As U.S. Astronauts Leave Space, China’s Presence Grows

In only its fourth manned mission to space, China achieved a significant milestone on Monday when its Shenzhou-9 spacecraft docked with China’s Tiangong-1 space lab. Only the United States and Russia have demonstrated such technological prowess, highlighting China’s growing capabilities in space at a time when America no longer has the means to send astronauts into orbit after the retirement of the Space Shuttle. Should the United States be worried that China is supplanting it in space? LIGNET takes a closer look.

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