Red Space
Considering NASA’s budget problems and internal squabbles, some in the space industry fear 2012 might be the year China eclipses the United States in space prowess.
In 2011, China already performed more orbital launches than the U.S., barely squeaking by with 19 to 18. In addition, the Chinese government released a document outlining their five-year space plan, which includes new launch vehicles, robotic lunar landers, and preliminary studies to land people on the moon.
Other analysts counter the idea that the U.S. is sagging in space, pointing out that there is nothing new in China’s recently released space plans and that America still leads in human spaceflight. Furthermore, China’s space investments are low-budget. But the Chinese government’s plan can be carried out with little interruption, whereas NASA’s policies are subject to the whims of the White House and Congress, which may change every few years.
Image: The Chinese Shenzhou 7 spacecraft launches in 2008. Wikimedia/Gang Lee.