Asia’s Space Race

Nearly four decades after the first man walked on the moon, Asia's major powers hurry in their own space race. China and Japan both recently launched spacecraft to the moon, and India has sent satellites into orbit since 1975. The latest missions and future ambitions raise eyebrows, particularly since China's January 2007 test, in which a rocket was used to destroy an old weather satellite, adding to space debris. Space research parallels debate on development of nuclear power, and while the rising Asian powers profess only peaceful, scientific ambition, today's advances could have military potential. Dingli Shen of Fudan University argues for accelerating talks on a global space code of conduct, before the militarization of space progresses to dangerous levels. – YaleGlobal