China No Longer Interested In Building Space Stations?

Previously China announced their intentions to start building a space station in 2008.

Now it seems as if the Asian space power is not only backing away from the idea, but dropping it altogether.

(USA Today) “According to China’s mid- and long-term guidelines for science and technology and space industry development, we are going to continue the exploration of the moon, as well as a man-space flight in the future,” Li Guoping, spokesman of the China National Space Administration, said at a news conference.

“So far, according to the plans already published, there are no plans for a space station,” he said.

China probably backed down from the idea, realizing that the price tag of constructing these orbital homes would be in the billions (dollar wise).

According to the article, China instead is pursuing the opportunity of joining the International Space Station, although they are getting stiff resistance from the US.

While joining the International Space Station (or ISS) may be more prestigeous than creating one’s own, the ISS may become extinct in the future if Bigelow is able to launch its first human habitable space station.

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