NASA: China will likely beat us back to moon

I wonder what, if any, implications this could have in world politics?
I know there was something signed regarding the moon and that no
Nation could own it, or something to that effect but I am curious
what would happen if push came to shove.
Does the US secretly consider the moon to be their territory and if
so, I wonder if were willing to go to war over something like that?

Source

"I personally believe that China will be back on the moon before we are," NASA Administrator Michael Griffin said in a low-key lecture in Washington two weeks ago, marking the space agency's 50th anniversary, still a year away.

"I think when that happens, Americans will not like it. But they will just have to not like it."

Griffin's candor startled many in the space community, but insiders acknowledge the reality. China has pulled off two manned spaceflights with its own rockets and is eager to head for the moon.

NASA has a 2020 deadline for returning Americans to the moon. China would like to beat that.

It has a probe poised for a launch to the moon, supposedly before year's end. The lunar orbiter is to be followed by a lander and then, by 2017, a robotic mission to return moon rocks. Whether China could land one of its "taikonauts" there before American astronauts arrive is uncertain.

The U.S. is "more technically advanced. We certainly could be back on the moon faster than the Chinese, but we don't have the political will and therefore the resources to do it," said Joan Johnson-Freese, head of the Naval War College's national security decision-making department.

War over the moon!? Sorry for laughing but that is just a ludicrous. There is plenty of room up there for everybody. Sure in a few thousand years the moon could be just as packed with people as shanghai, but until that time I don't think we have to worry. Personally I hope the Chinese beat the US to the moon. It'll light a fire under their collective asses.

[edit on 5-10-2007 by sardion2000]

reply to post by sardion2000


I didnt say there should be or there will be a war over the moon, I was just throwing that out there as possibilities. Nobody really knows how our Govt sees the moon, except the Govt themselves.
The only reason that I even suggest that is due to the resources that are known to be on the moon (h3) not for land and tourism purposes.

I think this is brilliant news. The Americans haven't had any competition for a long time, and competition is always a good thing to get things moving.

[edit on 5uFriday07/27/20 by paul76]

Last time the United States went to the Moon, we just went FOR THE SAKE OF GOING. We wanted to beat the Russians there, so our only goal was to "get there". The U.S.'s new goal for the Moon is to get there, do something constructive, and stay there long term. The U.S. is planning Moon habitats and technologies that will allow us to take the next step to Mars.

China is going "just to get there". There's nothing wrong with that, but I'd say that puts China about 40 years behind the NASA. For NASA it would be a case of 'been there, done that'.

NASA's new goal takes a lot more time and planning. I'm convinced if The United States wanted to get back to the Moon in an Apollo-style mission, they could be there in less than 5 years. But an Apollo-style mission would be pointless for The United States right now -- we need to think BIGGER.

I'm also convinced that if NASA wanted to go to Mars "just to go there", they could have done it by now. But they don't want to make the same mistakes they made with Apollo...they want to get there and set up a semi-permanent or even permanent presence there.

reply to post by Soylent Green Is People



Well, China has more money to use on this project now, and is 40 years further than usa when they went there. I dont think China plans on just come and go. They will certainly put a base there, and even have some satelites orbiting.

Well the article did actually say that if the US had the will then it would not be a problem to get there in the next few years but the will is not there to just "get there" like you said, when we go back we are going back for bigger and better reasons.
Its funny on this board because you have to be so careful with how you word things because someone will always misinterpret what has been said.
I did not say there should be or will be a war over the moon.
What I was sort of hinting at though is does the US consider the moon like they would a new found piece of land on Earth.
The Russians planted a flag on the bottom of the sea in the Arctic to lay claim to that land.
So, following that "logic" do we consider the moon to be ours? This isnt an argument or even a debate, its more opinion because nobody on this board can possibly know what the US is thinking..Right?

reply to post by tep200377


tep200377 --

Maybe China may get there before we make it back, but in my opinion The U.S. will have a base there before China has a base there.

[edit on 10/5/2007 by Soylent Green Is People]

At first, the hackles of my muscular American back stood on end.

Then I thought, who cares, been there done that. So what, they will be the second nation to have have manned expeditions to the moon. Maybe they can use the same moon sets we used back in the 60's for our adventures.

The only thing that can come out of this is finally, FINALLY, showing the world that America did trash the moon with litter left behind from the Apollo missions. Maybe even drive the lunar rover around for a little spin.

Would they even dare to take down the American flags and replace them?

I think China is not doing enough preparatory research for future soft landings on the moon.
Their lunar orbiter Chang'e 1, due for launch this month does not have any such instruments; or atleast I couldn't find anything of the likes..

On the other hand, the Indian lunar Orbiter due for launch early next year has promising instruments for the same:
www.chandrayaan-i.com...

Where are the Chinese going to get this vital info for future lunar touchdowns??!

Are they not publicising the entire set of instruments on Chang'e 1?
Or are they buying all this off the Russians?!

Or are they buying all this off the Russians?!

I would guess this is probably the case, since Russia and China are all snuggly now.