In 1959, the Soviet Union shocked the world by putting the Sputnik satellite in orbit. Rather than become discouraged, Americans were motivated to get to the moon first. Fifty-five years ago, led by the brave and brilliant men and women of NASA, they succeeded. And their success so demoralized the Soviets that they never reached the moon at all. The superiority of the American system demonstrated by the space race and our determination in the face of an adversary, took the luster off soviet communism and may well have contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
That’s because space exploration can tell you a lot about what a country is made of and the outlook of her people. Our courage and willingness to launch towards the unknown has defined who we are as Americans.
In 1984, President Reagan described space as a “new frontier” and said that “our willingness to accept the challenge” of space exploration “will reflect whether America’s men and women today have the same bold vision, the same courage and indomitable spirit that made us a great nation.”
Reagan understood the potential of space as a new frontier of scientific, economic, and even military exploration. He also realized if America opted out of exploring this “new frontier” as he termed it, it would not remain untouched and pristine but fall prey to nefarious actors who did not share our values.
From solar panels to electric vehicles, to the internet itself, imprisoned behind a Great Firewall, the entire world has witnessed how the Chinese Communist Party will corrupt any technology and weaponize any field they gain a monopoly over. Whether we wish to partake or not, there is a new Space Race, one the Chinese Communist Party is determined to win. We cannot let them.
Today’s roundtable will discuss space as an area of competition between the United States and PRC across the military, civil, and commercial domains. We’ll also look at broader supply chain and technology transfer concerns around space technology, especially surrounding dual-use technology.
Our experts today will tell us more about the CCP’s nefarious goals in space, the urgent need for new research security policy initiatives, and how we can better protect U.S. space technology and supply chains.
Our mission here today is not about relitigating the past but finding the right policies for the future. Our goal today is not to revisit paths not taken, but to find the best ways to maintain U.S. primacy in space technology development for generations to come. In this New Cold War, our nation should heed President Reagan’s call to “encourage American industry to move quickly and decisively into space,” by removing the obstacles in their path.
Like President Reagan, I have no doubt we can prevail in the competition for space over the CCP, just as our grandparents did over the Soviets. I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today how Congress can play its part. And with that, I’ll turn it over to Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi.
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Source: U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
Speaker: Chairman Mike Gallagher (R-WI)
Format: Committee Hearing Remarks
China Policy Research 