globe. high value assets near china s stores to the second and third island chains and intercontinental and even the potential for global strikes. strikes from space even. reporter: not only the apparent technology the chinese are developing but the intent behind it. u.s. missile defense systems are designed to face east, west and north, officials say. detecting launches from russia and others. rather than flying over the north pole which would be the case launched atop a ballistic missile. this could go over the south powell and evade u.s. missile defense systems. reporter: international treaties govern the use of space for peaceful purposes but this race is a more daunting possib possiblibility. turning the final frontier into a potential battleground. this is clearly something the u.s. has been tracking. if you go back to last year s 2020 china military power report, the u.s. wrote that the china was looking to develop a range of nuclear