The Chinese plan to establish a moon base. This isn’t news; they’ve had a space program since 1956 and they put people into space in 2003. In 2000 elements within the Chinese scientific community began to develop a plan for a manned lunar base. At that time, the effort was unfunded by the Chinese government but the groundwork was being laid.
On October 24, 2007, Chang'e-1, China’s first lunar probe was launched. Its 16 month mission ended on March 1, 2009. This was followed by Chang'e-2, launched October 1, 2010. It orbited the moon, collected data and left and established an orbit at the Lagrangian point L2.
They plan to send a rover to the moon in 2013 and to bring back samples in 2017 with the goal of a lunar base in 2025. Even former NASA administrator, Michael Griffin seemed to believe in the Chinese space program. In January, 2009, he was of the opinion that there was a chance the Chinese could attempt a manned lunar orbit by 2015.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not upset the Chinese are planning it; I’m peeved that we seemed to have fallen behind. It’s seems as if we planned poorly. We’ve dumped our shuttle fleet into the crapper without a replacement. We have plans for a next generation of spacecraft but Lockheed Martin’s Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) probably won’t be ready for a manned test until 2016. That’s a span of five years from the time Atlantis ended the shuttle era.
And how do we get to the International Space Station now that there are no more shuttle flights? We pay the Russians a ton of scratch. We have a huge investment in space and we can’t even get there on our own. Think about it. That’s tantamount to me deciding to sell the car I use to get to work every day because I’m planning to buy a new one and then hope I can bum a ride to work for the next five years.
Somehow I don’t think this is what John F. Kennedy had in mind when he challenged the nation to strive for the moon on September 12, 1962 at Rice Stadium. I feel as if we’re allowing ourselves to become second-class citizens in regards to space.
That’s what irks me; not that another sovereignty is planning moon missions.
In his address at Rice Stadium JFK said, “And no nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in the race for space.” It would seem we no longer desire to be a leader but rather a follower.
That’s what irks me; not that another sovereignty is planning moon missions.
In his address at Rice Stadium JFK said, “And no nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in the race for space.” It would seem we no longer desire to be a leader but rather a follower.
We’re losing our edge. Maybe it’s a sign of the times ahead? I hope not but I wonder sometimes. Is anyone else of the belief that the U.S. is following rather than leading? If so, do you have a theory why?
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