The United States is about to wake up to the threat from China's space program
One big question: Will China assert territorial rights where its rover explores?
One big question: Will China assert territorial rights where its rover explores?
The short version
- There are generally two schools of thought in the Western space community when it comes to the prospect of China landing humans on the Moon in the next few years and very possibly beating NASA and the United States in its efforts to return astronauts there.
- Many people will ask what the big deal is.
- After all, NASA won the space race to the Moon nearly six decades ago, when Apollo 11 landed there.
What happened
That it took so long for anyone else to follow speaks to the magnitude of the US achievement, they might say. An important test of whether you believe the former or latter could come as soon as this month.
Why it matters
As soon as this Sunday, a Long March 5 rocket will launch from a coastal seaport in China, carrying the Chang’e 7 lunar exploration mission.
Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Ars Technica via the links above and below.