[Global Issue+] 'Ujugonggan' Spotlighted as a Film Location... Fierce Competition Among US, China, and Russia

Russia Filming Team's ISS Entry News Sparks US Filming Plans
90-Year-Old Veteran William Shapner to Embark on Space Travel Soon
US, China, Russia Civilian Space Travel Business Competition Expected to Intensify

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] As a Russian film crew begins shooting on the International Space Station (ISS), NASA has also announced that Hollywood star Tom Cruise will soon film a movie on the ISS, making outer space a new hotspot for the global film industry. With the era of private space travel officially underway, the traditional space rivalry between the U.S. and Russia has reignited as both seek to lead the industry. China, which is building its own space station, has joined the fray, leading to forecasts that the space race among major powers will become even more intense than during the Cold War.

According to space news outlet Space.com on the 10th (local time), William Shatner, famous for playing the captain of the Enterprise in Star Trek, is facing a delay in his planned space trip. Shatner was originally scheduled to travel to space aboard Blue Origin’s spacecraft on the 12th, but due to forecasts of strong winds on that day, the launch was postponed for safety reasons. Blue Origin has stated that the launch will be postponed until the 13th, and if weather conditions do not improve, further delays are possible.

The news of 90-year-old Shatner’s space trip has attracted attention alongside reports that Hollywood star Tom Cruise will soon arrive at the ISS. Shortly after the Russian film crew began the world’s first ISS filming, NASA issued a statement announcing that Tom Cruise and his film crew would enter the ISS this month to start filming. Although there was speculation that the two crews might film together, the limited space and oxygen supply on the ISS make joint filming unlikely.

Reenactment of the U.S.-Russia Cold War Space Race

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Some view this as a revival of the intense space race between the U.S. and Russia that took place during the Cold War. Private U.S. space companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin are competing to develop new spacecraft and aggressively promote their efforts, prompting Russia to enter the competition in earnest.

According to the BBC, the space race between the two countries began after the end of World War II. When Nazi Germany, which developed the world’s first ballistic missile, the V-2 rocket, was defeated in May 1945, the U.S. secured the research team led by Dr. Wernher von Braun, who had developed the rocket. Meanwhile, the Soviet Union, which entered Berlin first, took control of the rocket factory in Berlin that held V-2 rocket parts and blueprints, marking the start of the space race between the two nations.

In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the world’s first artificial satellite, triggering the so-called “Sputnik Shock” in the U.S. The fierce space race continued until 1969, when Apollo 11 landed on the moon. However, after Apollo 11’s moon landing, NASA’s budget was significantly reduced, and Russia, amid post-Soviet turmoil, was unable to pursue space development for some time, causing the competition to pause.

Since Vladimir Putin’s presidency began in the 2000s, Russia has accelerated its space development efforts. Meanwhile, under the Barack Obama administration starting in 2009, NASA’s budget constraints limited its own launch vehicle development, leading the U.S. to import Russian rockets, which temporarily reversed the balance of power in space between the two countries.

After Donald Trump took office in 2016, the U.S. renewed its efforts to strengthen its space capabilities, reigniting competition between the two nations. The efforts by both countries to send film crews to the ISS first are interpreted as part of this competitive dynamic.

New Power China Accelerates Construction of Its Own Space Station

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Amid the competition between the U.S. and Russia, China is emerging as a new powerhouse in space development. China plans to complete its independent space station by next year, launching a tremendous number of rockets into space. It currently operates five space launch sites and plans to increase that number to ten, aiming to launch over 50 rockets annually to expedite the completion of its independent space station, Tianhe.

Since the ISS has already exceeded its operational lifespan and is expected to operate only until 2025, after its decommissioning, China is expected to be the sole owner of an independent space station for some time. The U.S. is highly wary of this, fearing that China may repurpose its space station for military use.

Alongside this state-led space development, China is also fostering private companies. On the 4th, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) announced plans through its private subsidiary, CAS Space, to send tourists into space.

CAS Space is reportedly developing a reusable launch vehicle capable of carrying up to seven tourists for about 10 minutes into space at an altitude of approximately 100 km. The launch vehicle and spacecraft unveiled by CAS Space closely resemble Blue Origin’s New Shepard and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule. The space tourism business is expected to officially begin in 2024.