China On the Rise

China's space program is making waves once again.  It is expected that before the end of this month, China will launch their first space lab, Tiangong 1.  Weighing in at 8 tons, Tiangong 1 is small by space lab standards (The U.S.'s Skylab of the 1970's was over 80 tons, and the ISS weighs in at a whopping 450 tons!), however, it does represent a technical achievement.  While not a "space station", in the strict sense, the single module Tiangong 1 will orbit for several years, and be a platform for both robotic and manned missions to practice docking procedures.  The lab will also host at least two crews for several weeks at a time.  The knowledge gained from the Tiangong 1 missions will serve China well when they develop a full fledged space station sometime in the early 2020s.

 

Artist's rendition of a Shenzhou spacecraft (left) docked with Tiangong 1

(Credit: China Astronaut Research and Training Center).

Certainly, Tiangong 1 showcases China's ever increasing ability in the realm of manned space flight.  And coming on the heels of the retirement of the US Space Shuttle, it might be easy to think that China will soon overtake America in space.  We must remember though, China has only launched three manned space missions in the past 8 years.  And while Tiangong 1 is a significant achievement, it is a step that the US and Russia took and surpassed nearly half a century ago.  To be clear, Tiangong 1 does not represent a threat to Western supremacy in space.

Indeed, the very idea of a China-US space race is highly unlikely, even in the distant future.  First off, manned space flight is no longer the endeavor of just one or two nations.  It has been completely internationalized.  We have American, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, and every other nationality you can think of, riding Russian rockets to the International Space Station.  As far as most space faring nations are concerned, the way forward is through international cooperation.  If China is vying for a No.1 position, they will be taking on the rest of the world.  That isn't something that China can afford to do, at this point.  And, in fact, China would benefit immensely from distancing their military from their manned space missions, and opening up to a more international approach.

To show that China isn't a one trick pony, they successfully launched a new ocean observing satellite this week.  The Haiyang 2A satellite will replace older ocean observing satellites, and is equipped to monitor currents, surface winds, and other aspects of the maritime environment.  While the satellite's primary function will be to serve as an aid to shipping in China's crowded harbors, its suite of scientific instruments are a positive sign in China's move toward getting real science done in space.

A model of Haiyang 2A on display in China.

While China has a long way yet to go, both technically and diplomatically, in space, I applaud their efforts.  I anxiously await the launch of Tiangong 1, as well as more Chinese scientific missions.

Read more here and here.