Will China's Space Station Giant Robotic Arm Grab Satellites From Other Countries?

SCMP: China space station’s giant robotic arm sparks concerns in US

* Device could be ‘used in a future system for grappling other satellites’, head of US Space Command says

* 10-metre-long arm attached to the core module of the Tiangong space station is capable of lifting objects weighing up to 20 tonnes

China’s deployment of a powerful robotic arm attached to the core module of its Tiangong Space Station has sparked concerns in the United States over its possible military applications.

Chinese scientists say the 10-metre-long device, which is capable of lifting objects weighing up to 20 tonnes and can move

around on the outside of the station, will be used to grab incoming spacecraft as they approach and help them to dock.

While the concept is not new – China has launched several scavenger satellites fitted with robotic arms to gather and steer space debris so it burns up in the Earth’s atmosphere – not everyone in the US is convinced its purpose is wholly benign.

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WNU Editor: It sounds like a James Bond movie (see below).