China has become a great competitor to the United States in space. Over the last several years, the country has executed a number of milestones including launching its own low earth orbit space station called Tiangong, landing a rover on the surface of Mars, returning the first ever samples from the far side of the moon and completing its own global satellite navigation system called BeiDou, which directly competes with the U.S. GPS constellation. One reason China has been able to hit these milestones is an injection of investment into its commercial space sector. Total investment jumped from $340 million in 2015 to $3.81 billion in 2025. China now has more than a dozen private rocket manufacturers, some of whom are working on reusable rockets like those made by SpaceX.
Along with its partner, Russia, China is also building a lunar research station. The International Lunar Research Station now includes 13 member states. The initiative stands in opposition to the U.S.-lead Artemis Accords, which lay out a set of principals to guide civil space exploration and includes 56 member states. Still, experts say that there are a number of things the US can do to maintain its leadership in space. These include investing in spacesports, streamlining commercial launch licensing and allocating sufficient spectrum for satellite operations.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:30 Chapter 1: Jump in space investment
3:04 Chapter 2: Hitting milestones
6:45 Chapter 3: Space is power
Produced and Edited by: Magdalena Petrova
Additional Editing: Darren Geeter
Animation: Emily Park, Christina Locopo, Alisa Stern
Senior Managing Producer: Shawn Baldwin
Additional Footage: Getty Images
Additional Sources: NASA, China National Space Administration
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China Is Creeping On U.S. Space Dominance. Can The U.S. Stay Ahead?
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