China and India vie for supremacy in the region’s space exploration programmes – from the Moon to Mars
In analysing the space policies of lead Asian players like China and India, it becomes clear that both nations are increasingly focusing their efforts on a “space race” – or, more accurately, something of a “gold rush” in space. While these countries certainly have a long list of objectives they want to accomplish in space, there is no clear finish line, neither is there a definitive time frame.
Their approach contrasts starkly with the Cold War rivalry between the United States and the former Soviet Union, where getting there first mattered most. As a result, when the USSR’s Sputnik 1 burst into the skies in 1957, there was a lot of handwringing at NASA. Yuri Gagarin’s tryst with space destiny was a heartbreaker for the US space programme, which subsequently spurred the race to the Moon and the Apollo programme.
In comparison, the race for space among the Asian exploration programmes is not about simply beating the competition to the finish line. The long-term goals set by these nations are not focused on who plants their flag first. They are more focused on space activity – accomplished on as lean a budget as possible. India took great pride in successfully launching their Mars orbiter, Mangalyaan, in 2013 with a meagre overhead cost of USD70 million, compared to the USD671 million spent by the US on launching their Mars orbiter, Maven.
The low cost of India’s Mars orbiter could potentially draw in lucrative customers to its space programme, particularly noteworthy in a newly competitive environment that has seen the entry of private commercial actors like Space X, Moon Express and Blue Origin. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced a second Mars mission by 2020–21, and a first probe to Venus.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة AG 03/2017 - 125 من ASIAN Geographic.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة AG 03/2017 - 125 من ASIAN Geographic.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
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Green Dreams
With its tea plantations and rice paddies, dense jungles and expansive forests, the region is well known as a green paradise. But many of the most impressive Asian landscapes have names you may never have heard of. Journey with us as we reveal just some of the incredible locations that make the rest of the world green with envy!
Life On The Edge
In the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, in the remote northern Russian Far East, indigenous ethnic groups like the Chukchi and the Yupik live in the most extreme conditions, hunting seals in their traditional kayaks as they have for millennia
The Karakoram Anomaly Decoded
For decades, scientists have believed that glaciers in the Karakoram Range are defying the trend of those across the globe-resisting glacial melt due to human-induced global warming. But as we trek up the Karakoram's second-longest glacier in July, as the United Nations announces the world's hottest ever month on record, does the melting ice beneath our feet suggest the so-called Karakoram Anomaly is slowing? Or is there a ray of hope it will continue to delay the inevitable?
Green Water Revolution
Southeast Asia's Quest to Sustainable Wastewater Management in an Era of Climate Sensitivity
Green Philippines
The Philippine Archipelago may be synonymous with perfect beach holidays, but the Southeast Asian nation is also a great choice for your next ecotourism adventure
Why so Green?
From the Green Dome of the Prophet's Mosque in Medina to the fluorescent greens of flags and political campaigns, Islam has established itself as the world's \"green\" religion
Pilgrimage To Japan
The Land of the Rising Sun is as eclectic as it is fascinating, an exotic blend of ancient and modern. But two destinations in particular offer visitors an authentic taste of this unique nation: Wakayama, its spiritual centre, and Kyoto, its cultural heartland.
The Silk Road Through Uzbekistan
High-speed trains may ply some of this route today, but the historical, religious and cultural significance of the great cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva remains intact
10 Awe-Inspiring Reasons To Visit Sri Lanka
From eye-popping temples and tea estates to jaw-dropping national parks and natural wonders, the "teardrop island" has it all
Nepal: In The Shadow Of Giants
Sandwiched between China to the north and India to the south, Nepal receives influences from Asia's two major powers, but this unique land bordered by the greatest mountain range on Earth promises experiences offered nowhere else
