DIA Space Report Says China Could Field Space Lasers by Late 2020s

The Defense Intelligence Agency released the 2026 edition of "Challenges to Security in Space" on Oct. 26, according to a [DIA press release](https://www.dia.mil/Articles/Press-Release/Article/4633953/dia-releases-challenges-to-security-in-space/). DIA says it is the third iteration of its unclassified intelligence reports on the topic, and that information in the report is current as of July 2026.

According to DIA, the report details the space defense and military goals, including strategies, plans and intentions, of China and Russia, as well as the emerging space powers of Iran and North Korea. DIA says the report examines the implications of expanding inventories of dual-use space capabilities, highlights increased space cooperation among adversaries, and details the threat adversaries pose to global interests in space. The agency says the report also covers the wider space environment, including hazards such as debris, and the extent to which space is treated internationally as a warfighting domain.

Axios reports that the report, which Axios describes as 130 pages, assesses that China could field space-based lasers "by the late 2020s."

Axios also published a Vantor satellite image dated May 28, 2024, which it says was shared with Axios and circulated alongside the report. The image shows China's reusable spaceplane with its payload bay doors open and a satellite docked. Axios called it the clearest image of the spacecraft to date.

Not everyone is convinced by the laser timeline. Secure World Foundation's Victoria Samson told Axios that it "seems speculative."

DIA says reports like this one are meant to build a greater understanding of the actors, capabilities and motivations that threaten global use of, access to and safety in space.

Sources: [DIA](https://www.dia.mil/Articles/Press-Release/Article/4633953/dia-releases-challenges-to-security-in-space/), [Axios](https://www.axios.com/2026/10/29/china-spacecraft-photo-intelligence-report)