Red Moon
Basically because the US has already been to the moon, so most of
the nation doesnt give a sh1t. In the 60s it was estimated that, at any given time, 14-15 million people were working on the space program.
that included the guy making lightbulbs, to the guy injecting heat resistant silicone into heat shields, to someone in a lab developing Tang.Constantly losing to the russians in all the "1st to do it" catagories probably made everyone work harder to beat them. Besides money being injected into the private sector, The nation had a driving force of pride pushing them along.
The space program was a media circus, every other day there was a new story in the paper constantly reminding everyone of the space race. Astronauts were treated and glamorized like movie stars in paper and television. Every kid in America could name at least 10 astronauts if not all of them. Can the general public name even 3 active astronauts today?. Can they even name the remaining shuttles?. Once Bush isnt president anymore, steps will probably be taken by congress to downsize and/or financially cripple the projects needed by NASA to succeed at getting a base on the moon. Basically because congress is made up of old men without vision, only hindsight. They most likely feel that injecting money into a goal that has already been acomplished is a waste.
China has that same pride that the US had 35-40 years ago. China has a better industry ,technologically speaking, than the US had even 25 years ago. How much has China learned,copied and improved on free information from NASAs huge website, that includes how they did alot of things. The Invention of the Internet, personal computers, lightweight materials, Freedom of Information Act. The random list of advances in technology, communication and even laws are going to help China speed right past the US in short order. The US as a whole will and are underestimating Chinas capabilities based on old preconceptions. China has the man power, they have the industry and they have the will of a
nation behind them. When China gets there is anyone going to care?
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Why China will beat the US in the second space race.
#2
Posted 09 April 2004 - 08:03 PM
Yeah, there is no incentive to push forward in the west anymore. But I tell you this : When China starts shipping a buttload of prefab modules to the lunar surface and then casually say "Oh, those? Yeah, we're sending a couple of landers with ppl to hook them up, start up the powerplant and get settled in a few weeks. Didn't you know we're colonizing it?" it's going to get awfully hectic in the US govmnt....