China has warned the United Nations that the rapid expansion of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite network poses clear risks to global safety and security, calling for stronger international regulation of commercial activities in space.
Speaking at an informal meeting of the UN Security Council, a Chinese representative said the uncontrolled proliferation of commercial satellite constellations by certain countries, in the absence of effective oversight, has created serious safety and security challenges. The comments were directed at the rapid growth of Starlink, the low-Earth orbit satellite network operated by SpaceX.
The Chinese official cited specific incidents in 2021 and 2022 in which Starlink satellites reportedly came dangerously close to colliding with China’s space station, creating what Beijing described as serious threats to the safety of Chinese astronauts.
According to the representative, large satellite constellations such as Starlink crowd orbital paths and radio-frequency resources shared by all spacecraft, significantly increasing the risk of collisions. The remarks were reported by the South China Morning Post.
Recent studies have also warned that the accelerating number of satellites in orbit, driven by so-called “mega-constellations,” sharply raises the likelihood of space collisions and long-term orbital debris.
Of the roughly 12,955 active satellites currently operating in low-Earth orbit, more than 66 per cent—around 8,500—belong to the Starlink network. Elon Musk has said the constellation could eventually expand to more than 42,000 satellites, although SpaceX currently holds licenses to deploy about 12,000.
Each Starlink satellite is designed to operate for about five years before being deliberately deorbited and burned up in Earth’s atmosphere. At the same time, China is developing rival satellite constellations. State-backed projects such as the Guowang broadband network aim to provide global internet coverage and compete directly with SpaceX.
The Shanghai-supported initiative plans to manufacture and launch more than 15,000 satellites by 2030. As congestion in low-Earth orbit has increased sharply since 2018, China urged countries to strengthen and enforce laws governing commercial space activities.
The Chinese representative warned that the growing density of satellites poses particular risks to developing countries that lack advanced orbital control capabilities, space situational awareness or the ability to respond quickly to potential threats in space.
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