China complains to UN after maneuvering its space station away from SpaceX Starlink satellites

Chinese astronauts Nie Haisheng and Liu Boming waving their hands during a spacewalk out of the space station core module Tianhe in August of 2021 | Photo by Tian Dingyu/Xinhua via Getty Images

China filed a complaint this month with the United Nations, arguing that it had to conduct evasive maneuvers of its space station to avoid potential collisions with two of SpaceX’s internet-beaming Starlink satellites. The country is requesting that the UN’s Secretary General remind countries of their obligations under international space law, though China did not specify exactly what actions it wants to be taken.

In the complaint, dated December 6th, China details two instances on July 1st, 2020 and on October 21st, 2021 when the nation had to maneuver the core module of its space station, called Tianhe, out of the way of two separate Starlink satellites. The three Chinese astronauts currently living on Tianhe had just arrived to the...

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