The world s most populous nation views space as an asset, not
only from a technological and commercial perspective, but also from
a political and militaristic one. The repercussions of this
ideology already extend far beyond Washington. China vs. United
States offers a glimpse of future Chinese aspirations in space and
the politico-militaristic implications of a looming space race, and
explains why an interplanetary spaceship called the Tsien Hsue Shen
might one day travel to the outer planets.
Until China successfully launched taikonauts into orbit, China s
space program had attracted little international attention. The
book opens with an analysis of the short fifteen-year history of
the China National Space Administration and its long list of
accomplishments. Chapter 2 assesses Sino-U.S. technological and
commercial interests in space and their implications in fuelling a
potential space race. The national security objectives of the U.S.
and China are examined, showing how their intentions are
increasingly leading to the military integration of space
technologies. Chapter 3 describes China s anxieties about U.S.
space power, its obsession with national prestige, and how manned
spaceflight is viewed as a crucial element to sustain the
legitimacy of the Communist Party. China is currently focusing on
similar goals to those of NASA s Constellation Program - lunar and
Mars exploration. The following chapter examines the ambitious
plans of both nations, and evaluates whether China s bold goal of
landing taikonauts on the Moon by 2020 is matched by the necessary
capability.
In Chapter 5 Dr Seedhouse describes the space hardware being
developed by the U.S. and China and the strides taken by China in
its attempt to match the technological capability of the U.S. The
following chapter provides an overview of China s introductory
manned spaceflights and shows how, despite a lack of experience,
the Chinese may soon be in a position to challenge the U.S. in a
race to the Moon. In Chapter 7, the author discusses how China s
manned space program can boost the country s international prestige
and also examines the notion of manned spaceflight as a risky way
to boost national status and the potential implications of a
disaster akin to Challenger and Columbia.
Chapter 8 addresses the questions of alliances and cooperation
between NASA and ESA and China and Russia, or, alternatively, the
U.S. and China pursuing their space ambitions alone. The
implications of each way forward in the context of a looming
competition in space are considered. Chapter 9 discusses the
repercussions of a Chinese space program overtaking NASA and
whether the U.S. has the political will to advance its own space
program to prevent its position as sole space superpower being
usurped. Given the mutual suspicions existing in both countries, it
is perhaps inevitable that Washington and Beijing are on a
collision course in space. The final chapter describes the
implications of such a confrontation and discusses what, if
anything, can be done to avert a new space race.
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