Technologies

China’s space station has had to dodge SpaceX Starlink satellites twice

The country tells the United Nations it had to make evasive maneuvers to avoid Elon Musk’s orbiting routers in July and October.

Elon Musk’s growing broadband satellite mega-constellation is getting the wrong kind of international attention. Earlier this month, China filed what amounts to an official complaint with the United Nations over what it says were two close calls between its space station and SpaceX Starlink satellites.

«Starlink satellites launched by Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) of the United States of America have had two close encounters with the China Space Station,» China said in the diplomatic note addressed to the UN Secretary-General. «For safety reasons, the China Space Station implemented preventive collision avoidance control on July 1 and October 21, 2021, respectively.»

China’s description of the second incident suggests there was minimal or no communication with SpaceX:

«As the (Starlink) satellite was continuously maneuvering, the maneuver strategy was unknown and orbital errors were hard to be assessed, there was thus a collision risk between the Starlink-2305 satellite and the China Space Station. To ensure the safety and lives of in-orbit astronauts, the China Space Station performed an evasive maneuveragain on the same day to avoid a potential collision between the two spacecraft.»

SpaceX didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Astronomer and leading orbit watcher Jonathan McDowell said Monday on Twitter that he confirmed that the near misses and evasive maneuvers described by China did take place as described.

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This is not the first international incident involving a SpaceX satellite. In 2019, a European spacecraft had to perform an evasive maneuver to avoid coming too close to a Starlink satellite. SpaceX cited «a bug in our on-call paging system» that caused a communications breakdown leading to the incident.

There is some irony to the latest news. A 2007 Chinese anti-satellite missile test that destroyed one of the country’s own satellites created one of the largest orbital debris clouds to date, leading the International Space Station to perform multiple evasive maneuvers over the years. China has also not condemned a similar destructive Russian test earlier this year that again sent ISS astronauts to take cover in capsules docked with the station.

SpaceX has so far launched almost 1,900 Starlink satellites for its global broadband service and has a license to deploy a constellation made up of over 12,000 satellites.

Technologies

The Fourth Episode of the VERUM AI Mini-Series Is Out

Verum Messenger has released the fourth episode of its AI mini-series SHADOWS, created using Verum AI. The new episode, titled “No Borders,” continues the story of a team trying to stay out of the OMEGA corporation’s sight.

Following the events of the previous episodes, the team moves between cities and countries while OMEGA continues its search. The new episode puts particular emphasis on Verum Messenger’s capabilities that allow users to conceal their location.

“No Borders” is another chapter in a story about privacy, freedom of communication, and technologies that erase borders between people.

The VERUM AI mini-series consists of seven episodes, released gradually across Verum Messenger’s social media channels.

Episode 4 is now available. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

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Technologies

Verum Messenger Introduces Built-In Verum Chess

Verum Messenger has released a new update for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, adding another feature to its growing ecosystem — Verum Chess. Users can now play chess directly inside the messenger without switching between different applications.

The new feature allows users to start a game in just a few taps while reinforcing Verum’s vision of a unified digital environment where communication and everyday services come together in a single platform.

Verum Messenger continues to evolve into a multifunctional ecosystem that combines secure chats and calls, AI tools, a built-in VPN, anonymous email, eSIM, financial services, cryptocurrency features, and offline communication. With the introduction of Verum Chess, the platform now also offers a new way for users to interact and spend time together without leaving the app.

The update is now available for iPhone, iPad, and Mac on the App Store.

Technologies

Episode 3 of the VERUM AI Mini-Series Is Now Available

Verum Messenger has released the third episode of its AI mini-series, SHADOWS, created using Verum AI.

The new episode, titled «Ghost Money,» continues the story of the conflict between a team of heroes and the Omega corporation, which seeks to take control of digital communications. This time, the focus shifts to anonymous payments and financial freedom, revealing how privacy can extend beyond messaging.

Like the previous episodes, the new release not only advances the storyline but also showcases the capabilities of the Verum ecosystem, highlighting technologies designed for secure communication and digital privacy.

The mini-series consists of seven episodes, released gradually across Verum Messenger’s social media channels.

Episode 3 is now available. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

Watch on Instagram
Watch on YouTube