German Media: The U.S.-China Space Rivalry
The daily newspaper published a commentary stating that the launch of America's manned "Artemis 2" rocket on April 1st is not only the first crewed lunar orbit mission by the United States in over half a century, but also a landmark event in the struggle for dominance in space between China and the United States. The Economic Weekly commented that China’s rapid advancement in space technology has inevitably raised concerns about whether the U.S. can maintain its supremacy in space.
The daily newspaper wrote: After more than 50 years, the United States has once again launched a manned rocket toward the Moon, highlighting Washington’s determination to preserve its hegemony in space. At the same time, China is rapidly approaching through a highly concentrated, long-term national strategy. Geopolitical competition between China and the United States has already extended beyond Earth itself. In a commentary titled "The U.S.-China Rivalry in Space," it stated:
"In this new space race, America’s opponent is no longer the Soviet Union, but now China. Once, the Soviet Union led temporarily, and the U.S. only regained the upper hand after achieving crewed lunar landing. This time, however, the outcome might be very different. Washington fully understands that time is running short. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the race is now measured in months rather than years."
Just a few months ago, NASA adjusted its lunar landing plan, shifting focus to establishing a permanent base on the Moon. Washington is deeply concerned that China may get there first. China’s goal is to send astronauts to the Moon before 2030—two years later than the U.S. target. However, unlike the United States, China rarely delays its space missions.
If the Chinese accomplish crewed lunar landing before the Americans plant their flag at the lunar south pole, it would be a political disaster for Trump. To Trump, China is the most formidable geopolitical rival, and the U.S. must defeat China on every front—including space.
The daily newspaper commented that thanks to SpaceX and its reusable rockets, the U.S. still holds certain technological advantages in space that China cannot match in the short term. But whether the U.S.’s ambition to maintain space hegemony will actually be realized remains to be seen:
"Since 2024, the launch of 'Artemis 2' has been repeatedly delayed. The planned launches in February and March this year both failed. If this lunar flyby mission succeeds, the U.S. will demonstrate a fragile yet significant advantage. But if the mission fails, Beijing will seize the opportunity with great eagerness."
"China’s pace of advancement is so fast that it inevitably raises concerns about American hegemony."
Regarding April 1st, when the U.S. began the crewed lunar flyby test mission of "Artemis 2," The Economic Weekly published a lengthy commentary stating:
"China’s rapid development in space technology has inevitably caused concern about whether the U.S. can maintain its dominant position. In recent years, China has successfully completed several unmanned lunar missions and became the first country to collect rock samples from the far side of the Moon. This year and in 2028, China plans to carry out additional lunar missions."
On February 11th, China took another significant step in its efforts to land on the Moon: the heavy-lift carrier rocket "Long March 10" was successfully launched for the first time at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan Province. This rocket will be responsible for sending astronauts to the Moon by 2030. Meanwhile, the crewed spacecraft "Mengzhou" successfully completed a critical test to handle emergency return scenarios should the rocket encounter failure.
China plans to achieve docking between the spacecraft and the lunar landing vehicle in space. Upon reaching the Moon, the landing module detaches and descends to the lunar surface. After completing the lunar mission, astronauts return to orbit in the lunar lander, re-dock with the spacecraft, and finally return to Earth.
Source: DW
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1861368821646339/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.