Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

China’s space station expected to be completed around 2022.
CMS/Inside Outer Space screengrab

At a quickening pace, China is blueprinting and carrying out a striking 21^st space agenda, including a succession of robotic interplanetary missions to asteroids, Jupiter, and returning samples from Mars. Layered into the mix is a five year plan for Moon exploration, capped by inking a partnership with Russia to put in place an International Lunar Research Station to be visited by human crews.

In the meantime, nearer to Earth, China is presently constructing the country’s “Heavenly Palace.” A core segment of the multi-modular Tiangong space station is already up and operating, housing a three-person crew. A go-getting schedule of booster launches of more astronauts, supply ships, and add-on modules stretches into late next year to finish China’s orbital outpost. The China Manned Space Agency has reportedly given provisional approval to stuff the station with over a 1,000 experiments and is working with the United Nations to invite foreign participation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping inspects Chang’e-5 lunar sample return capsule.
Credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab

All this activity is not going unnoticed by the United States. What impact China’s space schedule, along with the country’s joint ventures with Russia, will have on U.S. space exploration objectives is murky. Some suggest, perhaps, it’s time to search for common ground and shape a multi-nation space agenda. If so, how best to play the China space cooperation card?

China’s touchdown on Mars.
Credit: CNSA/Inside Outer Space screengrab

Take a read of my new Scientific American story on this topic at:

“Can the U.S. and China Cooperate in Space? – China’s meteoric rise in space science and exploration—along with its new partnership with Russia—is spurring U.S. experts to reconsider a long-standing prohibition on bilateral collaborations”

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-the-u-s-and-china-cooperate-in-space/