The Tribune

By Ricardo Evangelista

www.activtrades.bs

As World War II came to an end and the rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union grew, the space race became one of the main stages where the two superpowers competed for an intangible that often plays a crucial role in capturing the hearts and minds of domestic citizens, as well as those of government officials around the world.

I’m referring to soft power, which can be defined as the ability to attract and co-opt, rather than coerce. Soft power aims to influence the preferences of others, through appeal and attraction.

As we enter the third decade of the 21st century, the Soviet Union is no longer around, with Russia emerging as the natural successor but having lost the status of global superpower, due to a crumbling economy and loss of diplomatic gravitas. In that sense, China is today a more serious challenger to America’s global hegemony, thanks to its economic growth, military might and scientific advancements, becoming increasingly rich, powerful and assertive in the defence of interests that often clash with those of the West.

It is, therefore, unsurprising that Beijing set eyes on attracting a growing number of nations to its sphere, using all means available, including, obviously, soft power. And, as already mentioned, there is no better way to gain soft power capital than through an ambitious space exploration programme.

Last April, China launched into orbit the first module of what will become its permanent space station, an achievement that was celebrated by President Xi Jimping by evoking ‘the spirit of two bombs and a satellite’ – a reference to the Chinese Communist Party’s three great achievements of the 1960s and 70s: building a nuclear bomb, placing it on an intercontinental missile and launching a space satellite; a feat that marked the birth of the nation’s space programme.

More than five decades later, being a power capable of utilising space for propaganda, scientific, economic and military purposes is central to Beijing’s strategy of becoming the leading global power. Last May, China placed a remote-controlled rover in Mars and unveiled ambitious plans to land astronauts on the moon sometime after 2030.

According to a report published by the office of the US director of national intelligence, China appears focused on matching and even exceeding the American position as the leader in space exploration, in order to reap the international prestige, as well as the military and economic benefits entailed by such achievement. The American sentiment of distrust is compounded by the fact Beijing’s recent breakthroughs in “counterspace” technology - a field of warfare focused on the development of weapons capable of eliminating rival countries’ satellites - are seen as serious military threat.

Despite the undesirable risks of a military escalation in space, there should also be hope. After decades of underfunding and neglect, following the amazing achievement of the moon landings, this new rivalry with China, alongside the ambitious plans of billionaires such as Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, will hopefully re-energise the American appetite for space exploration.