Because most of your best scientists are educated abroad and immediately pair up with an American so they never have to return. (Then tend to get divorced once

Because most of your best scientists are educated abroad and immediately pair up with an American so they never have to return. (Then tend to get divorced once they have permanent residency, heh.) Russia had a leg up on China -- NASA used to exclude PRC citizens[1] while collaborating with the cosmonauts as a result of progress on things like START It squandered it by being totalitarian to the point it wrecked it's own economy -- no one wants to live in RU right now except those born there and the oligarchs that treat it like a playground. THAT is why you can't build more than 40 satellites. [1] https://osp.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/NASA-China-Restriction-Clause-Pre-Award-Certification-Final-Jan2023.pdf https://osp.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/NASA-China-Restrictio...