Beijing: Chinese web users slammed the Miliader Elon Musk on Tuesday after Beijing said the space station took action to avoid hitting two spacex satellites, dealing with Tycoon’s reputation in a country that had embraced the Tesla electric car.
Tiangong China’s space station was forced to take “preventive collision avoidance control” for two “close meetings” with the Satellite Starlink SpaceX in July and October, according to a document submitted to the UN Space Agency by Beijing this month.

On both occasions, satellites moved to orbit which pushed the space station operator to change direction, the document said.

“Unknown maneuvering strategies and difficult orbital errors to be assessed”, Beijing said about satellites involved in the October incident, adding that it requires action to “ensure salvation and life of astronauts in-orbit”.

Tiangong – which means “heavenly palace” – is the latest achievement in China’s drive to be the main space force, after landing explorers on Mars and send a probe to the moon.

The core module entered the Orbit earlier this year, with the station it was expected to be fully operational in 2022.

Chinese social media users blew up the Musk and its company for the incident, with one tag collecting 87 million views Tuesday.

“How ironic are Chinese people buying Tesla, contributing a large amount of money so that Musk can launch Starlink, and then he crashes into the Chinese Space Station,” User Comments.

SpaceX’s Starlink is a constellation of more than 1,700 satellites that aim to provide internet access to most of the earth.

“Be prepared to boycott Tesla,” said another person, echoing a general response in China to foreign brands that are considered contrary to Beijing’s national interests.

Some speculate that Washington will impose sanctions if the role is reversed.

“Why don’t we do what they do?” One writing.

SpaceX based in California has not responded to a comment request.

Maneuvers make up to be more frequent than more objects that are crowded into orbits near the earth and the adjustment of forced courses to reduce the risk of crashes, said Jonathan McDowell from the Harvard-Smithsonian astrophysics center.

“We really noticed the increase in close closure because Starlink began to be deployed,” he told AFP, adding that any collision is likely to “really destroy” space station and kill everyone on the ship.

Although the musk is admired in China, Tesla’s reputation – which sells tens of thousands of vehicles in the country every month – has shaken this year after a series of crashes, scandals and data storage problems.

But Tesla is still very popular, selling one of every four cars in China, and has built a fully owned factory in Shanghai.