cybercuzco's Journal: What the chinese know that we dont

Recent news reports and press releases from the Peoples Republic of China indicate that it will soon be the third nation to independently put a human being in space. Further reports state that china has every intention of putting a second human on the moon. Why all this sudden interest in space exploration by the Chinese? Most attribute it to a desire for increased national and international prestige, and as a distraction for the general population from pressing domestic issues.
        However, one need only look into Chinas past to realize that they were once in the same position they are in now. In the early 1400s, 90 years before Christopher Columbus, the Chinese were the most technologically advanced culture on the earth. Their seafaring abilities were unsurpassed. During these early days of the Ming dynasty, a Chinese admiral named Cheng Ho set out on a series of 7 voyages of exploration. In flotillas of 50-60 ships this admiral, accompanied by 25-30,000 soldiers, sailors, cooks, doctors, shipwrights and ambassadors reached as far west as the coast of Africa. The flagship of the fleet was longer than the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria stretched end to end. These voyages brought great riches and prestige to the emperor of China, as well as to Cheng Ho. But, after Cheng Ho's death in 1433, Mongol invasions in the north and Japanese pirates in the east led the emperor to decree that the voyages were too expensive. He ordered the shipwrights home, the ships burned and the logs of the voyages destroyed.
        A century later, the Europeans began several centuries of dominating the Chinese. It could have easily been the other way around. At the time of the Chinese voyages, Europeans were utterly unprepared for the technologies that the Chinese brought with them. Europe, militarily weak after the end of the crusades, was a willing market for Chinese goods, and at the same time a source of needed raw materials, making them wide open for colonization. The Emperor missed his opportunity, to the Europeans benefit nearly a century later.
        Today the last Saturn V sits on its side at Kennedy space center. Moon rocks are in museums, but not under the boots of astronauts. The plans for the Apollo moon rockets are becoming rapidly unreadable. For at least another year the United States lacks the ability to send astronauts into space. The United States does not explore other planets with humans anymore, it is âoetoo expensiveâ and âoedefenseâ needs more money and attention. We see no benefit of putting people on other planets. The Chinese see the benefit, because they have been there before, and they will not be caught flat footed a second time.