Russia and U.S. Cooperate on ISS, as China Expert Foresees ‘Earth-Moon Economic Zone’

Nov. 4, 2019 (EIRNS)—Following a letter for help from NASA Administrator James Bridenstine, Roscosmos Director Dmitry Rogozin has ordered construction of two more Soyuz MS spacecraft, one of which will help NASA deliver astronauts to the International Space Station. Bridenstine wrote to Rogozin warning of a delay in starting American commercial spacecraft flights, according to SpaceNews. NASA expects the commercial crew deliveries to the ISS to begin next year, but has explained that its astronauts will continue to fly on the Soyuz and Russian cosmonauts will fly American vehicles, so there is redundancy, in case either system has a failure.

Meanwhile China’s Global Times on Nov. 3 carried a report on the future creation an Earth-Moon economic zone, through the middle of this century. “China is mulling establishing an Earth-Moon space economic zone by 2050,” Global Times wrote, “with insiders expecting the zone to generate $10 trillion a year.” Bao Weimin, director of the Science and Technology Commission of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, revealed the ambitious plan at a seminar on space economy on Oct. 30.

The paper derived its coverage from a Nov. 1 report in the Science and Technology Daily. “In a report on developing Earth and Moon space, Bao shared his thoughts on the huge economic potential in this field and pledged thatthe country would study ... flight-style transportation system between the Earth and Moon. He pledged to complete basic research and make a breakthrough on key technologies before 2030 and establish the transportation system by 2040. ‘By 2050, China could successfully establish an Earth-Moon space economic zone,’ he said.”