CNBC: China’s Secret Plan to Crush the U.S. Space Program

In a feature on Tuesday, CNBC explained how the Chinese government plans to overtake the US space program, as well as private companies such as SpaceX.

“China’s breakneck economic expansion may be flagging, but the country’s ambitions in space show no signs of slowing down,” wrote CNBC. “Alongside ongoing efforts to rival NASA by placing robotic landers, and eventually astronauts, on the moon and Mars, China’s government is increasingly looking to its burgeoning space sector to rival U.S. companies like Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which is targeting March 30 for the latest launch of its Falcon 9 rocket.”

“The majority of China’s space ambitions remain focused on boosting Chinese prestige at home and abroad. But a push within Xi’s government to triple spending on space science as well as the emergence of a small but growing group of privately backed space start-ups suggest that both Chinese industry and government see long-term economic benefits in their investments in space technologies,” they continued. “That increasing flow of capital toward both China’s state-run and private space-related tech companies could place increased pressure on NASA, and eventually on commercial space companies in the United States and Europe.”

CNBC went on to claim that the climate could change with President Trump’s shift of NASA priorities.

“Budget disparities aside, many U.S.-based analysts have expressed concern that NASA is reining in its ambitions as China expands its footprint in orbit and beyond,” CNBC concluded. “But that could change if President Trump decides to reenergize NASA and shift its priorities. Already he has expressed interest in trying to create a ‘Kennedy moment’ again.”

You can read the full article at CNBC.