US trailing China in military space race

OneNewsNow ^ | 2-1-07 | Chad Groening

[DeweyCA]

The Chinese are beating the U.S. in the new "space race," a military strategy expert says. Australia-born defense analyst Greg Copley claims Communist China is working fast towards controlling space with its weapons technology and may even set up the first military base on the moon. Hear This Report

Greg Copley, president of the International Strategic Studies Association (ISSA), says the United States may have won the race to put a man on the moon decades ago; but the Communist Chinese, he believes, have clearly moved ahead of America in the military space race. One recent indication of that, he notes, was China's successful testing of a satellite-killing missile earlier this month.

China's military space program has "very much been speeded up by the transfer of U.S. technology under President Clinton" to the People's Republic of China, Copley observes. That communist regime has since been "investing heavily in space capabilities," he says, "including permanent moon basing, which would enable space-based weapons to neutralize strategic ballistic missiles -- and, of course, satellites."

China has definitely moved into the lead when it comes to the military use of outer space, the ISSA spokesman says. The Chinese have set a goal of putting a military base on the moon within the next decade, he points out, and they are working on other space-warfare projects and technologies as well, such as laser-based systems.

The Chinese are serious about controlling space, Copley asserts. And China's ability to get into space with manned space systems and to get onto the moon with a military base would give that nation a serious strategic advantage over others, he says.

[DeweyCA]

Thanks BJ. Getting re-election campaign money was more important in your eyes than the security of the country. This is why character is important in politicians. BJ Clinton sold out the country, by giving China our space launch secrets, for his own personal gain.

[Brilliant]

What a bunch of BS.

[IronJack]

The Chinese have set a goal of putting a military base on the moon within the next decade,

And I have a goal of winning the lottery, sleeping with Britney Spears, and paying off my Ferrari F-40.

Both China and I are soooooooooo close ...

[KevinDavis]

[saganite]

The Chinese are beating the U.S. in the new "space race," a military strategy expert says

Sorry, I'm not buying it.

[Lazamataz]

he believes, have clearly moved ahead of America in the military space race. One recent indication of that, he notes, was China's successful testing of a satellite-killing missile earlier this month.

So, China matched our 1980's technology and suddenly they are winning?

Whatever.

[rbookward]

I'm having trouble believing that a country that can barely feed all of its citizens can supply a base on the Moon.

I guess if you don't care how many millions go hungry here, you can feed a few there.

Its for the pride of the nation, after all.

[KellyAdmirer]

The Chinese can barely get a man into orbit, and they're going to build a Moon base within ten years? Hehehe, keep dreaming.

[SunkenCiv]

Ping!

[CodeMasterPhilzar]

Exactly.

...Chinese, he believes, have clearly moved ahead of America in the military space race. One recent indication of that, he notes, was China's successful testing of a satellite-killing missile earlier this month.

Ooh, ahhh. Give me a moment to be impressed. ... * ... They ran one test, one. Against a weather satellite (think radar cross-section of a barn door) in a simple orbit. We've run what, a dozen or more tests against ballistic targets in transient arcing trajectories. Much more ah "challenging" targets for a number of technical reasons. Sure, the Chinese effort was a good one, and an apparently successful test. But that doesn't even put them in the same league with our anti-sat anti-missile technology. Heck, our THAAD, PAC-3, and SM-3 systems are deployable - we can send them just about anyplace in the world, not just out of a research facility.

Do the Chinese have their own GPS constellation? Their own redundant secure comm set in geo? Can they run multi-spectral surveillance on anyplace in the world within a few hours? I don't think so.

I appreciate that fear of the Chinese bypassing us in military/space technology would probably mean additional funding but... But I just can't go along with the unfounded hysteria and crisis-mode thinking. Yes the Chinese are a threat. Yes they are a growing threat. So yes lets invest the resources to stay out in front and minimize the threat. But spare me the BS.

[rogue yam]

That communist regime has since been "investing heavily in space capabilities," he says, "including permanent moon basing, which would enable space-based weapons to neutralize strategic ballistic missiles -- and, of course, satellites."

I'm a rocket scientist and I can't quite see how a moon base helps you neutralize missiles. At an ICBM's peak altitude the distance from the missile to the moon will be at least 300 times as great as the altitude of the missile above the Earth. What advantage is there to siting anti-missile systems in such a remote and inhospitable place?

[jmcenanly]

The Chinese are beating the U.S. in the new "space race," a military strategy expert says Sorry, I'm not buying it.

Didn't they say the same thing about the U.S. and Soviet Union back in the early 60's?

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

In that case, the USSR was beating the United States. Currently (currently be the key term), the United States is very much ahead of the PRC in space technology. However, the Chinese seem (in some cases) to have more willpower to push things through faster (i.e. how long will it take to complete the Freedom Tower--it's been six years since the WTC came down, and they've only just started construction; similarly, earthquake retrofitting the Bay Bridge in California has taken around a decade. Guessing (only guessing) that the Chinese would probably have completed both in a few years (although there could have been some construction worker deaths, etc.).

[Flightdeck]

"weather satellite (think radar cross-section of a barn door)"

Not that I disagree with your overall point, but any solar-powered satellite is going to have that kind of cross-section. And thanks to the enviros, we haven't launched a nuke-powered one in quite some time (I think).

[The Sons of Liberty]

The Chinese can barely get a man into orbit, and they're going to build a Moon base within ten years? Hehehe, keep dreaming.

They are planning on Hildabeast needing campaign funds for her election run. She'll send BJ with more missile and guidance technology in return for a suitcase full of cash.

[Flightdeck]

After a brief investigation, I now see that as of 2005 we might be trying out some movable radar suppression shields for our spy satellites.

[bnacat]

"China's military space program has "very much been speeded up by the transfer of U.S. technology under President Clinton" to the People's Republic of China, Copley observes."

That's about the most correct statement of fact in the article.

[r9etb]

That communist regime has since been "investing heavily in space capabilities," he says, "including permanent moon basing, which would enable space-based weapons to neutralize strategic ballistic missiles -- and, of course, satellites."

Horse crap.

Just as an example: the ballistic missiles would reach their target before a moon base could respond with kinetic interceptors, and it's way too far away to focus a laser or beam-type weapon on the requisite point.

Oh, and by the way ... you could simply launch when the moon's not up.