China taking an aggressive stance in the global space race with ambitions to surpass NASA and Russia. Could China be the next global space powerhouse? What does that mean for the state of the world? Chinese President Xi Jinping is looking for scientist support for his aerospace supremacy mission. President Xi Jinping announced his space exploration plans during China’s first ever Space Day last Sunday. Should NASA and Russia be alarmed by the recent Chinese aerospace boom?
China Shoots for the Stars in Space Race
For a country so eager to keep Apple iBooks and iTunes videos out of the hands of its citizens, they simply can’t resist space exploration. Since it is somewhat out of communist control, they will need to compete against NASA and Russia for aerospace supremacy. “How?”, you may be wondering. With lots and lots of money. While NASA and Russia have been downsizing their aerospace budgets, China has been steadily increasing theirs. The Chinese president also called on all engineers to make them a global aerospace superpower.
Going Green: Chinese and NASA Aerospace Labs
A Chinese mission to Mars is planned for 2020. And they also have their eyes set on the moon as well. There are also Chinese aerospace labs in development, expected to be ready by 2022. The Tiangong-1, 2, and 3 are aerospace labs geared for efficiency, often referred to as a “green model.” They will be advanced green inspired space labs with the budget, flight control, power, and waste recycling at the forefront of efficient, yet effective technology. Going green is also on the mind of NASA, as reusable aerospace design and production trends. This is a must for NASA since their budget continues to decrease. But much of the reusable program has been discontinued due to risk and a fatal accident in 2003, taking the lives of seven astronauts.
Buzz Aldrin and Russia?
Buzz Aldrin has been pretty open about his thoughts on the Chinese aerospace program. Especially their plans to orbit and land on the moon. Aldrin believes that the Chinese budget will take them farther and faster than NASA and Russia. Russia may not be launching anything fancy anytime soon, but they do still manufacture impressive rockets essential to any country with a spaceship needing to launch. Russia has made plenty of waves in the aerospace field in the past, and they may have something super secret in the works.
