As the push for dominance in space between China and the United States heats up, so does an outer space arms race.
However, we didn’t know what specifically was happening until now.
‘There have been many who are developing capabilities to take those away from us.’
Although President Donald Trump recently revealed some controversial uniforms as part of the new Space Force look, it turns out there may have been a lot more going on with the space agency than was realized.
In what may be a shocking revelation, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink made remarks on Monday that were characterized as a warning to China and Russia about American capabilities in space.
“Today, we continue to ensure we remain ready to meet the challenges of evolving threats wherever they exist,” Meink said at the Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland.
According to ABC News, Meink then dropped a figurative bomb and revealed that the United States has weapons in space.
“This is why the United States now has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action.”
In video from the conference posted by CNN, Meink further revealed that America’s adversaries are already making attempts to knock those weapons out of orbit.
“There have been many who are developing capabilities to take those away from us, to threaten those things,” the secretary stated.
“So it is critically important that we maintain our dominance not only in the air but in space. And so we’ve had to take steps to make sure that when we’re threatened, we can take care of that.”
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China has been making significant strides in its space program for the better part of the last decade, starting with alleged plans to destroy Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites.
China’s Chang’e rockets have made consistent attempts to establish what have been referred to as “exclusion zones” on the moon, where they are hoping to harvest lunar minerals and discover the existence of water ice.
While at one point in 2026, it looked like China had gained a strategic edge over the United States, NASA, and its Artemis programs, a surprising setback in August pushed the Red Giant’s immediate plans back to at least 2027.
The recent Chang’e-7 mission, which was delayed, was seen as a critical step toward getting more Chinese robots (rovers) on the moon, with a hope of humans and military equipment in years to come.
Chang’e-8, another probing mission, was set for 2029, while China’s boots-on-the-ground mission was set for 2030.
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Manuel Mazzanti/NurPhoto/Getty Images
Secretary Meink offered more details in remarks to ABC News, saying U.S. capabilities “can be employed for offensive and defensive purposes at the direction of combatant commands.”
“The U.S. has warned about Russian and Chinese weapons testing and operationalization since 2007. Due to their actions, it is no longer a question that space is a warfighting domain,” the secretary added. “Open communication strengthens deterrence, prevents adversary miscalculation, and normalizes space operations alongside the other services.”
Clive Neil, professor of civil and environmental engineering and earth sciences at Notre Dame, recently told Blaze News that a “space race” isn’t good for the overall goal of space exploration.
“History shows us that international competition in human space exploration does not produce an enduring human space program, as Apollo was canceled less than four years after Apollo 11 ‘won’ that race,” the professor explained. “However, with [the International Space Station] we have had a continuous human presence in [low Earth orbit] for 25+ years through international cooperation.”
“I don’t like races, and we need to learn from history. Otherwise we are destined to repeat it!” Neil concluded.
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China, Nasa, Space force, United states, Tech, Space race
