China’s Lunar Program Takes Important Steps

The China Manned Space Program (cms) recently made major strides toward landing astronauts on the moon before 2030.

• On August 6, cms successfully tested a high-fidelity mock-up of a lunar lander.
• On August 15, it successfully tested a rocket’s center core.

Why it matters: Dean Cheng, an analyst who has studied China and the effect astronomical achievements will have on geopolitics, said Beijing’s strides in this area mark “the end of American exceptionalism.” He said:

One of the hallmarks of the post-1969 era was that only the United States had been able to land someone on the moon (or any other celestial body). This was bound to end, but the constant American refrain of “We’ve put a man on the moon, we can do anything” will certainly no longer resonate.

It means China can do “big” things, and the U.S. cannot. The U.S. cannot even replicate projects it undertook 50 (or more) years ago. The optics of “the passing of the American age” would be evident—and that in turn would absolutely affect other nations’ perceptions of who is winning and losing the broader technological and ideological competition between the U.S. and [China].

Details: In many ways, the U.S. is in another space race—this time against China. Both nations are working on vehicles that would return humanity to the moon.

Many are dismissing China’s advances because its spacecraft are much more primitive than America’s. They are reminiscent of America’s Apollo program, which was discontinued decades ago due to unsustainability.

However, China is still on track to reach the moon before the U.S. can again. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, in accordance with SpaceX, has seen recent setbacks in its latest models, indicating that it will be years before these projects are ready for launch.

The big picture: Space is now a critical military frontier. Winning the space race has many practical benefits, in addition to the propaganda victory. China’s progress is a signal of its rise.

For more on the dangers of America losing its advantage in this critical high ground, see our article “Space: The Final Military Frontier.”