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China’s Tiangong space station is said to have been forced to take “preventive collision control” during two “close encounters” with SpaceX’s Starlink satellites.
Chinese web users attacked billionaire Elon Musk on Tuesday after Beijing said its space stations had taken steps to bypass two of its SpaceX satellites, hitting the tycoon’s reputation in a country that has taken over Tesla electric cars.
China Tiangong Space Station SpaceX’s Starlink satellites were forced to take “preventive collision control” at two “close meetings” in July and October, according to a document Beijing submitted to the UN space agency this month.
On two occasions, the satellites moved into orbit that prompted space station operators to change course, according to a document submitted to the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs.
“The maneuvering strategy was unknown and orbital errors were difficult to assess,” he said, adding that Beijing had taken steps to “ensure the safety and life of astronauts in orbit.”
Tiangong – “heavenly palace” – is China’s latest achievement in becoming a major space power after a Rover landed on Mars and sent probes to the moon.
Its core module entered orbit earlier this year, and by 2022 the station was expected to be fully operational.
Chinese social media users blasted Musk and his company over the incident, and a hashtag garnered 87 million views on Tuesday morning.
“How ironic it is for the Chinese to buy Tesla, giving them so much money to launch Musk Starlink, and then [nearly] It collides with a Chinese space station, “said one user.
“Prepare to boycott Tesla,” said another, referring to a joint response to foreign brands that are acting against Beijing’s national interests in China.
Some speculated that Washington would impose sanctions if the roles were changed.
“Why don’t we do what they do?” one wrote.
California SpaceX he did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Although Musk is widely admired in China, Tesla’s popularity, which sells dozens of vehicles a month in the country, has been marred this year by accidents, scandals and data storage problems.
But Tesla is still very popular and sells one in four of its cars in China. A company-owned rare factory is also being built in Shanghai.
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