China’s Space Program
Last year, China launched a manned spacecraft and successfully returned. Despite the fact that Apollo 11 astronauts left footprints on the moon over 34 years ago, many Chinese people were very proud of the country for the event. They thought it was a sign that China has caught up with other countries, in terms of power, wealth, and technology.
Space exploration is a logical step in the development of humanity, and it might be essential to our future survival. It is a good thing for any country to have the technology and resources to send people into space. However I have some serious doubt in China’s space program.
A few days ago, China announced its plan for another manned space flight, which will send two astronauts into space and will orbit the Earth for five days. China’s space program spends approximately US$2 billion (US$2,000,000,000) each year.
Is it really necessary for China to spend the huge amount of money into the space program? And is it the right time to do it? Poverty is still a huge problem in China, and many children don’t have the chance to go to school. Shouldn’t the money be spent on improving education and helping the poor first?
The money could also be spent on developing better infrastructures such as transportation, power and water supply. There are places in China with frequent power outage, and there are places without tap water. There are heavy pollution problems in major cities as well.
The researches from the space program could be beneficial, however there are many other types of researches with more direct impacts. How about research for agricultural advances, to feed more hungry people? How about research for prevention and care for SARS? We might be able to find the answers in space, but with the same amount of money and effort, I believe we can make better progress researching on Earth now.
With recent advances in computers and robotics, we don’t have to send people into space. We can remotely control robots to do the dirty and risky tasks. Except for specific research of biological effect on the human body, there is no benefit of putting a real person into the spacecraft. It is much cheaper and more effective to have unmanned space mission, I suspect manned missions are just for the sake of national pride.
The world can be a better place if we leave nationalism behind, and think collectively in terms on the whole mankind.
Related links:
China’s next manned space flight
Moon landing in 1969
China’s space program budget