Source: Florida Today
Last week, the world buzzed about whether China might become a partner in the International Space Station project.
First, to clarify some confusion, the partners have not invited China. China has not accepted. The White House and NASA reiterate United States space policy may call for increased international cooperation in space, but it’s too early to say where China fits in.
All that said, the question of China’s potential contributions to the space station program or to other worldwide space expeditions is not going away. The Chinese are one of just three nations capable of launching people into space. Their Shenzou spacecraft is similar to the Russians’ Soyuz spacecraft, which is already capable of docking with the space station. So, the questions are not surprising.
Ask people inside and outside the space industry about whether China ought to be included in what the world is doing by way of space exploration and you’ll get a variety of answers. So, we asked some readers.
Among the reasons people say China should be included:
•They’ve proven the technical capability to fly people in space and could contribute to the program.
•The United States has often used the space program for geopolitical gain, in particular in building more positive relations with the Russians. The International Space Station itself is as much a foreign policy initiative as a science initiative.
•To divert their attention away from development of their launch and space technology for military use. Focusing the substantial investment the Chinese are making in space on a scientific and exploration endeavor is better than some alternatives.
Others have a compelling list of reasons why China ought to remain on the outside:
•Inviting the Chinese into the program could provide them with technical and financial resources that could bolster their aptitude in space flight, and those improvements could be utilized for military purposes.
•The Chinese have an abysmal record on human rights issues, and that record ought not be rewarded by allowing them to participate with the rest of the world on a project of this scale and importance.
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