Space Race or Space Cooperation?

The space race is all over the news in the past two months. I just heard that China put more graffiti on the American satellite that spied on China’s aircraft carrier in Shanghai. China’s high-speed low-orbiting satellite approached the U.S. spy satellite, accurately calculated its orbit, and launched a mist missile at it, which contained magneto-electrical materials with macromolecules and a high viscosity. Such materials temporarily blind the sensor on the satellite if attached. Twenty-seven minutes later, the magneto-electrical material gradually dissolved and the satellite returned to normal. But, by this time it was already way past its reconnaissance target. Like other actions taken against U.S. reconnaissance activity in China’s South Sea, the repeated graffiti shares the same purpose.

After America’s high-profile announcement of its X-37 aerospace plane and the establishment of CPGS (Conventional Prompt Global Strike), China soon reported its first success in an aerospace plane’s test fly. China has taken many small steps to attain its manned space flight and lunar probe project, while America claims that they’ll land on Mars in 2035. However, China’s anti-aircraft carrier missile is on par with America’s CPGS. While America has been carrying out anti-missile tests again and again, China kept up by testing its Land-based Mid-course Phase Anti-ballistic Missile. Since January 2007, both America and China have launched missiles to destroy satellites, a fact that was ridiculed in a Disney cartoon movie, The Secret of the Magic Gourd. At the beginning of the movie, a missile destroyed a satellite, causing the protagonist to save a spaceship damaged by the shrapnel. Does all this mean the exciting space race is on once again?

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union took the first lead in the space race, launching the first satellite and sending the first human being into the space. Soon after, America achieved the first landing on the moon. The Soviet Union then gained the upper hand when it comes to space stations, with America leading in terms of space shuttles. Europe, Japan and China each subsequently made achievements in space exploration.

Every country has its own advantages and disadvantages in space exploration. The Soviet Union has achieved much at a low cost, but is also rather isolated from the rest of the world. America spends a great deal but allows companies and universities to participate in their space projects, so the knowledge and technology can be spread widely, inspiring more innovations (there were 200 universities, 80 research institutes and 20,000 companies that took part in the Apollo project, with many new inventions and technologies, such as disposable baby diapers, induction cooker and electro-communications, resulting from this work). China likes to emphasize order and integration in its space program — low risk, low cost and very few failures. Though this method may not make China stand out when compared with other nations, its overall achievements are immense. Europe does a good job in commercialization and has advanced rocket technology, while Japan’s accomplishments are huge. The country’s H-2 rocket technology surpasses China, it has the most sophisticated test capsule in the International Space Station and its H-2B ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle) has successfully docked. But, the country’s output is disproportionate to its input. The Japanese space program carries on without ambition or long-term plans; there aren’t enough projects, and the technicians are not fully competent or experienced.

After China’s implementations of reform and the Open Door Policy in 1978, it gave up its large-scaled space program and turned its attention to applied satellites, specifically those related to telecommunications and meteorology. Once the Cold War ended, the space race ceased to exist and many countries cut funding for space programs to a significant degree. Since then the world has been sharing space and space facilities in peace. The American space shuttle and Russian Mir space station often carry out united missions and contribute to the International Space Station.

However, the space race seems to have made a come back in the 21st century. China has re-launched the manned space flight and lunar probe projects, has plans to also explore Mars and to launch a scientific test satellite, with limited practical utility — something like the Harbor space telescope to help Chinese scientists win a Nobel Prize. Regionally, the space race is raging between China, Japan and India, three countries that have just realized their dreams of exploring the moon. Currently, China’s satellite system is gradually evolving from area navigation to global navigation. Japan is working on its Quasi-Zenith Satellite System, and India has established an Area Navigation System containing seven satellites. Even North Korea and South Korea are taking up the space race, competing by launching their own satellites.

Internationally, China, America and Russia are competing in space exploration. Russia has good technology but not enough funds. However, it has perfected its Global Navigation Satellite Systems GLONASS and now is seeking cooperation with China and America and hopes to land on Mars allied with China. Europe is constrained by public opinion on the space program, with the “Galileo” navigation satellite project threatening to break up because the European nations can hardly reach an agreement. Consequently, Europe is not considered as a reliable partner by other nations.

With the development of modern technology, the costs of space programs are becoming lower and lower. But, at the same time finances are growing tighter and tighter and public support for space programs is wearing away. Today’s space race hasn’t yet reached its peak, so it’s unlikely to inspire the public support today like it did during the Cold War. Here the authorities need to regularly justify the cost of space programs, even if the Chinese people have already been very supportive.

China demanded to participate in international space cooperation as an equal partner with other nations, which, unfortunately, hasn’t been very successful so far. Maybe ten or fifteen years later, when China catches up with America and Russia, it may start to be regarded as an important partner in space cooperation. After the financial crisis, China became an important force in the IMF and World Bank, despite the fact that it still lagged in space development.

To catch up with cutting edge technology is not an easy thing to do. In China, people haven’t got a clear picture about the importance of science and technology; whereas in Europe, America and Japan, the audience ratings of television stations like Discovery is much higher than that of soap operas. In America people will ask questions like why could the Soviet Union launch the first satellite, while in Russia classical music is very popular. Actually, technology and art are like a person’s left and right arm — only when combined together can they produce the desired result. The combination of technology and the art of architecture in contemporary China is even more awful than that of ancient times. It looks like China’s technology still has a long way to go.