US Senate Moves to Hardened Space Force Readiness Against China
A new bipartisan bill, the Space Superiority Readiness Act, seeks to scale US Space Force combat simulations and demands a public audit of China's commercial-military dual-use space capabilities.
Legislative Update
United States Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.) have introduced the Space Superiority Readiness Act of 2026, a bipartisan effort to pivot the U.S. Space Force from orbital maintenance to high-intensity combat preparation. According to SpaceNews, the bill focuses heavily on the People's Republic of China, mandating advanced wargaming and simulation to prepare for peer-level orbital conflict.
Hardening Orbital Defense
The proposed legislation directs the Department of Defense to expand its current Operational Test and Training Infrastructure (OTTI). This network of digital simulators and live ranges allows Guardians to refine tactics, techniques, and procedures against realistic electronic and kinetic threats without risking active satellite assets. By formalizing these requirements, the bill aims to ensure the Space Force can maintain space control in a contested domain.
Intelligence Mandates
Beyond training, the act requires an unclassified report to Congress within 180 days detailing China’s commercial space sector. While the Pentagon already tracks Beijing’s military programs—including anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons and co-orbital spacecraft—this new assessment would specifically scrutinize how private-sector Chinese firms support state military objectives.
Strategic Context
The initiative follows a congressional delegation to Pituffik Space Base in Greenland and the SvalSat station in Norway, highlighting the Arctic's growing importance in missile warning and space competition. The bill has been filed as an amendment to the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). If passed, the unclassified nature of the resulting intelligence report will provide unprecedented transparency for commercial industry partners and international allies tracking the evolution of the Chinese space ecosystem.