Can China keep to its plan? “They have so far,” says Logsdon. That was replaced in 2016 with another long-range plan, which is also - so far - on schedule. “At least as far as human spaceflight is concerned, China set out in 1992 a long-range plan and executed it on schedule," Logsdon says. We know its plans - or at least those its leadership are willing to share - thanks to regularly released roadmaps. “In my view, China is determining for itself what it wants to do, not in any formal competition with the quite uncertain plans of anybody else.”Ĭhina isn’t playing tit-for-tat with its space projects it lays them out years in advance, rather than reacting to other nations, a helpful side effect of a centrally planned economy versus the constant meddling (and oversight) of the US Congress. “China is following its own motivations and interests rather than pacing its programme in competition with anybody else,” says John Logsdon, founder of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University. This may sound like the space race redux, but it’s more complicated than a battle between China and the US – more than anything, it’s a reminder that space exploration and space sciences are a global effort, even though nations may otherwise remain military rivals. “In a way, the lockout by foreign nations has helped China achieve innovation,” said Tiangong-1 chief designer Yang Hong in an interview with state television. It's on pace to launch more rockets than the US this year, has plans to head to Mars, and has already started construction of its own space station Tiangong-1, perfectly timed for the looming retirement of the International Space Station (ISS). China has also placed a relay satellite, Queqiao (Magpie Bridge) behind the Moon to let it communicate when it heads to the dark side to set up a Moon base, and sent its own rover, Jade Rabbit, to hop around the lunar surface for two years. In recent years China has completed construction of the world’s largest single-dish radio telescope, meaning if aliens drop us a line, it’s the Chinese who will likely pick up the phone first. Falling to pieces just outside Tahiti may not conform to our idea of a successful modern space programme, but uninvited to the party, China is holding its own.
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