China to Double Size of Its Space Station, Compete With NASA’s ISS

The Epoch Times Header

The Chinese Communist Party has claimed it will become a โ€œmajor space powerโ€ by 2030.

Communist China is planning to double the size of its space station over the next several years. The plan is part of a larger effort to lure international space missions away from U.S.-led missions when NASA closes its International Space Station (ISS).

China plans to expand its station, the Celestial Palace, to six modules from three. The lifespan of the facility will also be increased to more than 15 years from 10 years.

The Celestial Palace reached full operational status late last year and currently hosts three astronauts. Even after the expansion, however, the Celestial Palace will be about half as large as the ISS and won’t host as many astronauts simultaneously.

The ISS has been in orbit since 1998 and is expected to be decommissioned sometime around 2030. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which rules China as a single-party state, has claimed that it’ll become a โ€œmajor space powerโ€ at about that time.

The China Academy of Space Technology, a unit within the CCP primary space contractor, announced the plan at an astronautical forum in Azerbaijan on Oct. 4.

The announcement follows several claims by Chinese state-owned media last year that โ€œseveral countriesโ€ had already reached out to the CCP in the hopes of being included in future missions to the station.

Despite this, the European Space Agency stated earlier in the year that it didn’t have the budgetary or political approval to green-light the involvement of European astronauts in missions to Chinaโ€™s station.

Similarly, the United States has banned any official collaboration between NASA and Chinaโ€™s space program.

Space Competitionย Raises Security Concerns

Space is becoming an increasingly important part of the ongoing competition between the United States and the CCP. That’s particularly true when it comes to gray-zone conflict, in which the two nations engage in hostilities stopping somewhere short of kinetic warfare.

To that end, retired Gen. David Thompson, then the U.S. Space Forceโ€™s vice chief of space operations,ย saidย in 2021 that the CCP was attacking U.S. space infrastructure โ€œevery single day.โ€

Byย Andrew Thornebrooke

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Columns

Viewers like you

There is no constitutional authority for any spending on public broadcasting โ€“ period. Any questions: See Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution.

Trans-wormal

No worm ever said "I am anthropomorphizing, I am a butterfly" to a toad or flock of geese and expected acknowledgement and support.

In Greenlandโ€™s Icy Capital, Past Troubles Haunt Hopes for the Future

As geopolitical realities and ongoing economic growth raise the stakes, U.S. interest in Greenland and the dream of independence may change things in a big way.

How a Chinese Government Statistician Was Forced to Report Fake Data

Chinese local govt employee produced a non-authorized report on bees and was visited by police and threatened with being sent to a mental hospital.

โ€˜This One Time, at Groomer Campโ€™

All Camp Brave Trails programs focus on helping LGBTQ+ youth find what they need most to thrive: their people, their place, and their passion.

News

Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Allow Dismantling of Education Department

Trump admin asked Supreme Court to allow it to resume dismantling U.S. Dept of Education, following a lower courtโ€™s previous order halting process.

FTC Warns of Rising Student Loan Scams, Says Fraudsters Took Millions From Borrowers

FTC is warning borrowers to steer clear of student loan debt-relief scams, after shutting down group of companies that allegedly charged millions in illegal fees and left customers worse off.

Walmartโ€™s Drone Delivery Coming to 5 More US Cities

Walmart is set to launch its drone delivery service in five more U.S. cities: Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa, the company.

Court Orders Trump Administration to Restore AmeriCorps Funding to States

Federal court ordered Trump admin to restore AmeriCorps funding to states. The ruling comes as part of a lawsuit filed by 24 states and DC.

Tax Deductions You Can Take Without Itemizing

Itโ€™s not always beneficial to itemize. With IRSโ€™s current standard deduction for 2025 most Americans who canโ€™t itemize go with standard deduction.

US Economy Adds 139,000 New Jobs in May, Topping Market Forecasts

U.S. economy added 139,000 new jobs last month, surpassing economistsโ€™ expectations and indicating U.S. labor market remains in a robust position.

Guatemalan Deportee Arrives in US After Judge Orders Trump Admin to Facilitate Return

โ€œAmericaโ€™s asylum system was never intended to be used as a de facto amnesty program or a catch-all, get-out-of-deportation-free card,โ€ McLaughlin said.

Trump-Musk Feud Escalates Over Spending Bill: 5 Things to Know

A public feud between Musk and Trump took a turn for the worse. Musk claimed president wouldnโ€™t have won without him and president suggested Muskโ€™s subsidies could be pulled.
spot_img

Related Articles