US, China space rivalry grows as race for orbital commerce takes off

By Chris Zappone
Updated March 9 2015 - 10:23am, first published March 3 2015 - 12:15am
NASA astronaut Terry Virts is seen working to complete a cable routing task while the sun begins to peak over the Earth's horizon on the International Space Station. Photo: NASA
NASA astronaut Terry Virts is seen working to complete a cable routing task while the sun begins to peak over the Earth's horizon on the International Space Station. Photo: NASA
NASA astronaut Terry Virts is seen working to complete a cable routing task while the sun begins to peak over the Earth's horizon on the International Space Station. Photo: NASA
NASA astronaut Terry Virts is seen working to complete a cable routing task while the sun begins to peak over the Earth's horizon on the International Space Station. Photo: NASA
NASA astronaut Terry Virts is seen working to complete a cable routing task while the sun begins to peak over the Earth's horizon on the International Space Station. Photo: NASA
NASA astronaut Terry Virts is seen working to complete a cable routing task while the sun begins to peak over the Earth's horizon on the International Space Station. Photo: NASA
NASA astronaut Terry Virts is seen working to complete a cable routing task while the sun begins to peak over the Earth's horizon on the International Space Station. Photo: NASA
NASA astronaut Terry Virts is seen working to complete a cable routing task while the sun begins to peak over the Earth's horizon on the International Space Station. Photo: NASA

Mobile phone communication. Point-of-sale transactions. Just-in-time supply chains and the GPS screen in your car. Consider for a moment how much satellite-dependent technology has become embedded in our lives. Much of a modern economy, in fact, relies on the peaceful, almost routine nature of the business of satellite launches and communication, while science has come to expect open international collaboration.