So the Chinese successfully launched their first manned space vehicle today. I'm quite interested in seeing how this'll affect the politics of the space game. Now granted, they're still about 30 years behind the US, but some healthy competition has always been the impetus for technological advancement and innovation in this field. I think the American space program basically stopped making bold strides ever since the cold war ended. Despite our current lead, I wouldn't completely discount the Chinese program. They could catch up faster than we think- you'd be surprised what determined Commies can do when they give it their all.