China Expands Military Dominance in Space with New Satellite Base
China's People's Liberation Army has established Base 37, a new facility aimed at enhancing its space domain awareness capabilities. The base, operated by the PLA Strategic Support Force, will focus on improving missile early warning capabilities and tracking and analyzing foreign space objects. It is expected to enhance China's domestic space object catalog accuracy and may integrate data from space-based missile early warning satellites. While the base does not currently operate on-orbit systems, it plays a crucial role in integrating and analyzing related data. The establishment of Base 37 has implications for the U.S., including potential opportunities for cooperation in space domain awareness and challenges related to Chinese distrust of U.S. on-orbit operations.