China calls on US to protect space station from satellites

BEIJING (AP) — China is calling on the United States to protect a Chinese space station and its three-member crew after Beijing complained that satellites launched by Elon Musk’s SpaceX nearly struck the station. The foreign ministry accused Washington of ignoring its treaty obligations to protect the Tiangong’s crew following the incidents in July and October. The Chinese government said in a complaint to the United Nations that the Tiangong performed “evasive maneuvers” on July 1 and Oct. 21 to “prevent a potential collision” with Starlink satellites launched by Space Exploration Technologies Corp. The foreign ministry said the United States should “take immediate measures to prevent such incidents from happening again.”