China Is Winning the Space Race
 

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/article...pisrc=obinsite

Don't laugh. In less than a decade, Beijing will likely be the world's most important player in outer space.

China, soon to be the world's economic leader as well as the number one in space.

I'm not really surprised to hear this. Disappointed, but not surprised. IMHO, right now, China is not a kingdom divided against itself and is focused on these very goals. OTOH, I don't believe our nation (in my lifetime) has ever been more divided, and on just about every issue.:nope:

I'm not laughing at all.

I think it was you laughing when I suggested this perspective becoming real within 20 years, many years ago, in some long forgotten thread. :D I think that was before the 2003 war.

Its definitely not laughable. The only question will be whether their economy can withstand the pressure its under until it gets to the number one position.

Maybe it's news like this that is required for the people to wake the hell up. Personally, i think anyone who doesn't think we aren't on a slide downward is living in denial. I call it "Blind patriotism". We're raised from the earliest age that just because it's the united states we are either a.) always on the side of right or the just, or b.) that "it" (very bad things that happen in other countries throughout history) can't happen here. Why? Simply because this is America, and for no other reason. Sad truth is, we are not the greatest anymore, and we still think we are. Until we get it into our fat head's we aren't, nothing is going to change except how much more power our government has over us.

They're not winning, they've just taken the lead.

When Moon was conquered, Mars was the next step. After Mars Io or Europa, after then Alfa Centauri and after that....

And never mind China, imagine the shame if my little ketchup spot on the map of a country took the lead :O:

@Neal,

So what does NASA (Houston) do with all those buildings real estate? Are they still open and employing people? Houston has a huge campus. I'm curious if their campus is a ghost town now?:hmmm:

And just what will China do with this new found space? Open more shops filled with low wage positions manufacturing goods for Walmart all over the world/galaxy and uncontrollably polluting the new environs at the same time?

:haha:

Delivering in under one parsecs. :haha:

If they build launch vehicles as good as everything else they manufacture, should we even be worried?:hmmm:

When they Need Another Seven Astronauts, they've got plenty to choose from.

Excellent point. I wonder how well their particle board rockets will hold up.

Year 2020 China opens first restaurant on Mars :haha:

2021 China closes first restaurant on Mars due to lack of customers.:D

Not entirely surprising given how much out of all the money the US government collects actually goes to NASA.

Still, provided that it can actually get funding, here's what NASA has planned over the coming years:

http://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/wp-...2-540x1200.jpg

A lot of emphasis is put on getting to the Moon again, and while it would be nice to do so, it's probably not as high a priority as the likes of Mars and further out in the system. Whilst it would be nice to have a refuelling station of some sort on the Moon, it would be rather akin to refuelling your car at the bottom of your drive before going to the next state/county.

But yes, China is certainly forging ahead and exploiting the gaps left by America, but Tarjak does raise a fundamental point that the Chinese house is built on sand, and they, as America did in the 1980s, may be writing cheques that their economy cannot cash.