Space Race Heats Up as More Players Jump In

An artist's concept of NASA's Ares I manned-mission launch system on the launch pad. An artist's concept of NASA's Ares I manned-mission launch system on the launch pad. As NASA's space-shuttle program nears its official end in 2010, space exploration has become an increasingly global competition. The Europeans, Russians, Chinese and others are competing for bragging rights to develop the next generation of manned spacecraft. NASA’s Constellation program, designed both to replace the space shuttle and get America back to the moon and on to Mars, has gotten a lot of publicity — and a lot of flak — as it threatens to go over budget and behind schedule. Meanwhile, the Europeans and Russians have teamed up to create their own platform, the Chinese are continually upgrading their vehicles and the Japanese and Indians are mulling... [read full story]