Opinion | It’s not rocket science: Hong Kong needs to jump on Chinese space bandwagon
- Top-tier cities in mainland China are planning to foster commercial space ecosystems of their own
- Mainland NewSpace companies are keen to connect to the world through Hong Kong. The city’s government should take note
I’ve just returned from a mission to Beijing to seek partners for not only scientific space research but also commercial “NewSpace” endeavours.
Attending six meetings in 2½ days was exhausting yet exhilarating. Why? Because the mood music from every group we met, whether in the halls of academia or the boardrooms of private companies, is effectively the same.
We found ourselves in a “can-do” atmosphere humming with excitement about what the future may hold, an impatience to act, a keenness to deliver, and fervour for all things space.
On the mainland, commercial space activities are seen as an incubator and facilitator of new industries and technologies for the longer-term wealth and health of a developed nation. No short-termism here, unlike among many Western governments.
China’s aims include developing and improving overall space capabilities, growing its economic footprint in the commercial space sector, as well as real and meaningful international collaboration.
