Random reminder that while the US is so dysfunctional it can’t even keep its government functioning, China is on the Moon.
“The first spacecraft of the program, the Chang’e 1 lunar orbiter, was launched from Xichang Satellite Launch Center on 24 October 2007, having been delayed from the initial planned date of 17–19 April 2007. A second orbiter, Chang’e 2, was launched on 1 October 2010. Chang’e 3, which includes a lander and rover, was launched on 1 December 2013 and successfully soft-landed on the Moon on 14 December 2013. Chang’e 4, which includes a lander and rover, was launched on 7 December 2018. A sample return mission, Chang’e 5, is scheduled for December 2019.”
China is also immersed in a long-term program to improve trade. The Belt and Road Initiative invests money in infrastructure projects (roads, schools, airports, etc.) in locales desperate for economic growth in exchange for long-term trade agreements.
They’re spending money on improving trade, advancing science and technology, and building relationships with the nations around them.
While the US, on the other hand, are tightly bound to a war economy, and are arguing about border walls.
No real point. Just daydreaming of a different world.