China has been dreaming of someday becoming a powerhouse in space exploration. Now, the country is inching closer to its dream after it finished the construction of the Tiangong space station last Oct. 31.

With this impressive feat, China has established itself to be a worthy competitor that could go toe-to-toe with the likes of Russia and the United States.

China as a Space Program Powerhouse

(Photo : CNS/AFP via Getty Images)
A Long March 5B rocket, carrying China's Mengtian science module, the final module of Tiangong space station, lifts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Centre in southern China's Hainan Province on October 31, 2022. - China OUT

With the completion of the Mengtian module, China has proven that its space program could go a long way with proper guidance. The said space station can reportedly accommodate up to six persons at once.

According to Wired's story, the recent success of China has contributed a lot to its space program. It previously shared its plans to explore the moon and build an empire on it.

Additionally, it aspires to chase the US dream of going to the red planet, aside from creating a lunar rover for a mission similar to Artemis I.

"This is important for the Chinese space program. The International Space Station won't run for much longer. You may well end up with only one orbiting space station-the Chinese one," Fabio Tronchetti, an expert on space law at the University of Mississippi, said. He also teaches the same course in Beijing at Beihang University.

Wired reports that China expects its space program to last up to 15 years. There's a chance that it will be extended if all goes according to its plans.

With the ISS that's expected to end in 2030, China has hopes to construct its space station. This very instance can open more opportunities for other countries to explore the program outside the US and Europe.

The history of spaceflight is already written in books. The US and Russia serve as the protagonists of every story, while China is always left behind.

However, the experts saw a decline in the space program in these countries. The US and Russia used to roll out some improvements in the past but now, China is doing it more efficiently than them.

China is an Early Bird in Space Programs

Although China is quite new to the space industry, it does not mean that it would follow the way of a novice. It has been preparing for the space station to settle in 2011, and it's now reaping what it sowed after more than a decade.

China's Tiangong space station is smaller than the ISS, yet it's productive and habitable for the astronauts. China intends to place a robotic telescope on it in the next few years because it has already reached its ideal size. 

According to Osburg, it won't grow bigger anymore because of the T-shaped module. If its size is improved, there's also a need to adjust its power usage.

Related Article: A 23-ton Chinese Space Junk Will Crash Back to Earth on Friday - Where Will it Land?

China-US Space War

The competition between China and the US continues to propagate. The United States, being one of the pioneers of space exploration, is now concerned about China's next move when it comes to space militarization.

According to Time, the collaboration between the two nations won't happen anytime since the US passed a law in 2011 which prevents China from participating in joint space explorations. 

Last year, Tech Times reported that China is already 20 years ahead of the US when it comes to the space race. This baffled the experts at first, given how limited resources China has. Lately, they realized the huge strides China is creating each year to set its own pace when it comes to outer space flights.

Read Also: Rocket Lab Gears Up For a Second Attempt to Catch a Rocket Booster Mid-Air Via Helicopter

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Joseph Henry