China and the third world in space 5 March 2019

1. China and the third world in space5 March 2019 China successfully launched a Long March rocket October 8, 2011, with a military reconnaissance satellite and a university-built technology demonstration spacecraft.

2. China • China is moving to challenge the United States for dominance in space, cyber, artificial intelligence and other key technologies that have wide national security applications. First Chinese space station re-enters

3. When was Chinese space program started? • Chinese may have used rockets as early as 1232 during a war with the Mongols. • The country didn’t send an astronaut into space until 2003. • But now it’s catching up: in 2017 China launched more rockets than Russia.

4. China was late to the space race -- it didn't send its first satellite into orbit until 1970 -- but its program has seriously matured in the past few years, hitting milestones including  a manned spaceflight and a far-side rover.

5. Future plans: CNSA (China National Space Administration) will • In 2015 Chang’e 4 – land a rover to the far side of the moon, a first for humankind. • In 2017 launch its first-ever cargo spacecraft, headed for the space laboratory Tiangong-2 launched in 2016. • In 2018 launch Chang’e 5 – Moon rover and sample return. • In 2020 land a rover on Mars.

6. Future plans: CNSA (China National Space Administration) will • In 2015 now in 2019 Chang’e 4 – land a rover to the far side of the moon, a first for humankind. • In 2017 launch its first-ever cargo spacecraft, headed for the space laboratory Tiangong-2 launched in 2016. rocket launch failed. • In 2018 now 2019? launch Chang’e 5 – Moon rover and sample return. • In 2020 now ??? land a rover on Mars.

7. Current state • The majority of China's space ambitions remain focused on boosting Chinese prestige at home and abroad. • The push within Xi Jinping's government to triple spending on space science suggests that Chinese government sees long-term economic benefits in their investments in space technologies.

8. From Science News today • "Over the past 60 years, we've made a lot of achievements," Wu said, "but there is still a large distance from the world space powers. We must speed up our pace." • "At the end of this year, we are going to launch the Chang'e 5 probe," Wu said in the CCTV interview. "It will take samples on the moon surface and return to the Earth. China will become the third country that is capable of such a task after the United States and Russia. Next year, we will launch a Mars probe, which will orbit around Mars, land on it and probe it.

9. Yutu 2 and the Chang'e 4 lander launched together on Dec. 8, 2018, and on Jan. 2 made the first ever landing on the Lunar far side. The mission touched down on the floor of Von Karman Crater, inside the huge South Pole-Aitken Basin. • The lunar rover had a nap in January, started its second sleep on Feb. 11, and reawakened on Feb. 28. "Currently, it is in normal condition," said Wu. • Each lunar night is 14 Earth days long. During these dark stretches, temperatures on the moon's surface can drop to minus 310 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 190 degrees Celsius), "a temperature that all components, parts and electronic components cannot stand," Wu explained. "So, we let it sleep for a while, ensuring it to spend the night safely."

10. Third world in space

11. What is ”Third World”? • The term Third World is from the times of the Cold War to distinguish those nations that are neither aligned with the West (NATO) nor with the East, the Communist bloc. • The First World: • USA, • Western Europe, • their allies (Japan, Australia, Canada, South Africa...) • The Second World / Communist Bloc • the Soviet Union, • China, • Mongolia, Cuba, and friends. • The remaining nations, which aligned with neither group, were assigned to the Third World. This is an outdated division and hardly makes sense in 2017. However…

12. Perception test: Countries with and without established space programs: WITH • USA • Russia • EU • China • Japan • India WITHOUT • African countries • Egypt, Congo, Ghana, … • Middle East countries • Israel, Arab Emirates, … • Central and South America • Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, … • Most of Asia and Oceania • South Korea, Pakistan, Taiwan, Singapore, … List is not inclusive • What about • Australia? • Canada? • Post-soviet states?

13. What are Space benefits? • Military use: • Spy satellites • Weapon delivery • Military reconnaissance • Commercial use: • Communication satellites • Remote sensing satellites (for example, disaster relief) • Weather satellites • Navigation satellites • Material processing in space, space mining • Tourism • ? • Research and education: • Technological development • Planetary reconnaissance • ?

14. Why space for a developing nation? • 80 percent of humanity lives on $10 or less a day • With a billion people still in poverty, why would any of poor countries invest in rocket science? From speech of Jose Raimundo Braga Coelho, president of the Brazilian Space Agency: “We cannot guarantee Brazil’s sovereignty as long as our defense communications are being carried by other countries. Brazil is a gigantic country and we need Brazilian satellites watching over it.”

15. Millennium Development Goals adopted by the UN in September 2002 Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women Goal 4: Reduce child mortality Goal 5: Improve maternal health Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development “Consideration of the list of goals and targets in Table 1 suggests that space technology should play a key role in achieving the MDGs.” P. Martinez, “The African Leadership Conference on Space Science and Technology for Sustainable Development”, 2012, Space Policy 28, pp.33-37

16. Space benefits for developing countries: • Military. • Stimulating economical growth: • Job creation • Technology advancement • Mapping of vital resources (water, thermal energy, civil engineering...) • Weather prediction and disaster relief, climate monitoring • Socio-political benefits: • International cooperation • Redistribution of resources • “Earth as one nation”

17. List of rocket launch sites (selected countries) Africa Oceania

18. List of rocket launch sites (selected countries) South America Asia and Middle East

19. Ukraine • After USSR collapsed, Ukraine inherited Yuzhmash - aerospace manufacturer. • It produced spacecraft, launch vehicles (Zenit, Tsyklon), liquid-propellant rockets, landing gears. • Participated in the Sea Launch consortium to launch Zenit-3SL from a floating launch platform in the Pacific Ocean. • Because of war with Russia (its main partner), currently financially struggles.

20. Democratic Republic of the Congo TROPOSPHÈRE V carrying a rat named Kavira on board, was designed to reach an altitude of 36 km and a speed of Mach 3. The rocket was launched on March 29, 2009. Launch ended in failure - the rocket took off but had deviated from its course and was lost in the distance.

21. The cubesat, built by a Ghanaian engineering team at All Nations University, was delivered to NASA’s International Space Station in June 2017 on a SpaceX rocket Ghana Ghana

22. Other African nations: • Nigeria Program Founded: 1998 Budget: $93 million (initial funding) Nigeria actually has its own space agency. The organization sent up its first satellite, a weather unit, back in 2003. In May 2007, China assisted in the launch of NigComSat-1, which helps provide Internet access to rural areas of the country. • Algeria Program Founded: 2002 Budget: Unknown France helped establish a constellation of desert launch sites more than 60 years ago. In 2002, the newly formed AgenceSpatialeAlgerienne blasted up Alsat-1, a 200-pound cube that has beamed back more than 1,000 photos as well as intel for disaster relief.

23. India • The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) founded in 1968 • First Indian-developed satellite was launched by USSR in 1975 • By 1980 ISRO developed first Indian-made launch vehicle • ISRO subsequently developed two other rockets: the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) for launching satellites into polar orbits and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) for placing satellites into geostationary orbits. • one lunar orbiter, Chandrayaan-1, on 22 October 2008 • one Mars orbiter, Mars Orbiter Mission, which successfully entered Mars orbit on 24 September 2014, making India the first nation to succeed on its first attempt, and ISRO the fourth space agency in the world as well as the first space agency in Asia to successfully reach Mars orbit. • Venus Orbiter 2023

24. India’s Venus Mission • The three broad research areas of interest for this mission include surface/subsurface features and re-surfacing processes; second: study the atmospheric chemistry, dynamics and compositional variations, and third, study the atmospheric interaction with solar radiation and solar wind.

25. ISRO Science Payload • The science payload would have a mass of 100 kg (220 lb) and would consist of instruments from India and other countries. • Indian instruments • The pre-selected proposals from India are listed below. Some of these would be selected to fly: • S bandSynthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) • Advanced Radar for Topside Ionosphere and subsurface sounding • Ultra Violet (UV) Imaging Spectroscopy Telescope • Thermal Camera • Cloud Monitoring Camera • Venus Atmospheric SpectroPolarimeter • Airglow Photometer • Radio Occultation Experiment • Ionospheric Electron Temperature Analyser • Retarding Potential Analyser • Mass Spectrometer • Plasma Wave Detector (Langmuir Probe, Electric Field Sensor and Magnetometer)

26. Brazil • The Brazilian Space Agency is the heir to Brazilian space program. Previously, the program had been under the control of the Brazilian military; the program was transferred into civilian control on 10 February 1994. • The Brazilian Space Agency has pursued a policy of joint technological development with more advanced space programs. Initially it relied heavily on the United States, but after meeting difficulties from them on technological transfers, Brazil has branched out, working with other nations, including China, India, Russia and Ukraine.

27. Israel • First rocket launch in 1961, first satellite in 1988. • Primary activity in space stems from security needs. • Developed highly advanced space industry and indigenous infrastructure of space technology in niche areas of reconnaissance, remote sensing, Earth observations, communications. • Aims of space program: • Place Israel in a competative position in space; • Study space utilization to secure life on Earth; • Strong cooperation with the NASA, ESA, CNES, etc.

28. Iran Program Founded: 2003 In October 2005, Iran launched its first satellite, Sina-1, aboard a Russian rocket. In 2008, the country fired its own rocket, Kavoshgar-1, designed to scout future orbital paths. In 2009 Iran became the 9th country to put a domestically-built satellite into orbit using its own launcher. It’s also the sixth to send animals in space.

29. United Arab Emirates • Prior to 2009 UAE had already launched satellites and established an Earth Observation Space Center in Abu Dhabi • UAE space agency - established in 2014 by presidential decree. • Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) or Mars Hope probe - the spacecraft is set to arrive at Mars in 2021 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the founding of the UAE. From “Introduction to UAE’s National Space Policy”: “The establishment of the UAE Space Agency and the Mars Hope probe project symbolize the ambitious UAE Vision 2021, which will see the establishment of a more diverse and sustainable economy that is based on knowledge and innovation”

30. Newest space agencies • The South African National Space Agency (SANSA) was established in 2010. • In 1967, Australia became the third nation to design and launch a satellite to orbit the earth. But Australia still has no space agency, this year it declared it will establish one.

31. Thought, Discussion: • What is the most efficient way for a developing nation to start a space program? • Does space promote or reduce inequality inside the country? Between the countries? • Does international collaboration create opportunities or overload of bureaucracy? • Are we ready to share the space?

32. One opinion • If citizens for third world countries want to start a space research program (if they have the funds) or go abroad where it is easier to do then they should be allowed to pursue their interests. • But the governments of third world countries shouldn't. Third world countries have too many other problems such as lack of infrastructure, high unemployment, poor economy, low literacy rate, starvation, infant mortality, and often a breakdown of law and order in many places and lots of other problems beyond this. • Many poor countries would do better to try and fix these problems first so they have a well connected country with a good economy with a healthy and highly educated population and then they should try focusing on space research.

33. Space expedition is one of the major program of developed countries, thinking that there is a life outside the Earth while developing countries are giving more importance to the fundamental needs of their community. Thus, there are numerous factors that these countries are considering, particularly on decision making. • National Aeronautics Space Administration, is a government-funded agency in the United States, which ventures in space exploration. NASA is funded with a huge amount of money just to explore the galaxy for scientific purposes. Hence, this is not practical considering that there is an array of unfortunate people who are suffering. Developed countries like Russia, China, and the US, have been throwing their money away to educated their scientist, while the commoners are left open-handed. Consequently, astronauts and their colleagues are the only beneficiary of this expensive program. In addition, the government is compensating high salary to these researchers, where in fact they could have just used it to contribute to some essential government programs which could help those who needs it the most.

34. Developing countries, on the other hand, are putting more effort and priority to their nation and populace. Their limited budget is used to support those impoverish families. Subsequently, spending the government money to a particular space program will not improve their society and livelihood. A quintessence of this are the countries of India and South Sudan, where they are struggling to find ways to put foods on their table incessantly. Hence, the focus of these developing countries is on their urgent physiological needs, rather than endeavoring to a program which will not provide a quick solution. Furthermore, those space shuttles are detrimental to the environment due to its massive pollution that it leaves to the atmosphere, not to mention, the life of the astronauts is also in constant peril because of the circumstances of a possible engine or machine failure during take-off.

35. Overall, on one point, space travel may help and contribute an array of knowledge to a few scientists in the developed nation. However this will not help those impoverish countries who needs a crucial support. Subsequently, it is best that essential needs should be the highest priority of every nation, and thereby space travel is nevertheless absurd.