Poll

Who's winning and why?

USA
Russia
Don't know

Author Topic: POLL: Who's the current leading nation in space?  (Read 48673 times)

Offline Longhorn John

  • Regular
  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1570
  • Liked: 60
  • Likes Given: 130
POLL: Who's the current leading nation in space?
« on: 06/25/2013 03:45 pm »
I look at what we're doing as a country (USA) and I can't see how we're considering ourselves as the world leaders in space right now. Russia seem to have the march on the activity side at least.

Agree or not?
« Last Edit: 06/25/2013 03:46 pm by Longhorn John »

Offline Galactic Penguin SST

Re: POLL: Who's the current leading nation in space?
« Reply #1 on: 06/25/2013 03:49 pm »
Can I vote China?  ;)

Seriously look at the money spent on space exploration and its achievements - there's still no place like the United States of America that can support such an all rounded spaceflight and scientific exploration program, not to mention that the private sector is starting to become mature. No other country on Earth can match this yet.
Astronomy & spaceflight geek penguin. In a relationship w/ Space Shuttle Discovery. Current Priority: Chasing the Chinese Spaceflight Wonder Egg & A Certain Chinese Mars Rover

Offline mr. mark

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1996
  • Liked: 172
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: POLL: Who's the current leading nation in space?
« Reply #2 on: 06/25/2013 03:50 pm »
I would say the USA based on unmanned missions alone. We currently have functioning probes in the outer solar system as well as Moon and Mercury and Mars probes and landers/rovers. This alone makes the United States the leader. I believe that new space commercial cargo/manned will seal the deal in a few years. 
« Last Edit: 06/25/2013 03:52 pm by mr. mark »

Offline cozmicray

  • Full Member
  • *
  • Posts: 166
  • Liked: 1
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: POLL: Who's the current leading nation in space?
« Reply #3 on: 06/25/2013 04:42 pm »
China
ESA
India

USA -- Gov space  FUBAR

Offline Khadgars

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1750
  • Orange County, California
  • Liked: 1132
  • Likes Given: 3156
Re: POLL: Who's the current leading nation in space?
« Reply #4 on: 06/25/2013 05:13 pm »
I think you were referring to human space flight from the sound of your opening post.  But overall space programs, USA I think is still far ahead of the rest when you consider technology development, planetary missions and probes, earth observing satellites, etc.

Human spaceflight is in a funk right now for the US, but we have commercial crew coming online soon and if or when SLS/Orion become functioning our capabilities will be unmatched.

What I find interesting is that China flies a crewed mission once every year or two for a total of 5 so far I believe and suddenly they are so far ahead of everyone else?  SLS/Orion will likely have a similar flight rate going BLEO but its considered garbage?  We are actually in a very interesting period in human spaceflight and the US, by the end of the decade may have as many as three different vehicles to reach orbit.
« Last Edit: 06/25/2013 05:19 pm by Khadgars »
Evil triumphs when good men do nothing - Thomas Jefferson

Offline R7

  • Propulsophile
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2725
    • Don't worry.. we can still be fans of OSC and SNC
  • Liked: 992
  • Likes Given: 668
Re: POLL: Who's the current leading nation in space?
« Reply #5 on: 06/25/2013 05:16 pm »
Not necessarily best bang for the buck but the space agency budget three times larger than next contender, the probe programs, unmatched private efforts; USA
AD·ASTRA·ASTRORVM·GRATIA

Offline Warren Platts

Re: POLL: Who's the current leading nation in space?
« Reply #6 on: 06/25/2013 06:47 pm »
You need a vote for China.
"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."--Leonardo Da Vinci

Offline Moe Grills

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 780
  • Liked: 27
  • Likes Given: 1
Re: POLL: Who's the current leading nation in space?
« Reply #7 on: 06/25/2013 07:28 pm »
China
ESA
India

USA -- Gov space  FUBAR

I don't think we can count the ESA as representing a (single) nation, unless
you believe the EU is the United States of Europe. It might become such very soon.
« Last Edit: 06/25/2013 07:29 pm by Moe Grills »

Offline wronkiew

  • Full Member
  • *
  • Posts: 186
  • 34.502327, -116.971697
  • Liked: 105
  • Likes Given: 125
Re: POLL: Who's the current leading nation in space?
« Reply #8 on: 06/25/2013 07:40 pm »
USA, because we have SpaceX and they have not.

Offline baldusi

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8356
  • Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Liked: 2539
  • Likes Given: 8273
Re: POLL: Who's the current leading nation in space?
« Reply #9 on: 06/25/2013 09:11 pm »
I look into the total budget, the observation satellites and their quality, the number of interplanetary probes, the number of astronomy missions, etc., and the USA seems to be farther than the rest of the world combined. Even look at number of astronauts (even launched, historically).
Yes, they have a gap in one very visible (but not critical, actually) capability. But they have at least two solutions to fill that gap (Commercial Crew and SLS/Orion), with capabilities unmatched even by any paper rocket currently being considered. And they probably have the most innovative projects (SpaceX F9R, Lynx, Pegasus 2, SpaceLauncherOne, Xombie and may be Armadillo Aerospace). They have the most capable and reliable LV currently and in the next decade available.
I would like to inver the question, for those that don't answer USA. What are you basing your answers on?

Offline spectre9

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2403
  • Australia
  • Liked: 42
  • Likes Given: 68
Re: POLL: Who's the current leading nation in space?
« Reply #10 on: 06/25/2013 09:51 pm »
The question isn't "Is the United States leading?" because clearly they are.

The question is what have they done since they took the lead in 1969?

Look we're leading this race, now it's time to slow down and wait for everybody else to catch up.

Every time a president has pushed for a grand goal it's been pretty much half baked.

Fully reusable shuttle high flight rate shuttle - partially reusable low flight rate shuttle

U.S. built Space Station Freedom - ISS

CxP - Cancelled and replaced with whatever they think SLS/Orion is doing.

Offline Rocket Science

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10586
  • NASA Educator Astronaut Candidate Applicant 2002
  • Liked: 4548
  • Likes Given: 13523
Re: POLL: Who's the current leading nation in space?
« Reply #11 on: 06/25/2013 10:07 pm »
The USA was and still is the leader in spaceflight. I look at the totality of accomplishments and not a politically generated “gap” in American access to orbit. One need only to look up at ISS to see that without US leadership, we would not have so many member states contributing in their own way to a permanent presence on orbit. Where we go from here is simply a matter of will and national commitment...
"The laws of physics are unforgiving"
~Rob: Physics instructor, Aviator

Offline rcoppola

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2355
  • USA
  • Liked: 1967
  • Likes Given: 970
Re: POLL: Who's the current leading nation in space?
« Reply #12 on: 06/25/2013 10:12 pm »
USA.

There is simply no one else that has ever pulled off anything like the Curiosity Rover mission. That mission is astonishing on every level.

(It should be noted, that there are international contributions with regards to the rovers instrumentation that should not go overlooked, and we are thankful for them.)
Sail the oceans of space and set foot upon new lands!
http://www.stormsurgemedia.com

Offline Oli

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2467
  • Liked: 605
  • Likes Given: 60
Re: POLL: Who's the current leading nation in space?
« Reply #13 on: 06/26/2013 12:32 am »

The US by far. Followed by Russia when it comes to HSF and ESA with regard to space science.

Offline Avron

  • Canadian Member
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4930
  • Liked: 156
  • Likes Given: 160
Re: POLL: Who's the current leading nation in space?
« Reply #14 on: 06/26/2013 01:00 am »
Today -- 2 for 2 Russia ,zero USA

Offline IanO

  • Full Member
  • *
  • Posts: 165
  • Portland, OR
    • Portland State Aerospace Society
  • Liked: 60
  • Likes Given: 278
Re: POLL: Who's the current leading nation in space?
« Reply #15 on: 06/26/2013 01:18 am »
Today -- 2 for 2 Russia ,zero USA
Today's launches also put Russia at exactly half of the year's launches.  Over half if you count Naro as an Angara-derivative. Soyuz and Proton just keep on truckin'!

Another startling fact: Soyuz has as many launches as all the world's other active launchers combined!  (Though only thanks to the recent retirement of Shuttle and Delta II.)
« Last Edit: 06/26/2013 01:21 am by IanO »
psas.pdx.edu

Offline rcoppola

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2355
  • USA
  • Liked: 1967
  • Likes Given: 970
Re: POLL: Who's the current leading nation in space?
« Reply #16 on: 06/26/2013 01:37 am »
Today -- 2 for 2 Russia ,zero USA
Today's launches also put Russia at exactly half of the year's launches.  Over half if you count Naro as an Angara-derivative. Soyuz and Proton just keep on truckin'!

Another startling fact: Soyuz has as many launches as all the world's other active launchers combined!  (Though only thanks to the recent retirement of Shuttle and Delta II.)
So...you've narrowed the definition of "Leading in Space" to the number of launches? Good luck with that...Keep truckin, I'd rather be cruising on Mars.
Sail the oceans of space and set foot upon new lands!
http://www.stormsurgemedia.com

Offline veblen

  • Full Member
  • **
  • Posts: 253
  • Liked: 27
  • Likes Given: 3727
Re: POLL: Who's the current leading nation in space?
« Reply #17 on: 06/26/2013 01:38 am »
Let's see current USA: at least 3 s/c at Sol, orbiting s/c Mercury, 2 rovers on Mars, s/c orbiting Mars x2, mission to Asteroid belt (Vesta now on to Ceres), mission to Jupiter, Cassini at Saturn, New Horizons now <6 AU from Pluto and Kuiper Belt - just off the top of my head and that's just robotic planetary missions.

Explain to me how lofting a couple of commsats/cubesats beats that? Or a mid-60's style Gemini type mission? its HSF but its nothing new.


Online edkyle99

  • Expert
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15391
    • Space Launch Report
  • Liked: 8566
  • Likes Given: 1356
Re: POLL: Who's the current leading nation in space?
« Reply #18 on: 06/26/2013 04:24 am »
I look at what we're doing as a country (USA) and I can't see how we're considering ourselves as the world leaders in space right now. Russia seem to have the march on the activity side at least.

Agree or not?
This poll needs to be more comprehensive.  That said, Russia leads today.  It leads in launches, by far.  It leads in mass to orbit.  It leads in humans carried to orbit.  It builds the engines that power many of those "US" rockets. 

The US leads in deep space robotic spacecraft for the time being, but many of those "robots" we admire were launched years ago by US rockets that no longer exist.

 - Ed Kyle

Offline savuporo

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5152
  • Liked: 1002
  • Likes Given: 342
Re: POLL: Who's the current leading nation in space?
« Reply #19 on: 06/26/2013 05:49 am »
That said, Russia leads today.  It leads in launches, by far.  It leads in mass to orbit.  It leads in humans carried to orbit.  It builds the engines that power many of those "US" rockets. 
What he said, many times over. If there ever was a "commercial space" anywhere, it's in Russia.

Soyuz is the only launch vehicle in the world that has ever demonstrated any sort of significant launch rate, that is about one launch a week in early 80ies. Nothing else has ever even come close.
« Last Edit: 06/26/2013 05:51 am by savuporo »
Orion - the first and only manned not-too-deep-space craft

Tags:
 

Advertisement NovaTech
Advertisement Northrop Grumman
Advertisement
Advertisement Margaritaville Beach Resort South Padre Island
Advertisement Brady Kenniston
Advertisement NextSpaceflight
Advertisement Nathan Barker Photography
1