US, wary of China, mulls satellite substitutes

Gary Payton, deputy under secretary for space programs, voiced concern at Beijing’s display of technology aimed at destroying missiles in mid-air, an area in which Washington has invested hundreds of billions of dollars to build a layered antimissile bulwark. The US demonstrated an anti-satellite capability of its own, using a specially modified Raytheon Co (RTN.N) Standard Missile-3 to destroy a wayward U.S. spy satellite in February 2008.