China Is Showing No Signs of Slowing Down Space Exploration
Blaine Curcio is the Founder of Orbital Gateway Consulting and a foremost expert on the Chinese space sector. His podcast, Dongfang Hour, provides essential information on the Chinese space program from Chinese sources. Space to Grow’s Chris Blackerby and Charity Weeden recently got the opportunity to chat with Blaine and talk about all things space exploration in China.
Is the Chinese space program shrouded in mystery, or is this a perception issue in the West? Weeden wanted to know the facts from the cloud of misinformation.
“One thing I hear a lot is this assumption that the Chinese government is omnipotent,” Curcio said. “If they say, for example, build us a 5,000 satellite LEO broadband constellation, there’s an impression that will just get done tomorrow, and there are no questions asked; at the end of the day, that’s an oversimplification in the sense that you do have in this system a lot of different competing forces, factions, and entities that have their own interests. And you have incentives that don’t make it that easy.”
For the past decade, China’s made a significant investment in space, technology, resources, and funding. And they show no signs of slowing down with ambitious plans over the next several years. They plan to complete the International Lunar Research Station in the next fifteen years. “If we look at plans like that, that seems extremely ambitious,” Curcio said. “And I think the space station has some interesting potential to expand in the medium to long-term.”
One difference between the Chinese space program and The United States is the coordination of efforts. The US tends to lead national efforts run by NASA, and China takes a more siloed approach with various companies working with local and provincial governments. Without a top-down coordinated attempt, Curcio said some of China’s plans for space could experience difficulties.
More in This Series
The Infrastructure Available to the Commercial Space Industry will Impact Affordability of Launches
The Impact of the Russian ASAT Tests
Latest
Rugged Edge Computing for Tough Environments Follows Shift Away from the Cloud
At ISC West 2023, Premio showcases how Rugged Edge Computing can easily stand up to the toughest industrial workloads in the harshest environments without missing a beat. Many trends are shaping the modern security market with a strong focus on rugged hardware such as smart sensors. There is a shift away from the cloud […]
DTC Brands Struggle to Adapt With 2023 Consumers: Brand Trust and Flexibility is Necessary
Selling directly to the consumer buying your products can be incredibly profitable for a business, so why don’t all businesses sell directly to consumers? The simple answer is that there are many risks and challenges that come with running a direct-to-consumer (DTC) business, and the risks do not always pay off. The success […]
Voice AI: Changing the Sound of Restaurants and Transforming the Ordering Experience
Takeout and delivery are as much the fabric of restaurants today as a room full of diners. During the pandemic, many restaurants may not have made it out the other side without takeout and delivery services. Still, staffing shortages are a significant issue for most restaurants after the pandemic. Finding the balance between handling orders […]
