The Politics of Northeast Asia's Space Race

South Korea and China are accelerating their respective space programs, with Seoul seeking to put an astronaut into orbit aboard a foreign rocket by 2007 and Beijing preparing for another manned space flight within the next two years, and an unmanned moon landing by 2010. Japan, however, is reviewing its program and debating the need for a domestic manned flight. A closer look at this emerging Northeast Asian space race shows the impact of space programs on regional rivalries and alliances.