<p>It won’t be good news, Joan Johnson-Freese, a professor at the U.S. Naval War College tells Bloomberg Businessweek, if China eventually corners the market on “ferrying individuals” to and from the moon. “Ceding human spaceflight to the Chinese over the long term would have significant strategic leadership implications.”</p>
<p>It’s sad - so much of what the US did in Engineering - the Manhattan Project, Space missions in the 60s, suspension bridges and the Hoover dam - these are all in the past. The governments since then have put their priorities and money on anything but the bleeding edge - wars and questionably effective social programs, and industry has moved out of much of the engineering and manufacturing in favor of services. If the Chinese come out with new aviation technology and Boeing does a Kodak, we have just ourselves to blame. Ironic, the priorities of a “Communist” state versus that of a “Capitalist” nation.</p>
And it’s after China went capitalist themselves that they can afford to do this and many other things thanks to the USA and other nations pumping a lot of money into that country.</p>
<p>China has 1.3 billion people. Of course there is more brain power and competence there, once harnessed by educational and infrastructural development, than among the 300 million people in the US.</p>
<p>And the US ‘pumped money’ into China out of self-interest, although hopefully beneficial to both parties - by buying cheap goods, and by investing in business in the hope of making money.</p>
<p>Let me introduce a little levity to this thread–</p>
<p>“The lift-off was flawless. The orbit immaculate. But while China’s leaders were celebrating the triumphant launch of Tiangong-1 space lab on Thursday, viewers of state television footage were treated to a bizarre choice of soundtrack: America the Beautiful.”</p>
<p>Oh yea, blame China for our own diminishing prospects. It’s always someone else’s fault. Our politics, our values, our way of life have nothing to do with it.</p>
<p>Many people think the space program is a waste of money.</p>
<p>That is, as they watch their satellite TVs, talk on their cell phones, use their computers, and are kept alive by amazing medical advances… all related to the space program.</p>
<p>“Many people think the space program is a waste of money.”
“all related to the space program”</p>
<p>All related to the space program of YEARS ago. It “gave birth” to many industries and innovations that, like a grown up child, are now free standing and innovating on their own. With funding cuts, there is little innovation that has wide spread applicability coming directly out the space program these days.</p>
I didn’t see the OP as ‘blaming China’ and I don’t either - just pointing out the USA’s diminishing focus and role and China’s move into the space (pun intended) due to their increased capabilities due to (IMO) their move to capitalism. Europe already made some moves into the space as well as Japan.</p>
<p>I was a Sputnik baby. I was supposed to be a nuclear physicist who was going to build a magic weapon to defeat the Russians forever. I disappointed everyone when I became an anti-authoritarian English major. What a bunch of government waste!</p>
<p>No one ever explained to me how the evil Russians got there first.</p>
<p>The current conventional wisdom is China’s development is on a linear progression. Some day the Chinese people will need to reconcile their economic development and political/social development. Who knows what happens then?</p>