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Why China Could Vanquish The U.S. In New Space Race
Real Clear Politics ^ | 5-30-2021 | Brandon J. Weichert

Posted on 05/30/2021 8:07:46 PM PDT by blam

There are now only two nations in the history of humanity that have successfully landed rovers on the surface of the Red Planet: The United States and the People’s Republic of China. You can expect this to be the dominant headline in all matters related to space for many years to come. After all, humanity is due for another round of great state competition and it seems that the two major contenders in this strategic competition will be the United States and China.

For too long Western observers have downplayed China’s rapidly growing space technology industry. The Chinese Martian rover, Zhurong, is nowhere near as advanced as NASA’s Perseverance, which recently made headlines. Yet, it took NASA almost 30 years to reach the level of complexity in its rover operations that the storied American space agency now enjoys. Certainly, China can expect to stay trailing the Yanks for many years to come — or so argue the naysayers who downplay the threat that China’s ambitious, though less advanced, space program poses to the United States.

Suppose it doesn’t take several decades for Beijing to catch up to the Americans in space. After all, there are no greater teachers than experience and competition. For the former, China learns by doing — and Beijing embraces a leap-without-looking mentality that once defined America’s storied program.

As for competition, China truly believes it is in a new space race with the Americans whereas most American leaders do not. The new space race between these nations will determine not only who gets human beings to Mars first, but also will decide which one dominates the strategic high ground of space (and whoever controls the high ground rules the territory below).

Right now, the Americans hold this position — but barely.

(snip)

(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: billclinton; charlietree; china; johnhuang; loral; mars; space; usa
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I can still remember when the Soviets launched the first Sputnik, October 4, 1957.
1 posted on 05/30/2021 8:07:46 PM PDT by blam
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To: blam

The only reason they could is because you have anti-American administration who cares more about being able to buy islands for themselves and not teaching children useful skills.


2 posted on 05/30/2021 8:10:55 PM PDT by Jonty30 (Just because I coughed on you does not mean that I have covid. It means that we have covid. )
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To: blam
'Why China Could Vanquish The U.S. In New Space Race'

Because every bit of technology they have was either given away, sold on the cheap, or otherwise flat-out stolen.

3 posted on 05/30/2021 8:13:06 PM PDT by Viking2002 (When's the appeasement party start? I brought enough white guilt for everyone! [/sarc])
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To: blam

For a statement of this much potential significance, I would not have used the word ‘Vanquish’. That sounds to passive.
What hes wanting to explain is why he thinks
China could DEFEAT the U.S. in the battle of the Space Race.


4 posted on 05/30/2021 8:13:52 PM PDT by lee martell
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To: blam
I am all for China exiling their best to the Red Planet.

China has centuries of expertise in use of Midnight Soil and the parasites associated with such.

5 posted on 05/30/2021 8:17:33 PM PDT by Deaf Smith (When a Texan takes his chances, chancesthat's for sure.)
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To: blam

unless their ripped off mars vehicle is much better than their ripped off f-35, those chinese astronauts are screwed.


6 posted on 05/30/2021 8:20:30 PM PDT by JohnBrowdie
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To: blam
If we choose to win a "new space race", it should be on our own terms. May I suggest there should be no race to begin with. While the CCP is currently behind us, they have advanced due to our own faults. We have allowed China to steal our technologies. We have allowed the Chinese to obtain educations at our universities. We do this while funding China. The interest on the debt we owe to China pays for their military each and every year.

All of these behaviors need to change. China needs to be cut off. If they are, they will quickly fall behind. We can proceed at pace we desire when it comes to space. I don't call that a new space race. I call it choosing to not compete. There is no race when there is no competitor. Get rid of the competition.

7 posted on 05/30/2021 8:20:38 PM PDT by ConservativeInPA (“When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty.” ― Thomas Jefferson)
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To: blam

It was not long ago that people denounced the “militarization of space”. Those days are over. The US Air Force is now called the “ United States Air Force and Space Command”. Its a critical fight. Unless you have the capacity to quickly destroy an opponents observation satellites that will pinpoint and tract targets such as ships, aircraft etc, you will lose quickly. Hopefully the globalist Biden leftists don’t concede the world to China.


8 posted on 05/30/2021 8:40:22 PM PDT by allendale
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To: blam

No you have only 1 country that can honestly prove they have landed rovers on Mars. The other cant even tell you were a virus came from.


9 posted on 05/30/2021 8:47:20 PM PDT by The MAGA-Deplorian (Democrats are lawless because Republicans are ball-less)
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To: Jonty30

And they stole a crap load of our technology to catch up. Look
.Chinese engineering is NOT second rate..but we let them steal this stuff to catch up. We need to do a better job of locking the front door. We can compete with them and best them in such a race...we got our secret South African weapon Elon 😀


10 posted on 05/30/2021 8:52:00 PM PDT by fremont_steve
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To: blam

All with stolen American technology.


11 posted on 05/30/2021 8:54:14 PM PDT by libh8er
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To: blam

We could just push an immigrant underclass on them, to suck up all their resources. Try going to space when you have to spend trillions of dollars on welfare and food stamps.


12 posted on 05/30/2021 8:58:02 PM PDT by Mr. Blond
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To: blam

Elon Musk, you’re our only hope. I say that only 5% jokingly.


13 posted on 05/30/2021 9:01:11 PM PDT by Shadylake
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To: fremont_steve

Elon Musk bet the farm on China. He located a large production facility in China with the intent of manufacturing, marketing and making huge profits in China. Its not working out well. The Chinese have learned very quickly all the manufacturing techniques, designs , software, and battery technology that Tesla has developed. So far the stockholders have not seen a dime of profit from China operations.The Chinese EV industry however has benefitted greatly. Musk as they say down South: “the man ain’t right”. He smokes marijuana regularly and has the affect of a cult leader. Not comfortable with Space X being a critical component of America’s space program.


14 posted on 05/30/2021 9:03:35 PM PDT by allendale
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To: Viking2002

“Because every bit of technology they have was either given away, sold on the cheap, or otherwise flat-out stolen.”

I cannot prove this, but I was told by a professor at a university in the PRC that they obtained the plans for their rockets by going to the Moscow Archives and using a photo copier.

They literally photocopied the designs of a Russian rocket.

That is strange enough to have been true.


15 posted on 05/30/2021 9:05:35 PM PDT by Fai Mao (It is time, past time and almost too late.)
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To: blam

“China learns by doing “

WHAT A LOAD OF BS. They steal and copy from others, mainly the US.


16 posted on 05/30/2021 9:12:08 PM PDT by BiglyCommentary
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To: allendale
Not comfortable with Space X being a critical component of America’s space program.

Please tell me who else can land a booster from 120 km.

17 posted on 05/30/2021 9:29:50 PM PDT by jpsb
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To: Fai Mao

So much of this is floating around in the public domain anymore, I can fully believe that they could sweep up the nuts and bolts of it out of a Russian archive and engineer it to their needs and liking. It’s amazing that more of this type of thing hasn’t manifested itself. It probably has, but is out of the public eye.


18 posted on 05/30/2021 9:46:03 PM PDT by Viking2002 (When's the appeasement party start? I brought enough white guilt for everyone! [/sarc])
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To: blam

I look forward to the competition. About time some people moved off this planet. Freedom here is beginning to look like it is not coming back.


19 posted on 05/30/2021 10:03:12 PM PDT by Nateman (If the Left Is not screaming , you are doing it wrong.)
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To: blam

They’ll win getting a lunar base and on to Mars because safety is not an issue and their people are expendable.


20 posted on 05/30/2021 10:48:13 PM PDT by mikey_hates_everything
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