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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
China and Russia are rapidly deploying space technologies, and the United States' technological advantage is beginning to weaken, which could have alarming consequences for the country's national security, The Washington Post writes.
The newspaper recalls two recent events that underscore what is at stake:
1. First, a Chinese aerospace company succeeded for the first time in landing a rocket booster — an engineering feat previously achieved only by two American companies: SpaceX and Blue Origin. This enables rocket reuse, which sharply reduces the cost of space launches.
2. Russia is rapidly deploying low-orbit "Rassvet" satellites capable of delivering internet services to Earth. This system will help Russian forces restore communications and targeting capabilities on Ukrainian territory. This year Moscow has already launched two satellite packages — earlier than expected.
But, as the WP notes, competition is part of America's comparative advantage:
"The foundation of the American space industry has always been the promise that big investments can yield enormous returns. SpaceX's record initial public offering vividly demonstrated that. It's something the authoritarian technocrats in Beijing and Moscow will never be able to replicate."
