Feb.12, 2023 (EIRNS)—In 2015 the European Space Agency (ESA) signed an agreement with the China Manned Space Agency. A core group of ESA astronauts took up learning Chinese and in August 2017, two ESA astronauts joined 16 Chinese taikonauts for nine days of sea-survival training. In an article today, Global Times talked to an array of people and it’s not surprising that most said that the decision to cancel any European astronaut participation in China’s space station was taken under pressure from the U.S.
Unlike other actions taken by the U.S. that can easily be fixed—even blowing up a gas pipeline—trust and working relationships among the astronauts took years to develop. When the International Space Station reaches the end of its life, China’s Space Station will most likely be the only one in Earth orbit. Dozens of developing countries have already gotten on board.
ESA should consider the words of former NASA Administrator Charles Bolden regarding keeping China out of the ISS: If the U.S. doesn’t change its policy, it will “find itself on the outside looking in.”
