Concerns about China’s Deep Space Station in Neuquén province, Argentina, peaked in April 2024 after U.S. officials raised direct alarms about the potential military use of the site. At U.S. urging, a superficial technical review by Argentine officials under the escort of personnel from China’s Embassy reported no unusual activities on 18 April 2024, with Argentina’s government hailing the visit as a cooperative kick-off to heightened bilateral space activities. Of note, neither this visit nor a prior 2019 one inspected the nearby site approved for a calibration tower, near which a possible instrumentation vehicle is observable on commercial overhead satellite imagery. The day after the 2024 visit, China announced a standalone People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Aerospace Force (PLAASF), which underscores the difficulty in identifying clear military ties to organizations such as China Satellite Launch and Tracking Control Center General (CLTC), the entity operating the Neuquén Deep Space Station (see Figure 1).
China has strategically avoided host nation oversight and delayed compliance with non-military regulations at the Neuquén Deep Space Station, raising significant security concerns, based on imagery, legal timelines, and document analysis. From the outset, the China Satellite Launch and Tracking Control General (CLTC) and key Chinese leaders, including three identified PLA Major Generals, have obscured their military affiliations under a civilian guise. Technical studies confirm that the Neuquén station is crucial for China’s global network, improving precision guidance for high-speed semi-ballistic vehicles. A Chinese partnership behind commercial ground infrastructure in Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz province, exemplifies other thinly researched overseas space projects with PLA associations and military concerns. These findings underscore the urgent need for international scrutiny and transparency regarding China’s strategic expansion of ground infrastructure in the Southern Hemisphere and its overseas opportunism for space control and warfare.
Concerns and Site Visits
U.S. officials have raised significant concerns about China’s military operations at the Neuquén Deep Space Station (see Figure 2 for an overview of the site). In an interview with Argentina’s La Nación on 31 March 2024, U.S. Ambassador Stanley expressed surprise and concern that Argentina permits China’s armed forces to operate the Neuquén facility. Stanley’s statement emphasized the opacity surrounding the facility’s operations, suggesting that even Argentine authorities might not fully understand the activities conducted there. This concern was echoed by the U.S. Defense Department, highlighting the potential for Chinese military exploitation of ostensibly civilian space infrastructure.
In response to the U.S. allegations, China launched a comprehensive social media blitz to discredit the U.S. statements. The Chinese Embassy in Argentina and various Chinese media outlets aggressively countered the claims, labeling them as erroneous and absurd. They portrayed the Neuquén station as a purely civilian scientific endeavor and accused the U.S. of unfounded accusations and disrespect to both China and Argentina. This social media campaign included video content showing the facility’s operations and accessibility to refute prior reports of restricted access to local authorities (see Figure 3). In addition, Ricardo Esparza, mayor of the nearby village Bajada del Agrio, publicly assured the community about the facility, citing his positive interactions with Chinese personnel (see Figure 4).
Over the past decade, Argentina’s national security experts, government officials, press, technical experts, military and aerospace enthusiasts, and public have voiced concerns about the Neuquén Deep Space Station. These concerns focus on the belief that the station is fundamentally a project of China’s military and that its technical infrastructure is designed for defense and intelligence purposes rather than civilian use. For example:
- Ricardo Runza, a national security expert and member of the Latin American Security and Defense Network (RESDAL), noted that “The Chinese space agency (of the Neuquén station) is significantly integrated with the General Directorate of Armament of the Chinese military. It involves not only civilian personnel but also encompasses strategic military applications including missile vector control and Chinese armament,” extending to international waters where China maintains a fleet presence. It is dual use, but fundamentally military.
- Roberto García Moritán, an Argentine diplomat and former Secretary of Foreign Affairs, stated that the infrastructure can collect highly sensitive information in the “eventuality of a military competition of magnitude.” Specifically, it can “interfere with communications, electronic networks, electromagnetic systems, and receive information about missile launches, drones, long-range strategic bombers, and other space activities outside the scope of lunar science.”
Following these concerns, a formal visit of the Neuquén facility was conducted on 18 April 2024 under the direction of Argentina’s President Javier Milei and prompted by U.S. Ambassador Stanley and U.S. Southern Command’s General Laura Richardson. A largely superficial technical review with no unusual activities observed, the five-hour excursion included a luncheon, tour of the kitchen and dormitories, access of the monitoring station, antenna, and associated underground tunnel, introduction to four civilian personnel, all while accompanied China’s Embassy. Argentina’s government officially reported the visit as a cooperative kick-off to heightened bilateral space activities. This outcome has done little to alleviate U.S. concerns, especially as China’s influence extends to other space endeavors within Argentina’s academic, commercial, and scientific sectors.
Despite these visits, significant aspects of the Neuquén facility remain unchecked. Neither the recent visit nor one in 2019 by the Director of Argentina’s Institute of Radio Astronomy explored the approved site for a nearby calibration tower. Commercial overhead satellite imagery cannot confirm whether this tower has been constructed, but it did reveal a possible instrumentation vehicle near the specified location. This oversight continues to raise concerns about the full scope and intentions of China’s activities at the Neuquén site, especially given the facility’s potential military applications. Understanding the facility’s true purpose is crucial, as current evaluations have only covered Phase I, with additional undeveloped land leased to China for Phase II (see Figure 6).
Immediately after Argentina’s positive inspection of the Neuquén facility, China announced the creation of the PLAASF on 19 April 2024. This reorganization from the preexisting PLA Strategic Support Forces (PLASSF) and General Armament Department (GAD) aims to enhance China’s military space capabilities and most likely places the Neuquén facility under the PLAASF ‘s new relay satellite control and management and political work departments.
Compliance Evasion and Regulatory Loopholes
The regulatory environment surrounding the Neuquén station has granted China considerable autonomy, effectively limiting Argentina’s oversight capabilities. Operational clauses of the agreements provided China with sweeping rights and privileges, essentially granting it near-sovereign control over the facility. Instances of early construction, enforcement delays for non-military clauses, and extensive legal privileges underscore a pattern of regulatory evasion and strategic autonomy that benefits China’s operational goals at the Neuquén station.
China began construction at Neuquén well before receiving formal approvals at the national level, raising compliance concerns. Legislation was finalized in April 2014, yet local media reported site leveling in early 2014, presumably based on prior accords with the province of Neuquén. Archival satellite imagery from January 2014 captures the extent of this early construction three months before the project received formal legislative approval from Argentina (see Figure 7). The advanced project status suggests a deliberate effort by China to circumvent sovereign oversight mechanisms and any effort to curb the project.
In addition to extensive privileges and exemptions for China, the agreements between the Chinese and Argentine governments effectively waived significant powers and attributions of the Argentine state to the CONAE-CLTC facility. Argentina’s Directorate of Legal Counseling of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned in 2013 that CONAE would not be held responsible internationally or nationally for any actions or omissions at the facility by China, CLTC, or its representatives, except in cases of voluntary damage or negligence.
The 2016 Additional Protocol, which limited use of the facility exclusively to civilian and scientific purposes, experienced an unusual delay in China’s notification of compliance and consequently the addendum’s non-military enforcement. Legal documents reveal that Argentina completed its internal requirements for enforcement by May 2017, around the time the facility was completed, then awaited written notification of compliance from China for the Protocol to enter into force. The bilateral agreement for explicit military exclusions did not come into effect until November 2018, more than a year after the facility was operational, with China’s non-military compliance status remaining unknown.
These tactics allowed China to operate the station with minimal interference or scrutiny from Argentine authorities, bolstering suspicions of military opportunism and further complicating efforts to ensure transparency and compliance. This situation not only challenges Argentina’s regulatory framework but also has broader implications for international monitoring and control of dual-use infrastructure, potentially setting a precedent for future facilities with similar dual-use concerns.
Military Organization and Leadership
The Neuquén station, under the control of the CLTC, conceals significant military ties beneath its civilian and scientific appearance. Originally the Measurement and Control Bureau of the GAD, the CLTC operates comparably to NASA but with intimate military integration, functioning as both an operational and organizational arm for the PLA. Although publicly designated as a civilian entity, detailed investigations reveal its role in managing China’s space tracking network and launch centers, including the Neuquén facility. Despite a restructuring in 2016 when oversight shifted from the GAD to the PLASSF Space Systems Department, the CLTC continued to provide outward civil cover for these operations, maintaining its close connections with the PLA and managing key military space infrastructure under the guise of civilian cooperation.
As of late 2022, Chinese business registry data showed that China’s Commission of Science, Technology, and Industry for National Defense (COMSTIND) remained the sole shareholder of CLTC. COMSTIND manages military product exports, oversees research and development for China’s national defense science and technology, and handles international cooperation for the national defense industry.
Further corroborating military underpinnings of the organization overseeing the Neuquén Station, at least three key personnel during its establishment and alignment for China’s long-term space strategy are senior-ranking PLA leadership. Overlapping military-civilian roles of senior Chinese officials in Argentina, such as Major Generals Yu Tongjie, Niu Hongguang, and Huang Qiusheng described blow, likely continue for the newly announced PLAASF at the Neuquén station.
Major General Yu Tongjie:
In 2012, Yu Tongjie signed the initial agreement for the Neuquén facility as the Vice Chairman of CLTC (see Figure 8). However, his official title masked his significant military role. Concurrently, he was the Deputy Chief of Staff of the GAD of the PLA, a position equivalent to a two-star general in the United States military or a General de Brigada in Argentina.
Yu’s responsibilities within the PLA extended to overseeing critical projects like the Long March series of launch vehicles, essential for both civilian space exploration and military applications. His involvement in these projects underscores his dual role and the dual-use nature of the technologies involved. In 2015, Yu was appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Gaofen Special Project, a major initiative under the defense R&D organization COMSTIND, which oversees CLTC. The Gaofen project involves complex systems for high-resolution earth observation with military applications, further blurring the lines between civilian and military endeavors. The project’s outputs are known for their high spectral, temporal, and spatial resolution, which are invaluable for military intelligence and operational planning.
Yu’s signature on the initial CLTC-CONAE agreement for the Neuquén station and his later communique to CONAE in 2014, assuring that no military personnel would operate the facility, contrast starkly with his substantial military responsibilities. This dual identity illustrates the strategic obfuscation employed to mask the facility’s military purpose.
Major General Niu Hongguang:
Major General Niu Hongguang was a central figure in the early stages of the Neuquén Deep Space Station project. As Deputy Minister of the GAD and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of China’s Manned Space Engineering Office, Niu was directly involved in the negotiations and planning for the Neuquén facility. His career highlights include serving as Chief of Staff at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, also known as Dongfeng Aerospace City, which is a primary base for testing and launching the Long March rockets and various military missiles. This position underscores his expertise in managing projects with significant military components.
Niu led the Chinese delegation in initial meetings with CONAE and the National Commission for Communications (CNC, predecessor to ENACOM) in 2010 to evaluate potential sites for the Neuquén station. He presented himself with the civilian title from China’s Manned Space Engineering Office, although his responsibilities were deeply embedded within the military structure of the PLA.
A December 2011 dossier by Argentina’s Director of International Security and Nuclear and Space Activities (DIGAN) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs describes Niu’s involvement in the early engagements and highlight how, in his dual role, he advocated specifically for diplomatic and civil pathways as China’s cover for the military project (see Figure 9). His continuous space activities as a high-ranking GAD official through the establishment of the CLTC-CONAE accords and ultimately with the governments of Argentina and China in 2014 raise questions about the authenticity of the project’s reported civilian nature.
Niu’s influence extended beyond these initial agreements. In 2012, just days before Yu Tongjie signed the first CLTC accord with CONAE, Niu and other PLA officials met at China’s First Academy to direct the development of the Long March 5 and Long March 7 rockets (see Figure 10). This meeting, occurring within the same timeframe as key agreements with Argentina, underscores the integrated military focus of China’s space endeavors.
Major General Huang Qiusheng (Anthony Wong):
Major General Huang Qiusheng, also known as Anthony Wong, is another critical military figure who has been involved in the Neuquén project while maintaining a civilian guise. Huang’s roles have included Deputy Political Commissar of the PLASSF Space Systems Department, a position highlighting his senior status within China’s military space operations. He has also served as Deputy Director of the PLASSF Political Work Department and held public relations roles, such as deputy president of the People’s Liberation Army Daily, further indicating his deep integration within the PLA’s political and strategic frameworks.
In December 2018, Huang participated in high-level meetings with CONAE as a CLTC Senior Advisor, alongside representatives of key Chinese space control centers. Huang’s continuity in his senior role at the PLASSF Space Systems Department, even as he engaged with Argentine officials as a civilian representative, is evidence of persistent and pervasive military oversight of China’s international space initiatives, despite organizational changes within the PLA (see Figure 11).
These key figures—Yu Tongjie, Niu Hongguang, and Huang Qiusheng—demonstrate the sophisticated strategy of embedding military oversight within civilian or scientific frameworks to advance China’s strategic defense objectives overseas under the pretense of mutually beneficial foreign cooperation.
Military-Grade Technical Capabilities and Withholding Infrastructure Details
Technical assets of the Neuquén station extend beyond space exploration and enhance China’s military capabilities significantly. Its TT&C capabilities—including a 35-m antenna for deep space tracking and control equipment across S, X, and Ka bands—have been widely assessed to have military value for China. This includes space situational awareness and strategic operations that support broader PLA objectives, including intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), and secure and high-bandwidth communications. Chinese academic organizations backed by PLA-related entities such as the National Defense Science and Technology Fund and National University of Defense Technology have characterized Neuquén’s dual-use contributions in satellite orbit determination and the advanced tracking of hypersonic vehicles as part of China’s interferometric baseline measurements (see Figure 12). This technique involves using multiple antennas to observe the same object and combining the data to achieve high-precision measurements.
A December 2021 study of the National University of Defense Technology demonstrates valuable contributions of China’s overseas TT&C deep space stations (specifically “Kashgar-Namibia-Argentina”) to an intercontinental interference baseline, filling a crucial gap in the VLBI arc outside China. Namibia-Argentina interferometry data was essential to improve intercontinental rapid orbit determination of the Change’e-5 lunar vehicle in the re-entry corridor. The semi-ballistic orbital return requirements of the Chang’e-5 intentionally challenged this experimental mesh of ground infrastructure while exposing the following capabilities for Neuquén:
- High-Precision Orbit Determination: The station contributes to China’s VLBI network, which is instrumental in determining the precise orbits of satellites and spacecraft. This precision is vital for navigating hypersonic vehicles, which require exact trajectory calculations to ensure their effectiveness and accuracy.
- Interferometry for Guidance Systems: By integrating data from Neuquén with other global tracking stations, China can improve the accuracy of its missile guidance systems, including hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs). The ability to track and predict the path of these high-speed vehicles enhances their maneuverability and effectiveness, making them more capable of evading missile defense systems.
- Support for Re-entry and Targeting: The data gathered from interferometric baseline measurements helps in the precision targeting of re-entry vehicles. This is particularly relevant for hypersonic weapons, which undergo complex maneuvers during re-entry to strike their targets accurately.
The scholarship on Neuquén’s capabilities noted that China would not go to such lengths globally just for the Chang’e 5 mission, indicating additional objectives, long-term planning, and military and economic benefits beyond the scope of the lunar missions. China’s Partial Orbital Bombardment System may be equipped with an HGV tested by China in 2021, rather than traditional reentry vehicles. This would enable China’s orbital hypersonic missile to dynamically change course in real time and fly at lower altitudes (see Figure 13). With the Chang’e-5 as a verification probe to master what China calls high-speed semi-ballistic jumping re-entry technology requirements, Neuquén may be being vetted as a technical capability to support such hypersonic reentry under the pretense of lunar vehicle return.
Río Gallegos TT&C Facility
Beyond the well-documented Neuquén Deep Space Station, the lesser-known TT&C station in Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz province (see Figure 14) highlights the need for scrutiny of China’s expanding ground infrastructure in the Southern Hemisphere. This commercial site, developed by Argentina’s Ascentio Technologies S.A. and China’s Emposat (Beijing Aerospace Satelliteherd), will download scientific data from commercial satellites in polar orbits, though specific satellite types and industries remain undisclosed. Since its announcement in May 2021 and rapid development, the lack of transparency and information regarding the site and its Chinese connections raises concerns. Observers note that its location in the southernmost part of Argentina allows for extensive Southern Hemisphere monitoring capabilities, potentially enhancing China’s global TT&C network and its ability to conduct surveillance over critical regions. Non-traditional sources suggest the dual-use nature of Rio Gallegos’s operations and authorizations, raising concerns about possible military exploitation.
Military Connections: Like the CLTC at Neuquén, the Chinese entity behind Río Gallegos is obscured. Emposat is identified as Beijing Aerospace Yuxing Technology Co. Ltd., with key personnel from PLASSF Base 26 and Base 25 (Xi’an and Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centers) and the PLA-associated Fifth and Eighth Aerospace Academies. These entities specialize in developing, manufacturing, and testing rockets and missile systems, indicating possible military applications within commercial space activities. A review of patents and applications for this Chinese business entity revealed technologies such as encrypted messaging, remote satellite control, magnetron transformers, and a closed loop tracking method for space targets.
Technological Capabilities and Compromise: The National Communications Entity (ENACOM) authorized the site as one of Argentina’s nine Master Ground Stations, granting Austral Ground Services S.A.S. (GSS) a license for low orbit satellite data transmission services in August 2021. The site is authorized for various space operations across X and C bands, crucial for high-bandwidth and secure communications. ENACOM’s authorization states that fixed, mobile, wired, wireless, national, and international services are licensed. These capabilities can be used for both civilian satellite management and military communications, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, likely accessible to the PLA-associated Chinese technology partner.
Despite the site’s outward commercial premise, it may unwittingly compromise Argentina’s defense and military data through China’s partnership with Ascentio. Ascentio is a collaborator with CONAE, the Naval Prefecture, and Investigaciones Aplicadas Sociedad del Estado (INVAP S.E.), enhancing advanced technological solutions in radar systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, electronic warfare, command and control, and missile guidance. Ascentio’s senior leadership and engineer at Río Gallegos are the stakeholders of Austral GSS. A commercial entity registered in July 2020 with a wide-ranging operational scope that lends itself as a pivotal conduit for sectors of particular interest to China, such as satellite telecommunications.
The concealed involvement and military associations of Beijing Aerospace Yuxing Technology Co. Ltd. likely remain unclear to Argentine authorities. The overlap of military and commercial interests at Rio Gallegos suggests the station could support PLA objectives. As China continues to expand its global TT&C network, the potential for military exploitation of these facilities remains a significant concern for global security and stability.
Implications
China’s expanding space activities in Argentina and other parts of the Southern Hemisphere carry significant geopolitical implications. Facilities like the Neuquén Deep Space Station and the Río Gallegos TT&C station enhance China’s strategic reach and influence, bolstering its capabilities in space surveillance, communications, and command operations. The dual-use nature of these installations blurs the line between civilian and military applications, complicating international efforts to ensure the peaceful use of space. Members of the PLA presenting themselves as civilian or scientific personnel further obscures China’s true goals in space. Additionally, China’s partnerships with countries like Argentina reflect a strategy to cultivate alliances and dependencies, leveraging economic and technological investments to gain geopolitical footholds, potentially challenging the interests of other global powers.
Given the dual-use potential and strategic implications of China’s overseas space infrastructure, there is a pressing need for increased international scrutiny and transparency. Enhanced monitoring and verification mechanisms should be implemented to ensure that facilities like Neuquén and Río Gallegos are not exploited for military purposes. International regulatory bodies and host countries must advocate for comprehensive inspections and transparent reporting of space activities to prevent covert military applications. Collaboration among international space agencies, intelligence communities, and independent watchdog organizations is crucial to maintaining the integrity of space as a domain for peaceful exploration and cooperation.
Advanced monitoring tools like 3GIMBALS’ OMEN™ play a vital role in uncovering hidden military uses of ostensibly civilian facilities. By leveraging multi-source unclassified data, advanced analytics, and satellite imagery, OMEN™ provides comprehensive insights into space infrastructure activities. This helps stakeholders discern the true nature of facilities like Neuquén and Río Gallegos, enhancing the ability of governments and international organizations to detect and address potential security threats. As space activities continue to expand, the integration of such technologies is indispensable for maintaining global security and stability.