US, China Compete in Space
2022-10-03
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1The United States and China are increasingly competitive in space as both nations plan to put people back on the moon and establish the first moon bases.
2NASA, the U.S. space agency, is waiting for a new launch date for its Artemis 1 mission.
3It is expected this month or next.
4Technical problems led to cancellations of the first two launch attempts in recent weeks.
5China aims to send astronauts to the moon within ten years and establish a robotic research station there.
6Both the U.S. and China plan to establish bases for intermittent crews on the moon's south pole after that.
7The efforts come 50 years after U.S. astronauts closed the doors on an Apollo spacecraft and left the moon for Earth in December of 1972.
8No one has visited the moon since.
9Some space policy experts question if the world is seeing another international space race.
10They note major differences, however, from the earlier space race between Russia and the U.S.
11This time, both the U.S. and China see moon programs as part of a larger plan for exploring, settling and possibly using resources offered by the moon, Mars and space at large.
12American intelligence, military and political leaders make clear they see strategic challenges to the U.S. in China's space program.
13On the military side, the U.S. and China trade accusations of weaponizing space.
14There is also a civilian side to the efforts.
15The U.S. is concerned that Chinese gains in space exploration and technology will increase that country's influence around the world.
16Aaron Bateman is a professor at George Washington University and a member of the Space Policy Institute.
17Bateman suggested that prestige - meaning respect and admiration - plays an important part in space competition.
18The moon programs suggest that "space is going to be an arena of competition on the prestige front, demonstrating advanced technical expertise and know-how, and then also on the military front as well," Bateman said.
19A U.S. military-financed study group suggested last month that "China appears to be on track to" go past the U.S. as the lead "space power by 2045."
20The groups' report said China's space effort was part of a plan to spread authoritarianism and communism on Earth.
21In July, Zhao Lijian, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, said China's space program was guided by peaceful ideas.
22"Some U.S. officials are constantly smearing China's normal and reasonable outer space undertakings," Zhao said.
23Flying on the most powerful rocket ever built by NASA, Artemis 1 aims for a five-week flight that would put test dummies into lunar orbit.
24If all goes well with that, U.S. astronauts could fly around the moon in 2024 and land on it in 2025.
25China's space program is behind that of the United States.
26But its secretive, military-linked program is developing fast and creating missions that could make Beijing a leader in space flight.
27Last year, China deployed a rover vehicle on Mars.
28The U.S. has several such vehicles on the planet.
29China was also the first of nations to land a spacecraft on the far side of the moon.
30And, Chinese astronauts are close to completing work on a permanent orbiting space station.
31A 1967 U.N. space treaty bans anyone from claiming control over a moon or planet, putting a military base on it, or putting weapons of mass destruction into space.
32But space competition is not necessarily a bad thing, said American Senator Chris Coons, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
33Space competition does not have to lead to conflict, he said.
34He added, "I think it can be a competition - like the Olympics - that simply means that each team and each side is going to push higher and faster.
35And as a result, humanity is likely to benefit."
36I'm John Russell.
1The United States and China are increasingly competitive in space as both nations plan to put people back on the moon and establish the first moon bases. 2NASA, the U.S. space agency, is waiting for a new launch date for its Artemis 1 mission. It is expected this month or next. Technical problems led to cancellations of the first two launch attempts in recent weeks. 3China aims to send astronauts to the moon within ten years and establish a robotic research station there. 4Both the U.S. and China plan to establish bases for intermittent crews on the moon's south pole after that. 5The efforts come 50 years after U.S. astronauts closed the doors on an Apollo spacecraft and left the moon for Earth in December of 1972. No one has visited the moon since. 6A new space race? 7Some space policy experts question if the world is seeing another international space race. They note major differences, however, from the earlier space race between Russia and the U.S. 8This time, both the U.S. and China see moon programs as part of a larger plan for exploring, settling and possibly using resources offered by the moon, Mars and space at large. 9American intelligence, military and political leaders make clear they see strategic challenges to the U.S. in China's space program. 10On the military side, the U.S. and China trade accusations of weaponizing space. 11There is also a civilian side to the efforts. The U.S. is concerned that Chinese gains in space exploration and technology will increase that country's influence around the world. 12Aaron Bateman is a professor at George Washington University and a member of the Space Policy Institute. 13Bateman suggested that prestige - meaning respect and admiration - plays an important part in space competition. 14The moon programs suggest that "space is going to be an arena of competition on the prestige front, demonstrating advanced technical expertise and know-how, and then also on the military front as well," Bateman said. 15A U.S. military-financed study group suggested last month that "China appears to be on track to" go past the U.S. as the lead "space power by 2045." The groups' report said China's space effort was part of a plan to spread authoritarianism and communism on Earth. 16In July, Zhao Lijian, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, said China's space program was guided by peaceful ideas. "Some U.S. officials are constantly smearing China's normal and reasonable outer space undertakings," Zhao said. 17Two programs 18Flying on the most powerful rocket ever built by NASA, Artemis 1 aims for a five-week flight that would put test dummies into lunar orbit. 19If all goes well with that, U.S. astronauts could fly around the moon in 2024 and land on it in 2025. 20China's space program is behind that of the United States. But its secretive, military-linked program is developing fast and creating missions that could make Beijing a leader in space flight. 21Last year, China deployed a rover vehicle on Mars. The U.S. has several such vehicles on the planet. 22China was also the first of nations to land a spacecraft on the far side of the moon. 23And, Chinese astronauts are close to completing work on a permanent orbiting space station. 24Competition 25A 1967 U.N. space treaty bans anyone from claiming control over a moon or planet, putting a military base on it, or putting weapons of mass destruction into space. 26But space competition is not necessarily a bad thing, said American Senator Chris Coons, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Space competition does not have to lead to conflict, he said. 27He added, "I think it can be a competition - like the Olympics - that simply means that each team and each side is going to push higher and faster. And as a result, humanity is likely to benefit." 28I'm John Russell. 29Ellen Knickmeyer reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English. 30________________________________________________________________________ 31Words in This Story 32intermittent-adj. starting, stopping, and starting again 33challenge - n. an attempt to defeat someone in a competition; a difficult task or problem 34arena - n. an area of activity, interest, or competition 35demonstrate - v. to prove (something) by showing examples of it : to show evidence of (something) 36smear - v. to make untrue statements about someone in order to hurt that person's reputation 37dummy - n. a copy of a finished object that is used during practice or training 38benefit - n. a good or helpful result or effect