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The space race between the United States and China is heating up. Both nations are conducting rocket activities in their quest for dominance beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
On August 12, the U.S. military performed its first National Security Space Launch with a newly certified rocket. Three days later, China conducted its first static fire test of a new rocket intended for its manned lunar landing missions—scheduled before the end of the decade.
Why It Matters
Space, once seen as a peaceful domain, has become part of the competition among great powers. The U.S. established the Space Force amid growing threats from Russia and China, which are accused of militarizing space.
The U.S. and China are racing to be the first to return humans to the moon—a historic achievement that former NASA astronaut Colonel Terry Virts warned could determine whether the 21st century belongs to the U.S. or China.
What To Know
According to the U.S. Space Force, a Vulcan rocket launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on its inaugural National Security Space Launch mission. The rocket delivered demonstrations and experiments, including a navigation satellite, into orbit for the Pentagon.
On August 15, China’s Long March-10 carrier rocket successfully completed a static fire test at Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan province. During the test, seven engines of the first stage were ignited, producing almost 1,000 tons of thrust while the rocket remained attached to the launch mount.
The National Security Space Launch program uses commercial launch services to deploy satellites for communications; positioning, navigation, and timing; missile warning and tracking; and space situational awareness for the military and intelligence community.
While the Long March-10 is designed for China’s manned lunar exploration missions, its sister variant, the shorter Long March-10A rocket, is under development for missions carrying astronauts and cargo to China’s space station.
What People Are Saying
The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command stated in a news release on August 13: “Assured Access to Space executes the U.S. Space Force’s core function of Space Access, performing the space lift and range control missions. It secures reliable and responsive launch services to deploy the space-based capabilities needed by our Nation’s warfighters, intelligence professionals, decision makers, allies, and partners.”
The China Manned Space Agency announced on August 15: “The Long March-10 series rockets will be fully utilized in the country’s manned spaceflight program, working in tandem with the Mengzhou manned spacecraft to achieve the upgrading of China’s manned space-Earth round-trip transportation system.”
What Happens Next
In light of China’s rapidly growing space capabilities, it remains uncertain whether the U.S., including its military, NASA, and commercial service providers, will maintain its dominance in space.
