese satellite station established in Argentina’s Neuquen province in 2015.

Era of “dogfights” in space begins

The deepening technological rivalry between the United States and China is also pushing tensions in space into a new phase. In an analysis published late last year, The Washington Post said orbital maneuvers between satellites belonging to the two powers had become common enough to be described as “dogfights” or “maneuver warfare.”

Military analysts say much of the activity in space effectively amounts to reciprocal espionage operations.

Data cited by the South China Morning Post indicated that Chinese satellites have exerted significant pressure on Starlink devices in orbit.

According to the report, Starlink satellites were forced to carry out around 150,000 avoidance maneuvers within a year to prevent collisions with other spacecraft and debris.

The situation has increased fuel consumption and shortened the operational lifespan of the satellites, the report said, adding that Chinese space vehicles accounted for the largest share of those maneuvers.