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Author Topic:   New Space Race: China vs USA (Seedhouse)
cspg
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From: Geneva, Switzerland
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posted 06-26-2009 09:05 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for cspg   Click Here to Email cspg     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The New Space Race: China vs. USA
by Erik Seedhouse
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.

  • Springer Praxis Books
  • 2010, Approx. 255 p. 81 illus., 29 in color., Softcover
  • ISBN: 978-1-4419-0879-7
From Springer-Europe: release date, November 2009, price approx. 34.95 euro

cspg
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From: Geneva, Switzerland
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posted 11-24-2009 01:25 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for cspg   Click Here to Email cspg     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The book has been released in Europe, only from Springer-Europe website.

Spacefest
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posted 11-24-2009 11:29 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Spacefest   Click Here to Email Spacefest     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Do we have to win a space race every CENTURY?

Philip
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posted 11-24-2009 12:39 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Philip   Click Here to Email Philip     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Who's predicting that USA will win?

capoetc
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posted 11-24-2009 03:21 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for capoetc   Click Here to Email capoetc     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Once the Chinese have men walking on the moon, then the race can begin. Until then, they are just playing catch-up.

Really, though... with the exception of concern over the military ramifications of the Chinese space program, there doesn't seem to be much indication that the US views its goals in space through the lens of a race with China.

US recently sent NASA reps to China for talks and tours -- doesn't sound like much of a race to me.

Philip
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posted 11-25-2009 03:20 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Philip   Click Here to Email Philip     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Surely an interesting topic to follow in the years to come...

Spacefest
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posted 11-25-2009 07:10 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Spacefest   Click Here to Email Spacefest     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Having spent some time in China, I'll be worried that 1.3 bilion people will figure out a way to EAT the moon. They eat everything else.

Tykeanaut
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posted 12-02-2009 09:36 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Tykeanaut   Click Here to Email Tykeanaut     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Unless there is oil on the moon, (apologies - British wit) it may be the only catalyst to spur Obama and the necessary funding.

dom
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posted 02-05-2010 02:09 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for dom   Click Here to Email dom     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
As anyone read this book? Is it worth buying or is it now obsolete considering this week's announcement regarding Constellation?

cspg
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posted 02-05-2010 04:15 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for cspg   Click Here to Email cspg     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I haven't yet read the book- just flipped through it. The Constellation part is likely to be obsolete (I wouldn't say dead - we never know) but Constellation doesn't seem to represent a big chunk of the book and even though it has been cancelled (has it? or merely postponed? Fiscal 2011 is just a proposal), China will play a more and more important role in space and I wonder if the US is going to sit and watch.

dom
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posted 02-05-2010 04:23 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for dom   Click Here to Email dom     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
If it's more centered on the Chinese effort, do you feel it adds something new or is similar to Brian Harvey's Springer Praxis history on the Chinese Space Programme?

cspg
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From: Geneva, Switzerland
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posted 02-05-2010 11:56 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for cspg   Click Here to Email cspg     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I don't have Brian Harvey's book about China's space programme so it's hard to tell.

dom
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posted 02-06-2010 03:49 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for dom   Click Here to Email dom     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I'll probably order the book anyway but I'm sure it reads a little like fiction now

Philip
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posted 02-07-2010 08:45 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Philip   Click Here to Email Philip     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Well, the title is topicality as a new "cold war" might be on the horizon!

Colin E. Anderton
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posted 02-09-2010 12:53 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Colin E. Anderton   Click Here to Email Colin E. Anderton     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by capoetc:
Once the Chinese have men walking on the moon, then the race can begin.
What race? The USA won that race to put men on the moon - 40 years ago!

There were two reasons the US taxpayer was willing to foot the bill for Apollo:

  1. The race with the USSR, who had injured American pride with their early space successes. The Americans had to prove their technological superiority - to themselves as well as the watching world.

  2. We all wondered at the time what it would actually feel like to watch men walking on the moon. I still remember that magical feeling of actually seeing it happen.
Both those reasons no longer exist.

I personally think that the shuttle has done very little to assist in rekindling excitement for space in the mind of the public generally.

Selling manned space flight to us enthusiasts is easy - but it's Joe Public in the USA that has to be won over.

I forecast that within ten years no country will have a manned space programme - except possibly China. But even they are not going to reach the moon. I don't think they have the unique "can do" attitude that the Americans - at least used to - have.

I really fear for the future of America as the world's number one superpower, because - as demonstrated by this decision to cancel Constellation - they seem to be ready to turn their back on progress, and settle for second best.

In fact, I recall similar feelings as the final seconds ticked away before Cernan and Scmitt lifted off from the lunar surface. Certainly nothing has changed in the American attitude since then.

SRB
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posted 02-09-2010 03:57 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for SRB   Click Here to Email SRB     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
My crystal ball shows me a different future for manned space flight. I see China continuing to be a major economic power for ten years or more and having the will and vision to push forward the human exploration of space. In ten years or so they will have landed a man (or woman) on the Moon and returned him safely to earth. China will be planning and developing the technology and equipment for human exploration of Mars in the decade after that. The U.S. public will wake up and find the U.S. is a second rate space power and "punish" the politicians and political party they feel are responsible for this "defeat. So with less planning and development than is desirable, the U.S. will have a crash program to put Americans on Mars. Who will get there first? I can't see that in my crystal ball, but I would not bet against the Chinese. For me, I would love to see humans on Mars, and don't care in they are Americans or Chinese.

dom
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posted 02-09-2010 04:07 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for dom   Click Here to Email dom     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Although the Apollo astronauts went to the moon 'for all mankind' it is startling to realise that if a Chinese taikonaut sets foot on the lunar surface he will literally be a representative of one-fifth of mankind.

Philip
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From: Brussels, Belgium
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posted 02-10-2010 10:40 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Philip   Click Here to Email Philip     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Well, we can predict that as the Moon "been there, done that" could only be topped or get a lot of media attention if a Chinese woman would set foot on the Moon...

Spacefest
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posted 02-10-2010 01:21 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Spacefest   Click Here to Email Spacefest     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
WE beat the Chinese and everyone else by what will be half a century, and we did it with our own hardware.

Are the Chinese racing the Russians, too?

Let the Russians, Japanese, Indians, and Chinese wrestle for a distant second, while we go to Mars.

dom
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posted 02-10-2010 02:40 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for dom   Click Here to Email dom     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Whilst NASA, Russia, ESA and company are doing the donkey work aboard the ISS until 2025 (with the possibility that it leads to Mars), over two billion people in China and India are going to be inspired by spaceflight as they watch 'their side' compete in Space Race II.

Sad to say, the western public is now bored with manned spaceflight. Maybe its time to let the dream inspire others and lets see where that takes mankind!

Max Q
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posted 02-12-2010 02:02 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Max Q   Click Here to Email Max Q     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Spacefest:
WE beat the Chinese and everyone else by what will be half a century, and we did it with our own hardware.
And here I was thinking you went there for all mankind. China doesn't want a race but let's face it as we stand here right now China is as capable of walking on the Moon as America.

Tykeanaut
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posted 02-12-2010 02:49 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Tykeanaut   Click Here to Email Tykeanaut     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Wouldn't it be great if all the space-faring nations joined together for a trip to the Moon and or Mars? It's better than fighting each other politically or otherwise.

Sorry for that utopian moment.

cspg
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posted 02-12-2010 03:52 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for cspg   Click Here to Email cspg     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
It's not a Moon race. The US won that one 40 years ago. Rather the "new" race might be to determine what countries will still have the capability to send humans into orbit- and eventually beyond- in this decade, and the next. The Chinese have plans for this- will the US deem importantly enough (politically, economically, strategically) to join them?

All times are CT (US)

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