Futurology

China and the US are trying two very different approaches to space exploration. The US has placed its bets on the private sector leading the way. That has to happen eventually with the space economy, but is it ready to take the lead this early? SpaceX talks big, but it has a formidable list of hurdles to achieve before being capable of regular crewed lunar landings.

Meanwhile, China is sticking with the familiar state-led approach, where the government shepherds and supports the private sector. They've been remarkably consistent with announcing future plans with dates and schedules, and methodically achieving them.

China's space ambitions rarely get examined in Western media, but they're very ambitious. It's their stated goal to be a pre-eminent space power. Not only that, they make no secret of the details of their plan; they spell it all out. Here's another piece of those plans falling into place. The first part of their deep space communications network, and the first part of the lunar base-Earth communication system.