Tuesday, October 07, 2003
CHINA TO GO TO THE MOON
In the long-term, this could be one of the bigger developments of our time. Absent Cold War rivalries, the West doesn't appear to be all that excited about space exploration. Will the Chinese interest in space spark a resurgence in American efforts or will the U.S. leave the field to China?
Agence France-Presse ("CHINA AIMS TO TOUCH THE MOON: TOP NATIONAL DEFENSE OFFICIAL," 10/06/03) reported that the PRC's space ambitions will not stop at just sending a person into space; the country plans to send astronauts to the moon, a top national defense official said, quoted by PRC media. "China will become the third country in the world to launch manned space flight. In the past, China's 'Shenzhou' (unmanned) spaceships have successfully gone into space to orbit the earth," Wang Shuquan, deputy secretary of the Commission for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence, was quoted as saying. "China will still continue to develop its space exploration plans. At a future time, China will carry out lunar landing and flight experiments." Wang did not give an exact date for the PRC's first manned space flight, which is expected to take place "right after" a Communist Party Central Committee plenary meeting ending on October 14, the Beijing-backed Wen Wei Po newspaper in Hong Kong cited authoritative sources as saying last week. Wang's comments reflect similar recent comments by PRC officials reported in the PRC media saying sending a man to the moon is part of China's plans for its space program.
In the long-term, this could be one of the bigger developments of our time. Absent Cold War rivalries, the West doesn't appear to be all that excited about space exploration. Will the Chinese interest in space spark a resurgence in American efforts or will the U.S. leave the field to China?
