China tells US to ‘act responsibly’ after close calls in space

The Chinese government has warned the US to “act responsibly” in outer space after claiming Beijing’s space station was forced to take evasive action twice earlier this year to avoid colliding with small satellites operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. 

Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Zhao Lijan alleged in a statement Tuesday that the near-collisions posed a serious threat to the lives and safety of the country’s astronauts, according to multiple reports.  

The incidents occurred in July and October, when the SpaceX satellites drifted extremely close to the Tiangong space station....