The United States, China and Russia are now engaged in a battle of supremacy protecting Earth-hovering satellites that allow GPS signals for smart phones, ATMs and power grids to function well.
Led by the U.S. Pentagon and a $25-billion budget, the "Space Program" has been started to protect and even launch a counter-attack on those who would try to sabotage American satellites, "60 Minutes" reported.
USAF General John Hyten told David Martin of "60 Minutes" that there is an imminent threat from eleven countries, including Iran and North Korea that have expanded their space intelligence research. China and Russia recently had been testing new anti-satellite technologies, he added.
He noted that the U.S. has the most number of satellites - over 500, and there are still more than 30 military and civilian launches to be held this year in Florida and California.
Hyten pointed out that other satellites are used by the military for surveillance and weapon targeting. Top U.S. military leaders are, however, alarmed about some reports that China has recently been actively testing anti-satellite weapons.
He added that China, and even Russia, would "soon be able to threaten" U.S. satellites in "every orbital regime that we operate in."
U.S. satellites that are a hundred miles to more than 20,000 miles of the Earth are now in constant watch from a special facility built in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
