The next generation
下一代
The space race is dominated by new contenders
太空竞赛正由新兴的竞争者主导
Private businesses and rising powers are replacing the cold-war duopoly
私营企业和新兴大国正在取代冷战时期的双寡头
SOME 4,500 satellites circle Earth, providing communications services and navigational tools, monitoring weather, observing the universe, spying and doing more besides. Getting them there was once the business of the superpowers’ armed forces and space agencies. Now it is mostly done by companies and the governments of developing countries.
据英国《经济学人》网站10月18日的消息：约有4500颗卫星在围绕着地球转动，提供着通讯服务、导航工具，监测天气，并进行观测宇宙和秘密侦查等活动。以前，发射卫星曾是超级大国的武装力量和航天机构的事情，如今却多由发展中国家的政府和企业来完成。
During the early years of the space race reaching orbit was hard. Between 1957 and 1962, 32% of American launches and 30% of Soviet ones failed. Accidents still happen: on October 11th a Russian rocket aborted its ascent shortly after launch (both crew members landed unharmed). Only states could assume such risks—and even if American firms had wanted to bear them, its government would not let them on national-security grounds. Companies eager to send objects into space, including telecoms firms, had to hitch a ride with NASA.
太空竞赛的早些年份，卫星很难到达预定轨道。1957到1962年间，美苏两国发射卫星的失败率分别为32%和30%。现在意外仍会发生：今年10月11日，一艘俄罗斯火箭发射后突然中止升空（两名机组人员安全着陆）。只有国家才能承担这种风险——即使美国企业愿意承担风险，但出于国家安全考虑，美国政府也不会同意。包括电信公司在内的各大企业要想向太空发射物体，都必须要搭乘美国国家航空航天局的便车。
This changed when European countries started building launchers through a mostly state-owned company called Arianespace, which touted for custom among satellite-makers around the world. When the space shuttle Challenger exploded in 1986, NASA got out of the satellite-launching business. It and, later, the Pentagon became new customers for private launch firms, alongside the satellite operators.
在欧洲多国开始通过阿丽亚那航空公司建发射台的时候，这种局面就发生了改变。阿丽亚那航空公司主要由欧洲国家共同出资，为全球卫星制造商提供定制的服务。1986年“挑战者”号航天机发生爆炸后，美国国家航空航天局暂停了卫星发射业务。美国国家航空航天局和后来的五角大楼一起成为了私营卫星发射公司和卫星运营商的新客户。
In the past decade the West’s space-launch market has become more competitive thanks to an innovative new entrant, SpaceX. But state-run programmes still lead the way in emerging markets. In 2003 China became the third country to put a person into orbit; India plans to follow suit in 2022. Both sell launch services to private clients. China did legalise private space flight in 2014, but no companies based there have yet reached orbit on their own.
。但在新兴市场，由国家主导的项目依然扮演着领先角色。2003年，中国成为世界上第三个将人类送上太空的国家，印度计划在2022年步入后尘。中印两国向私营企业销售发射业务。2014年，中国已对私人太空旅行放行，但目前尚无私营企业自主完成卫星发射项目。
Like their cold-war predecessors, these Asian titans have strategic goals as well as a thirst for publicity. They need independent access to space for communication, intelligence and navigation. However commercialised space gets, the competition will never be solely economic.
和美苏两国一样，这些亚洲强国具有各自的战略目标，也渴望引发关注。亚洲强国需要有进入太空的自主渠道，以获取通讯、情报和导航服务。但无论太空的商业化到什么程度，这种竞争绝不只是局限于经济方面。（译：王珮）