| The New Space Race: U.S. vs. China By Newt Gingrich It’s an exciting time for space exploration. On May 30, SpaceX and NASA launched a manned mission to space, sending astronauts into orbit. It was the first time anyone had flown to space from US soil since the Space Shuttle program was retired in 2011. The launch was also historic because never before had a privately designed and built spacecraft carried astronauts to space. The mission illustrates that the future of space travel will be driven by American innovation and entrepreneurship.The Chinese are also heavily investing in space, however — with support and funding from the ruling Communist Party. We are beginning the next great space race. It’s the United States versus China, in competition to be first to create systems for commercial space travel, to establish outposts on the moon, and ultimately to colonize other planets.Never has the time been more important to discuss the future of space exploration and the importance of space as an infrastructure investment. Which is why I explore the US-China space race and humanity’s future in space more broadly on this week’s episode of my podcast “Newt’s World.” My guest is Charles Miller, president and owner of NexGen Space LLC. Few people have deeper knowledge and a more impressive resume in terms of preparing for the future of space travel.Space holds effectively unlimited resources and can provide boundless opportunities for humanity. But if China’s communist dictatorship outpaces the US in space, hope will quickly turn into despair. Now is the time to have a practical, comprehensive national conversation on space — both the amazing opportunities and the serious threats if we wait. |
