U.S. Intel Warns China’s Space-Based Directed Energy Weapons Could Soon Threaten Satellites

Published Oct 28, 2026 3:53 PM EDT

(VICTOR HABBICK VISIONS)

By the end of the decade, China could threaten satellites with space-based directed energy weapons, according to a new report from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). This would add a dangerous new anti-satellite (ASAT) capability to Beijing’s arsenal, which already includes ground-based directed energy weapons that can disrupt, degrade, or damage satellites. The report, released Monday, offered another glimpse into what is to come as the potential for conflict in space only continues to grow .

The unclassified DIA report is based largely on open-source information, with a cutoff date of July. It was published to detail growing threats from China, Russia and emerging powers Iran and North Korea to global interests in the space domain. The report’s release also took place as the U.S. is becoming increasingly open about its own ASAT capabilities. Last month, for instance, U.S. military officials acknowledged for the first time that America has weapons in orbit .

“The PLA probably considers DEWs [directed energy weapons] ideal counterspace systems because they can cause both reversible and nonreversible effects against satellites,” the report, titled Challenges to Security in Space , explains. “By the late 2020s, China may field space-based directed energy systems and higher-powered ground-based directed energy systems capable of threatening satellites in higher orbits.”

The report did not provide specifics about whether China is developing lasers, high-powered microwaves, particle beams or a combination of these capabilities.

We have reached out to the agency for more information but did not immediately receive a response.

Reversible attacks include efforts to jam satellite signals or temporarily blind their optics. The latter can be done with devices like laser dazzlers .

DIA reported that in 2021 the People’s Liberation Army media “asserted that laser weapons were entering a golden age; they cited dazzling (i.e., temporarily blinding a sensor) as one of the many operational uses of laser weapons.”

Non-reversible attacks cause permanent damage. It could also involve a range of fully destructive options from directed energy attacks that burn a hole in a satellite using a laser or frying its delicate systems using a high-power microwave emissions to spraying its solar panels with aerosol pigment to direct-ascent intercepts and even nuclear weapon detonations in space . Physically tampering with the satellite using another satellite is another option.

An infographic showing the various ways one satellite might attack another in orbit. (DIA)

China’s presence in orbit has been dramatically expanding in recent years. The report pointed out that as of July 2026, Beijing’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) satellite fleet “contained more than 510 systems, having more than tripled since 2018. While many of these ISR satellites are ostensibly affiliated with commercial and civil missions, the dual-use nature of their capabilities and possibly the Chinese military-civil fusion policies means the data or imagery they collect can be used by the PLA.”

China is also expanding its capabilities to new concepts like spaceplane developments, which we highlighted in a story about their capabilities yesterday based on details from the DIA report.

In addition to possibly being placed on satellites, DEWs could also potentially be added to spaceplanes, which can operate in a less predictable fashion than satellites, even if just for experimental roles or limited capability sets.

A reusable Chinese spaceplane. (Satellite image ©2026 Vantor.) Vantor

Though thin on details, the report reiterated the reality that China’s academia has been working toward space-based weapons for years.

“Since at least 2006, government-affiliated academics have investigated aerospace engineering technologies associated with space-based kinetic weapons—a class of weapon used to attack ground, sea, or air targets from orbit,” the DIA explained. “China’s space-based kinetic weapons research included methods of reentry, separation of payload, delivery vehicles, and transfer orbits for targeting purposes.”

Much of the PLA’s ASAT doctrine “characterizes the systems as useful deterrents against external involvement in a regional conflict or as a method to manage conflict escalation,” the DIA proffered. However, should China opt to strike first, one of the first and main targets would be satellites the U.S. and allies rely on for space-based sensing and communications. As we have often explained , even reversible attacks against any of this space-based infrastructure could have major impacts on the U.S. military’s ability to effectively conduct combat operations.

The DIA report noted that to date, China’s publicly known space-based ASAT capabilities center on satellites that can approach and grab others, which we have written about in the past . In one such instance, a Chinese satellite was observed in 2022 grabbing another satellite and pulling it out of its normal geosynchronous orbit and into a “super-graveyard drift orbit.” The maneuver raised questions about the potential applications of these types of satellites designed to maneuver close to other satellites for inspection or manipulation and added to growing concerns about China’s space program overall.

The threat satellites can already pose to others was highlighted earlier this month, when a Russian satellite, Kosmos 2612, may have passed within approximately 85 feet (26 meters) of ICEYE-X36. That is a U.S.-registered satellite belonging to commercial imagery provider ICEYE that was providing imagery to Ukraine. While no contact or damage was detected, the incident raised concerns that the Russian satellite could have harmed the ICEYE one purposely or even inadvertently.

You can see a time-lapse video of part of that encounter below.

Short time-lapse of part of this morning’s first pass of ICEYE-X36 (59103) and COSMOS 2612 (68762) over South America under partly cloudy skies. pic.twitter.com/t8RhwmKcV4 — s2a systems (@s2a_systems) October 18, 2026

Short time-lapse of part of this morning’s first pass of ICEYE-X36 (59103) and COSMOS 2612 (68762) over South America under partly cloudy skies. pic.twitter.com/t8RhwmKcV4

When it comes to discussing weapons in space capable of attacking other on-orbit objects and the effects they could impose, it should be noted that this domain inherently creates complications when it comes to attributing any form of attack , should one occur. Satellites do malfunction, sometimes with catastrophic results, but it is not always possible to determine the cause. As a result, the challenge in attributing an event could delay a response, if needed, or spark one inadvertently.

As we previously reported , in January, “ a Russian inspector satellite launched in 2014 appeared to break up unexpectedly. Sometime around the end of July, the Chinese reconnaissance satellite Yaogan 50-02 , which had only been launched some four months earlier, also broke up in orbit. On Sept. 13, a similar fate befell the U.S. Cold War-era Farrah III spy satellite , also known as USA 32. At the time of writing, no firm evidence has emerged to indicate any of these incidents were the result of hostile action rather than accidents of some kind. ”

Directed energy attacks, in particular, from one satellite against another, may be very hard to attribute as they can happen over longer distances in the vacuum of space. They would also presumably allow the attacking satellite to engage multiple targets, even in a relatively short period of time, making it one of the most attractive potential anti-satellite capabilities on orbit.

In addition to talking about Chinese space-based ASAT capabilities, the DIA report raised concerns about a wide array of threats from the PLA as well as Russia, North Korea and Iran.

The report did not address Russian space-based directed energy weapons plans. However, it did note that, like China, Russia does have ground-based laser systems already capable of affecting U.S. and allied satellites. The threat from these systems is not theoretical. They are part of an array of ASAT measures that China and Russia have used against the U.S. for years.

For instance, back in 2021, a top U.S. Space Force general warned that Russia and China were launching “reversible attacks,” such as electronic warfare jamming , temporarily blinding optics with lasers , and cyberattacks, on U.S. satellites “every single day.”

A Chinese LY-1 laser weapon system on display at the V-Day military parade at Tiananmen Square on September 3, 2025, in Beijing, China. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images) VCG

“China and Russia will continue to pursue new and improved counterspace capabilities to exploit a perceived U.S. and allied reliance on space-based assets,” DIA’s report concluded.

“China has developed and probably will continue to develop weapons for use against satellites in orbit to disrupt, damage and destroy adversary space capabilities,” the DIA suggested. “Russia is currently capable of targeting satellites in LEO with both terrestrial and orbital systems and is interested in developing systems for targeting more distant orbits.”

China and Russia aren’t the only adversaries the U.S. should be concerned about when it comes to space warfare, the DIA warned.

“In 2026, with the onset of Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. and Iran took offensive actions against each other’s space capabilities to degrade and disrupt military actions on both sides,” the agency stated. “Iran and North Korea will continue to build their civil and military and space capabilities and maintain their respective jamming capabilities.”

U.S. Space Force Guardians assigned to the 4th Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron, Mission Delta 3, conduct training and maintenance with the Counter Communications System (CCS) at Peterson Space Force Base, Colo., July 2, 2025. (U.S. Space Force photo by Amber Mullins)

Meanwhile, the extent of current U.S. plans for space-based directed energy weapons is not publicly known. However, in a story we wrote last year about President Donald Trump’s plans for the Golden Dome missile shield system , we noted the role that directed energy weapons could play in that effort.

For years, U.S. space-based weapons plans have been shrouded in secrecy, but as we mentioned earlier in this story, that changed last month.

During his keynote speech at the Air & Space Forces Association’s (AFA) 2026 Air, Space & Cyber Conference , at which TWZ was in attendance, Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink made a bombshell admission , disclosing that there are on-orbit weapons now deployed to protect America’s interests in space .

Meink declined to offer any details about what kinds of weapons they were. However, whatever they are, these weapons support a Space Control mission set, and the U.S. Space Force shared additional details about that directly with TWZ .

“Space control encapsulates the mission areas required to contest and control the space domain – employing kinetic and non-kinetic means to affect adversary capabilities through disruption, degradation and even destruction, if necessary,” a Space Force spokesperson told us. “These capabilities can be employed for offensive and defensive purposes at the direction of combatant commands. U.S. military operations are conducted in compliance with international law, including the Outer Space Treaty and LOAC [the Law of Armed Conflict ].”

While the DIA report does not make any new revelations about China’s space-based directed energy program, it serves as a stark reminder that this is a capability that could present a widening threat in the next few years.

Contact the author: howard@twz.com

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发布于美国东部时间2026年10月28日下午3:53

（维克多·哈比克愿景）

根据美国国防情报局（DIA）的一份最新报告，到本十年末，中国可能利用天基定向能武器威胁卫星。这将为北京的武器库增添一种危险的新型反卫星（ASAT）能力，而北京的武器库中已经包括能够干扰、削弱或摧毁卫星的地基定向能武器。这份于周一发布的报告，让我们得以窥见未来太空冲突的可能性，因为太空冲突的可能性只会不断增加。

这份未公开的国防情报局报告主要基于公开信息，数据截止日期为7月。报告发布旨在详细阐述来自中国、俄罗斯以及新兴大国伊朗和朝鲜对全球太空利益日益增长的威胁。与此同时，美国也越来越公开地展示其反卫星能力。例如，上个月，美国军方官员首次承认美国拥有在轨武器。

这份题为《太空安全挑战》的报告解释说：“解放军可能将定向能武器视为理想的反太空系统，因为它们可以对卫星造成可逆和不可逆的影响。到2020年代末，中国可能会部署天基定向能系统和功率更高的地基定向能系统，这些系统能够威胁到更高轨道上的卫星。”

该报告没有具体说明中国是否正在研发激光器、高功率微波、粒子束或这些技术的组合。

我们已联系该机构以获取更多信息，但尚未立即收到回复。

可逆攻击包括干扰卫星信号或暂时使其光学器件失效。后者可以通过激光眩目器等设备实现。

DIA 报告称，2021 年中国人民解放军媒体“声称激光武器正在进入黄金时代；他们列举了眩目（即暂时使传感器失明）作为激光武器的众多作战用途之一”。

不可逆攻击会造成永久性损害。攻击手段多种多样，包括定向能攻击（例如使用激光在卫星上烧出一个洞，或使用高功率微波辐射损坏其精密系统）、向太阳能电池板喷洒气溶胶颜料、直接上升拦截，甚至在太空引爆核武器等，都可能造成彻底的破坏。此外，利用另一颗卫星对目标卫星进行物理篡改也是一种选择。

一张信息图展示了卫星在轨道上攻击另一颗卫星的各种方式。（DIA）

近年来，中国在轨道上的存在感显著增强。报告指出，截至2026年7月，北京的情报、监视和侦察（ISR）卫星群“拥有超过510颗系统，比2018年增长了两倍多。虽然这些ISR卫星中许多表面上与商业和民用任务相关，但其能力的军民两用性质以及中国军民融合政策可能意味着，它们收集的数据或图像可以被解放军使用。”

中国也在拓展其在空天飞机等新概念领域的能力，我们昨天根据国防情报局报告中的细节，在一篇关于其能力的报道中重点介绍了这一点。

除了可以安装在卫星上之外，定向能武器还有可能被添加到空天飞机上，即使只是用于实验性任务或有限的功能集，空天飞机的运行方式也比卫星更难以预测。

一架可重复使用的中国空天飞机。（卫星图像 ©2026 Vantor。）Vantor

虽然细节不多，但该报告重申了中国学术界多年来一直在致力于研发天基武器的现实。

美国国防情报局解释说：“至少从2006年起，政府附属学术机构就开始研究与天基动能武器相关的航空航天工程技术——这类武器用于从轨道上攻击地面、海上或空中目标。中国的天基动能武器研究包括再入方法、有效载荷分离、运载工具以及用于目标定位的转移轨道。”

美国国防情报局指出，解放军的反卫星作战理论大多“将这些系统视为阻止外部势力介入地区冲突的有效威慑手段，或作为管控冲突升级的手段”。然而，如果中国选择先发制人，其首要目标之一便是美国及其盟友赖以进行天基传感和通信的卫星。正如我们多次解释的那样，即使是针对这些天基基础设施的可逆攻击，也可能对美军有效开展作战行动的能力造成重大影响。

美国国防情报局的报告指出，迄今为止，中国公开的天基反卫星能力主要集中在能够接近并捕获其他卫星的卫星上，我们此前也曾报道过此类卫星。例如，2022年，一颗中国卫星被观测到捕获另一颗卫星，并将其从正常的地球同步轨道拉出，送入“超级墓地漂移轨道”。这一操作引发了人们对这类旨在近距离接近其他卫星进行检查或操控的卫星潜在用途的质疑，也加剧了人们对中国整体航天计划的担忧。

本月初，一颗俄罗斯卫星“宇宙2612号”（Kosmos 2612）可能从距离乌克兰商业图像提供商ICEYE-X36卫星约26米（85英尺）的近距离掠过，凸显了卫星可能对其他卫星构成的威胁。ICEYE-X36是一颗在美国注册的卫星，当时正在向乌克兰提供图像。虽然没有检测到任何接触或损坏，但该事件引发了人们的担忧：俄罗斯卫星可能有意或无意地对ICEYE卫星造成了损害。

您可以在下方看到那次遭遇的部分延时视频。

今早ICEYE-X36 (59103)和COSMOS 2612 (68762)卫星在南美洲上空部分云层下首次飞越的延时摄影片段。pic.twitter.com/t8RhwmKcV4 — s2a systems (@s2a_systems) October 18, 2026

这是今天早上ICEYE-X36 (59103)和COSMOS 2612 (68762)首次飞越南美洲上空（多云天气）的部分延时摄影。 pic.twitter.com/t8RhwmKcV4

在讨论太空武器（能够攻击其他在轨物体）及其可能造成的影响时，必须指出，一旦发生攻击，确定攻击来源本身就存在固有的复杂性。卫星确实会发生故障，有时会造成灾难性后果，但并非总能确定故障原因。因此，确定事件来源的困难可能会延误必要的应对措施，甚至可能无意中引发攻击。

正如我们此前报道，今年1月，“一颗2014年发射的俄罗斯检查卫星似乎意外解体。7月底前后，中国侦察卫星遥感50-02（发射仅约4个月）也在轨道上解体。9月13日，美国冷战时期的间谍卫星“法拉三号”（Farrah III，又称USA 32）也遭遇了类似的命运。截至发稿时，尚无确凿证据表明这些事件是敌对行动所致，而非某种意外事故。”

定向能攻击，尤其是卫星间相互攻击，由于能在真空的太空中远距离进行，因此很难确定攻击来源。此外，攻击卫星还可能在相对较短的时间内攻击多个目标，使其成为轨道上最具吸引力的潜在反卫星能力之一。

除了谈到中国的天基反卫星能力外，DIA 的报告还对来自解放军以及俄罗斯、朝鲜和伊朗的各种威胁表示担忧。

该报告并未提及俄罗斯的天基定向能武器计划。然而，报告指出，与中国一样，俄罗斯也拥有能够影响美国及其盟国卫星的地面激光系统。这些系统的威胁并非纸上谈兵，而是中俄两国多年来针对美国所使用的反卫星武器系统的一部分。

例如，早在 2021 年，一位美国太空部队高级将领就警告说，俄罗斯和中国“每天”都在对美国卫星发动“可逆攻击”，例如电子战干扰、用激光暂时致盲光学器件以及网络攻击。

2025年9月3日，中国北京天安门广场举行的胜利日阅兵式上，展出了中国LY-1激光武器系统。（图片来源：VCG/VCG via Getty Images）

“中国和俄罗斯将继续寻求新的、改进的反太空能力，以利用美国及其盟国对太空资产的依赖，”国防情报局的报告总结道。

美国国防情报局指出：“中国已经研发出，而且很可能会继续研发用于攻击在轨卫星的武器，以干扰、破坏和摧毁敌方的太空能力。俄罗斯目前能够利用地面和轨道系统打击近地轨道卫星，并且有意研发用于打击更远轨道卫星的系统。”

美国国防情报局警告说，在太空战方面，美国应该担心的对手不仅仅是中国和俄罗斯。

该机构表示：“2026年，随着‘史诗狂怒行动’的展开，美国和伊朗对彼此的太空能力采取了进攻性行动，旨在削弱和干扰双方的军事行动。伊朗和朝鲜将继续发展其民用、军事和太空能力，并保持各自的干扰能力。”

2025年7月2日，隶属于美国太空部队第4电磁战中队“德尔塔3”任务的“卫士”小队在科罗拉多州彼得森太空部队基地进行反通信系统（CCS）的训练和维护。（美国太空部队照片，摄影：安珀·穆林斯）

与此同时，美国目前在太空研发定向能武器的具体计划规模尚不为人知。然而，在我们去年一篇关于唐纳德·特朗普总统“金穹顶”导弹防御系统计划的报道中，我们曾指出定向能武器可能在该计划中发挥的作用。

多年来，美国的太空武器计划一直处于保密状态，但正如我们在本文前面提到的，这种情况上个月发生了改变。

在空军与航天部队协会 (AFA) 2026 年航空、航天与网络会议上，空军部长特洛伊·梅因克发表了主题演讲，TWZ 也出席了此次会议。他在演讲中做出了一个爆炸性承认，透露目前已部署在轨武器来保护美国在太空的利益。

梅因克拒绝透露这些武器的具体类型。不过，无论它们是什么，这些武器都用于支持太空控制任务，美国太空部队已直接向TWZ分享了更多相关信息。

“太空控制涵盖了争夺和控制太空领域所需的各项任务——运用动能和非动能手段，通过干扰、削弱甚至在必要时摧毁来影响敌方能力，”​​一位太空部队发言人告诉我们。“这些能力可以根据作战司令部的指示用于进攻和防御目的。美国军事行动均遵守国际法，包括《外层空间条约》和《武装冲突法》。”

虽然国防情报局的报告没有对中国的天基定向能计划做出任何新的披露，但它却鲜明地提醒我们，这种能力在未来几年内可能会构成越来越大的威胁。

联系作者：howard@twz.com

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