SPACE — On October 13, Space Systems Command stated that the United States holds space superiority but that Russia and China seek to surpass it after fielding terrestrial and orbital counter-space capabilities for years.
Capt. Amy R. Padilla, branch chief for Intelligence Plans and Programs in the command’s Intelligence Directorate, said China is the pacing threat while Russia is the acute threat, adding that if either achieved space superiority or supremacy it would severely limit U.S. capabilities in space.
The command described space as a war-fighting domain and listed specific historical tests by both countries along with launch and satellite figures.
Locations Affected
The domain is Earth orbit and the ground segments that support it. China increased its on-orbit presence by 667 percent over the past decade to more than 1,300 satellites, according to the Space Systems Command report.
Russia’s launch rate fell from an average of more than 26 per year between 1995 and 2015 to 17 in 2024, with only five of those carrying foreign payloads.
The statement noted China’s 70 launches with 319 payloads from January through November 2025 and nearly 300 satellites placed into low Earth orbit last year.
