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Made in China, landed on the moon

For many years, the label "made in China" was considered to be an indicator of products that were cheap but low quality.

In the wake of this weekend's moon-landing by the Chinese it is clear that some perceptions could be due to change when it comes to China's ability to design and build world-class hi-tech gear.

We like to think that uber-quality and tech-excellence is the exclusive domain of the Western world but it's worth reflecting on the fact that China has now joined an exclusive club of just three.

From memory (so I could be wrong), only two other countries have successfully soft-landed spacecraft on the moon. The USA and Russia have proven they have the technology required to do this but China is the only one to have done so this century.

It might be tempting to think that China is still decades behind the other superpowers but if you look at the speed with which our Sino friends are closing the gap then the results are astonishing.

It is now almost a certainty that China will place a man on the moon before the end of the decade and who knows, perhaps they'll beat the USA in the quest to put man on Mars.

Interestingly enough, perhaps the biggest competitor to China's space aspirations right now could be India -- another third-world country that is rapidly flexing its hi-tech abilities in very interesting ways.

It is somewhat tragic that while the USA and Russia have started focusing on the commercialisation of space travel, Russia and India are far more focused on scientific research in the heavens.

Of course it ought not be forgotten that there remains huge strategic value to having a significant presence in space, on the moon and even on Mars.

Not only is this a very visible demonstration of a nation's technical capabilities but there is no doubt that this "altruistic research" has massive military spin-off value.

China has already demonstrated its abilities to destroy satellites orbiting above the earth so they are well versed in militarising their space-tech.

With spying, snooping and surveillance being such hyper-crucial activities by governments these days, I wonder if the next cold-war will be fought in space.

There are many milestones yet to be achieved in space exploration and it could be that China is already setting its sights on beating the West to these. The first permanently manned lunar base? The first fully militarised manned space station?

Regardless of the politics, the events of the weekend must be a "hats-off" to China.

Keep an eye on the Chinese space programme and expect big things in the years to come.

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