3 ms·

The challenge is on a) challenging US domination of the space b) China might (and probably will) deploy weapons in the space, just like the US does.

by gasull 15y ago

estevez 15y ago
Two questions: (1) What does domination of space look like, number of military satellites?; (2) What weapons has the US deployed in space?
- groks 15y ago
  http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/12/30/chinese_space_white_paper/ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/12/30/chinese_space_white_...
  - estevez 15y ago
    I suppose my point is that China, like Russia and the United States, see a comprehensive space program as important to its interests. As the article linked to in the parent notes, these technologies are necessarily dual use, but I see no reason for that to lock us into a Sino-US space race. China's leaders have ambitious long-term goals for their space program that will be almost impossible to meet on its own (the cost of a Mars mission would be staggering), so cooperation with the US is in their interests as well as ours. China gains access to dual-use technology, we get to massage China's nationalism into something less virulent, and if nothing else, we both get to delay a strategic confrontation. Hey, I'm just some guy on the internet. But it seems wise to avoid repeating the mistakes of the 20th century and do a better job of accepting the reality of China's rise to great power status and accommodating them into the international system.
CWuestefeld 15y ago
Point (b) isn't related to relative dominance in space, it's achievable with only a minimum absolute degree of capability. They could still deploy space weapons, even if their capabilities are far inferior. Point (a) just begs the question. What is the value of "US domination of the space"? What does it cost us if the Chinese strength increases in some way? I submit that in the same way we say that the space program helps the USA broadly, it's also true that in the long run, success in space by anyone in the world helps everyone in the world.

The challenge is on a) challenging US domination of the space b) China might (and probably will) deploy weapons in the space, just like the US does.

by gasull 15y ago

The challenge is on a) challenging US domination of the space b) China might (and probably will) deploy weapons in the space, just like the US does.

estevez 15y ago

Two questions: (1) What does domination of space look like, number of military satellites?; (2) What weapons has the US deployed in space?

groks 15y ago
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/12/30/chinese_space_white_paper/ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/12/30/chinese_space_white_...
- estevez 15y ago
  I suppose my point is that China, like Russia and the United States, see a comprehensive space program as important to its interests. As the article linked to in the parent notes, these technologies are necessarily dual use, but I see no reason for that to lock us into a Sino-US space race. China's leaders have ambitious long-term goals for their space program that will be almost impossible to meet on its own (the cost of a Mars mission would be staggering), so cooperation with the US is in their interests as well as ours. China gains access to dual-use technology, we get to massage China's nationalism into something less virulent, and if nothing else, we both get to delay a strategic confrontation. Hey, I'm just some guy on the internet. But it seems wise to avoid repeating the mistakes of the 20th century and do a better job of accepting the reality of China's rise to great power status and accommodating them into the international system.

CWuestefeld 15y ago

Point (b) isn't related to relative dominance in space, it's achievable with only a minimum absolute degree of capability. They could still deploy space weapons, even if their capabilities are far inferior. Point (a) just begs the question. What is the value of "US domination of the space"? What does it cost us if the Chinese strength increases in some way? I submit that in the same way we say that the space program helps the USA broadly, it's also true that in the long run, success in space by anyone in the world helps everyone in the world.