Even though he has recently made headlines because of what space has done to his body, astronaut Scott Kelly is still passionate about space. In a recent interview, the astronaut expressed dismay at the fact that the U.S. may be falling behind China in the current space race.
He is still hopeful that the U.S. will stay ahead and not let China take the top spot.
Scott Kelly Shows Concern
Scott Kelly recently spoke to Business Insider where he revealed concern about the U.S. falling behind China in terms of space programs. Kelly says that if allowed, China will surpass the U.S. in the space business. He leaves room to show that the U.S. hasn't fallen completely behind yet.
Kelly wants the U.S to stay as a leader in space. He adds that it's important to stay ahead of other countries and innovate. He did add that working with other countries is key for space travel. Kelly lauds the International Space Station as a sign that countries could work together to do something great.
NASA is in danger of falling behind at the moment. Even though President Donald Trump wants the U.S. to become the first country to reach Mars and start a new branch of the military to be able to fight in space, his administration asked Congress to cut its budget for the International Space Station.
NASA was also forced to close its space shuttle program in 2011 after 30 years due to budget cuts. It is currently relying on Russian space shuttles to get to the International Space Station. To get back to the moon, NASA is working on the Space Launch System rocket. It will be the most powerful rocket in the world once it is completed.
Chinese Advances
In 2016, China sent just as many rockets into space as the U.S. and more than Russia. It has also placed robotic landers on both the Moon and Mars. China has plans to become the first country to go to the dark side of the moon. One of its more advanced ideas also includes capturing asteroids to be able to mine them for resources.
China was excluded from the International Space Station in 2011 after Congress cited national security concerns. It plans to build a new space station that is set to go into low orbit in 2019, with its final section built by 2022. China's first space station, Tiangong-1, is currently out of control and set to crash back to Earth sometime in late March.
