CHINA unveils ambitious 5-year space plan – NYTimes
By MB Snow at December 30, 2011 | 12:10 am | Print
BEIJING — The Chinese government Thursday announced a five-year plan for space exploration that would move China closer to becoming a major rival at a time the U.S. program is in retreat.
Coupled with China’s earlier vows to build a space station and put an astronaut on the moon, the announcement conjured up memories of the Cold War-era space race between the United States and the Soviet Union.
The United States, which has de-emphasized manned spaceflight in recent years, is dependent on Russia for transporting its astronauts to the international space station. Russia has experienced an embarrassing string of failed satellite launchings.
China has been looking for ways to exert its growing economic strength and demonstrate its technological mastery and scientific achievements can approach those of any global power.
The plan announced Thursday calls for launching a space lab and collecting samples from the moon, all by 2016, along with a more powerful manned spaceship and space freighters.
via Nation & World | China unveils ambitious 5-year space plan | Seattle Times Newspaper.