14 DAY TRIAL // Major Asian powers are currently engaged in a quiet space race of sorts, which is going by largely unnoticed by other countries. It's only now that analysts are beginning to put things into perspective.
The major actors in this race are China, India and Japan, all of which are currently ramping up their space programs. What is interesting about this is that not even officials from the three space agencies in question are willing to admit that such a race is taking place.
The main implication here is that this hush-hush space race could further destabilize the area by increasing tensions among the greatest powers in the region. In the future, this could lead to the militarization of space in the name of national security.
A risk of future, direct confrontations also exists, said analyst James Clay Moltz, as quoted by Space. The expert holds an appointment as an associate professor with the Naval Postgraduate School Department of National Security Affairs, in Monterey, California.
His full analysis/commentary on the whole situation was published on Wednesday, December 7, in the top scientific journal Nature. “I think it's very real,” he said during an interview, referring to what he calls an unspoken space race.
“I've spoken with officials in multiple countries, and it's very clear that, even if they're not willing to say so, they're watching what their neighbors are doing very carefully, and they're concerned about relative prestige,” the expert added.
The China National Space Administration (CNSA) has been leading the way in Asia over the past few years, with its ambitious space program going on unchallenged by any of its neighbors. However, Japan, India and even South Korea are beginning to make their space presence felt more and more.
Above all else, China is only the third country in the world to manage a manned spaceflight. Back in 2003, one of its astronauts spent 21.5 hours in orbit. Moltz said that this could have very well been the starting point for the space race.
“If we pick 2003 as the beginning of a turning point, the Shenzhou 5 flight really put the other countries on notice. When you look at what's happening throughout Asia, you see a general growth in interest and activity, and an increased sense of urgency,” he explained.
The race is likely to intensify over the coming years, so each nation's ambitions will become increasingly obvious. This will make analyzing them a lot easier, so stay tuned for more on this.