China's long march to the space superpower – Axios



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China is sinking deeper into space, but its human space flight targets do not compete directly with the United States.

Why it's important: Much of the dialogue around American and Chinese orbital ambitions evokes a new race for space. The interests of the Chinese and the United States, particularly with respect to manned spaceflight, are rather parallel. If the world's two largest economies and scientific and technological leaders collaborated, this could open new opportunities for space exploration.

  • If China is racing anybody, it's likely to be from other Asian nations like Japan and India, said Dean Cheng, space analyst at the Heritage Foundation , a specialist in China, at Axios.
  • "In addition, any such competition is more marathon than sprint," he said.

The big picture: The Cold War era space race between the United States and the Soviet Union finally led Russia to become one of the closest allies of the United States. United in orbit. The Chinese government is interested in international collaboration, but US law prohibits cooperation with China in this field of high technology.

What is happening: Analysts told Axios that China has always pursued its space ambitions, adding credibility to its future goals.

  • China operates satellites focused on remote sensing, communications and navigation.
  • The nation continues to launch people in space, with a focus on developing the technology needed to establish a space station in the 2020s.
  • It builds small satellites, maintains launch sites and explores deep space with the LG Chang-e-4 and the Yutu-2 robot on the other side of the moon.
  • China's space program suffered a setback in 2017 with the failure of one of the March 5 boosters. But this rocket should take off this summer.

China has publicly stated that its objectives in outer space are peaceful. However, the national army is also working to strengthen its space capabilities, leading the United States to take stock of its own orbital defenses.

  • Competition with China is often invoked to justify the creation of President Donald Trump's Space Force.
  • According to outside analysts, China is developing its anti-satellite systems, but it is unclear whether they are designed as offensive or dissuasive measures.

China's space plans have not been subjected to the same political blow as NASA, which has benefited the country.

  • The development of space is part of China's overall desire to develop its own technology and project power. Civil and military space efforts are seen as part of a larger puzzle.

And after: China's long-term vision for space exploration, however, is murky.

  • The Chinese plan to build a space station in orbit by 2022.
  • While NASA clearly wants to land humans on Mars in the 2030s, which, she says, is leading the Moon's exploration, China does not yet have a great unifying mission in the world. deep space.
  • China seems to have the most to do with this type of mission, the desire to build a lunar base on the South Pole, according to Xinhua.

"It is not clear that there is an" ultimate "goal for Chinese space efforts."

– Dean Cheng, Heritage Foundation

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