Should the U.S. fear a space race with China.
China has made a lot of space-related news of late. They put their first female astronaut into orbit and recently completed their first space-docking mission.
Morris Jones writes that while China still trails America in space, the world should not dismiss their achievements:
There is a condescending tone to much of the international reportage on China's recent space docking and expedition to its first space laboratory, Tiangong 1. Commentators applaud China's progress in space exploration but claim they are decades behind the US and Russia, who achieved similar feats in the 1970s.These reports fail to account for the 'leapfrog' effect of technological advances, and the benefit of experience from other nations. Such effects are propelling much of Africa from being disconnected from telecommunications to enjoying broadband wireless services in just a few years. The effects are just as significant for China's space missions.
Morris concludes that the "US will probably only restore vitality to its space program when it realises that China has achieved near-parity with its own activities."
I think it's just as likely that China will advance a bit more before realizing, like the U.S., that a very expensive manned space program has little practical utility. The U.S. has not abandoned space exploration or the strategic exploitation of space for defense purposes. China will certainly continue to improve its space-related technologies, but I don't think the U.S. should fear a Sputnik 2.0. The Chinese economy won't grow at 8 percent forever.
(AP Photo)
