There was of course the original space race between the US and the Soviet Union, about which there’s not much I can say that hasn’t already been s

China's Impact on US Commercial Space

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2021-10-20 22:00:08

There was of course the original space race between the US and the Soviet Union, about which there’s not much I can say that hasn’t already been said.

Now though, many in the space industry agree that we are in the early stages of another competition, once again involving the United States but this time facing a novel challenger; the Peoples Republic of China.

Historically, China’s space program began in the late 1950s after the launch of the Soviet Union’s first Sputnik satellite. While the program has been active for several decades, with its first orbital launch in 1970, there has been a significant increase in investment since the turn of the century.

China’s commitment to its space program comes as the country more broadly establishes itself as a technical superpower. According to a report by the Congressional Research Service, China accounted for nearly 5% of global R&D investment in 2000 and by 2018 increased that share to 26.3%1.

In this post, I’ll talk about the below topics, touching upon China’s plans for its space program and how that ultimately has an impact on the US’s commercial space industry.

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