But what can China catch up to? Maybe China can achieve parity in low earth orbit, but but it is unlikely that they will achieve parity in lunar exploration or missions to Mars.
The reason being is that America loves competition and if it appears that China is about to achieve a breakthrough somewhere you can be sure that America will respond fully and completely with its own breakthroughs.
Never forget that America went to the moon in ten years. And this was after starting from a standing start. Russia had already launched a man into space, Yuri Gagarin, while America had not even achieved sub-orbital flight.
The new game changer is private space. American private space is strictly a home grown product that is dedicated to the revival of American space leadership. American private space is a throwback to the old days of competition between Russia and America. American private space is even more nationalistic than the Chinese space program.
Where China's space program has this military favor, the new American space effort is dedicated to the raw love of space travel.
No one is trying to stop China from going into space. But the Americans are a force to be reckoned with at the end of the day. Don't count them out as a has-been power.
LMAO...like only America are entitle to be great and competitive? So what happen to their economy and so many of their failed green industries like Solyndra? As far as space it seems that China's recent space accomplishments is upsetting the Anti-China apple cart, especially the other ASEAN nations trolls hiding behind the pretense of America as a back drop for their lame rhetoric.
