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# Russia Joins US and China in the Race for Geostationary Orbit
- URL: https://adjacent.media/signals/russia-joins-us-and-china-in-the-race-for-geostationary-orbit/
- Published: 2026-05-16T16:11:24.000Z
- Updated: 2026-05-16T16:11:24.000Z
- Description: The geosynchronous orbit band—a finite real estate zone 22,000 miles above the equator—has become a flashpoint for great power competition as Russia deploys reconnaissance satellites alongside existing US and Chinese capabilities.
- Author: Jonathan Greene
- Tags: #signal, theme-connected, satellite infrastructure, geopolitical competition, space technology

Source: [Ars Technica](https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/05/threes-a-party-us-china-and-now-russia-are-on-the-prowl-in-geo/?ref=adjacent.media)

The geosynchronous orbit band—a finite real estate zone 22,000 miles above the equator—has become a flashpoint for great power competition as Russia deploys reconnaissance satellites alongside existing US and Chinese capabilities. Control of GEO matters because it's where communications, weather, and early-warning systems live; unlike low-Earth orbit, these slots don't move relative to ground stations, making them strategically asymmetric assets. Russia's entry means orbital surveillance is no longer a two-player game, and spectrum and slot scarcity will force explicit negotiation among powers that prefer plausible deniability.