Is China Predicting A Military Space Race?

Despite their best intentions, it almost seems as if the Asian space power has come to realize that militarizing space may come sooner than we all thought.

(The Seattle Times) Yao Yunzhu, a senior colonel in the People's Liberation Army, brought up China's recent successful test of an anti-satellite weapon during a World Economic Forum dinner Thursday focusing on North Korea.

"My wish is we really want to keep space as a peaceful place for human beings," she said, adding that China would like all countries to agree that space should be used only for peaceful purposes.

"But personally, I'm pessimistic about it," said Yao, 52, who directs the Asia-Pacific Office at the Academy of Military Science in Beijing. "My prediction: Outer space is going to be weaponized in our lifetime."

With House Republicans already calling for a greater military presence in the heavens above us in response to China's ASAT test, Yao's prophecy of nations arming the heavens may come to pass after all.

Although many people will point out that placing weapons in space will encourage the destruction of our species, the opposite may actually hold true. If it were not for the cold war, America would have never launched men to the moon, let alone satellites to enhance global communication.

A new cold war, however unpleasant, may spur our species to increase our investment within our space programs, encouraging us to actually leave our Earthen cradle and explore the solar playground around us.



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