6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Conservative View on China Space Program, March 5, 2010
This review is from: The New Space Race: China vs. USA (Springer Praxis Books / Space Exploration) (Paperback)
Erik Seedhouse writes enjoyable space-related books. I have purchased most and enjoy his works including The New Space Race: China vs. the United States. I do recommend the purchase and reading of this book for those who are interested in the Chinese space program. There are too few books on the important topic of Sino-America space exploration or space military applications. This book is an important addition.
Dr. Seedhouse provides a good overview of the Chinese and American space programs (civil and military). The recent changes to the American civil space program by President Obama has perhaps dated some of the material published only earlier this year. Yet many aspects of the NASA Constellation program may be retained with a grand Congressional compromise with the White House - so I do not object.
But Dr. Seedhouse clearly is a conservative hawk suggesting that there is no room for a space weapons treaty; no way to cooperate with China in space; no way to invite them to participate in the International Space Station; and, no way to stop an arms race in space with the Chinese. I do respect this book and the Seedhouse view for American national security reasons. He serves reader by taking NOTICE of the PLA's role in space along with the strategic military implications. Yet, the book must be balanced by other China-related readings such as "When China Rules the World" by Martin Jacques (Nov. 2009) and the slightly older book - "Chinese Space Policy: A Study in Domestic and International Politics" (2007) by Roger Handberg and Zhen Li.
Bottomline: Get the Seedhouse book and enjoy it but with the realization that is has a right-leaning political tilt with a 'hawkish' view that is far from concealed. Nonetheless, the last section of the book causes pause to make one think of the possible longer-term policy implications in both China and the United States over the next quarter-of-a-century.
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent assessment of the future of Sino-US rivalry in space, March 3, 2010
This review is from: The New Space Race: China vs. USA (Springer Praxis Books / Space Exploration) (Paperback)
Once again Seedhouse has written an insightful and thoughtful popular science book, this time on the subject of the new race to the Moon and beyond. With Obama's decision to set a new course for NASA, restricting it to low Earth orbit for another generation of astronauts, the Chinese are now free to go to the Moon, collect the flag planted by Neil Armstrong and display it in a Beijing museum. Furthermore, with an inevitable escalation of tension between the US and China that will occur as a result of the Taiwan issue, the stage is set for the first true space war. Seedhouse deals with these issues effortlessly and provides plenty of material to support his arguments. A must read for any space enthusiast or military analyst.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good points on China's and the US space abilities and race for space military and nonmilitary, October 25, 2010
This review is from: The New Space Race: China vs. USA (Springer Praxis Books / Space Exploration) (Paperback)
I've read almost all the astronaut books. Bought this book by accident and was going to return it but at the last minute kept it as I had no books on China and the US on the upcoming space race. Glad I did.
Dr. Erik Seedhouse gives some past information about the different US missions (3 star...there are many books better). However he does explain the US superiority in military space, manned and robotic plus our 50 years experience. We see the US military now has the "high ground" and much of our military might response is tied into military surveillance satellites. He shows we clobbered the Iraqi army with the help of space based technology. He shows that the US is far far ahead in all aspects of space exploring,communication,weather, GPS and military satellites but China is coming on strong. China has launched men in space and is planning its own space station and Moon manned landing. China is able to progress in space technology because it is able to buy a lot of equipment from the Russians and copy but improve on their lifters and spacecraft. Also China is able to get a lot of free information directly from US universities and Internet sites as much US space information is freely given out. Unfortunately Erik shows that China's space program is a closed military system with little information freely given out.
We see the space treaty and the non use of space weapons especially no nuclear arms in space. However China did carelessly launch a missile and destroy one of its LOE satellites. It showed the world it is now capable of knocking out some satellites. Unfortunately they never did tell the world they were going to do this and made a big mess of over 40,000 pieces of debris of satellite/missile remains in LOE and now the world has a slight navigational mess to launch around their junk. The world now knows they are not a responsible space player. Plus Erik shows China's dismal lack of human rights policies.
Dr. Seedhouse explains the US military stance on keeping the high ground in space and will not let any country take that away from them. Also Erik tells us China is not going to be intimidated by the superior space forces of the US and is rapidly increasing its space military presence and developing weapons for possible use in space ( knocking down satellites) and hopefully crippling the US eyes in space. He says China may want to militarily take Taiwan but releases it will first have to take out the US surveillance space system before they launch a direct attack on Taiwan. Erik says if the US is attacked in space it will retaliate.
Erik shows our vast space might is very vulnerable to various methods of attack. He then explains each method the Chinese could use. He explains the US has many magnitudes of expensive satellites and equipment in space than China has and the US has much more to lose in a major space conflict. He shows the US is trying to harden its defenses against space attack.
A scary scenario is shown. If a nuclear blast is air burst over middle US the EMP could put the US back decades because much of our computers and nationwide electronic equipment could be knocked out.
He further says that China releases our economy is linked to theirs and may not want a shoot out with us but wants to buy us out.
I does seem Erik is taking the US side and is hawkish but I believe it is realistic because no way will the US let any country take the "high ground" in space since the US military now is so entrenched with space surveillance. It seems the US will continue by treaty to let all nations explore space and have communications, weather satellites, GPS, etc. as long as they are perceived as peaceful intentions. However if US security is to be lessened by space attack the US is more than prepared to fight.
Because of China wanting to expand its military space presence and the US planning to keep the space "high ground" a space race maybe inevitable. A good 4 star book with some good pictures that gets you thinking of a real near future space race to the Moon and beyond. Thanks Erik Seedhouse for a good book with new information on China's space program and the US plans for keeping the space "high ground".
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