China 's space plans are ambitious , incremental and extensive . Should Americans be worried that China will overtake us in both space exploration and military capability in space ? No , not yet . This week , China successfully achieved its first manned space docking with the launch of the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft that carried two men and China 's first female astronaut . Part one of China 's Project 921 , a 30-year plan for space exploration that was approved in 1992 , is complete . This is progress , indeed . Project 921 is the result of China 's fear of being left behind in the development of space technology . Part one was about attaining human spaceflight . Part two -- which is where China is now -- focuses on testing advanced technologies , like maneuvering and docking . Part three envisions a large ( about 20 tons , the size of Skylab ) space station . China sends first female astronaut to space . A manned mission to the moon was never included in the plan and has only recently become a topic of discussion in China . When talks do come up of putting a Chinese on the moon as early as 2016 , they can rile U.S. officials and engender international prestige for China , especially as the U.S. space program appears to be floundering . But China is not overtaking the United States in space . It is , however , advancing . The execution of China 's space program has led to `` tortoise and hare '' comparisons with the United States . During the Apollo phase , the United States advanced very quickly , launching many missions which culminated in reaching the moon by a decade 's end . In contrast , China launches a mission about every two years , but takes large steps with each one and has a much longer timeline for achieving its goals . What China has that the United States lacks -- and what may give the Chinese an advantage over the long run -- is patience . China 's path to space is not without obstacles , though . Launching their large space station will require a new heavy lift vehicle , the Long March 5 , which is still in development and behind schedule . And China 's ambitions do not come with an unlimited budget , even though it has already spent billions . In response , the U.S. needs to keep moving forward . The Obama administration 's decision to redirect the civilian space program to a private-public partnership is smart . A space exploration program fully funded by the government is unsustainable . The recent use of the privately developed Flacon-9/Dragon duo to resupply the International Space Station indicates that if the private sector can handle low-Earth orbit needs , then over time NASA can focus its limited budget on new , more distant exploration goals . But Americans are not known for patience . The real danger for the United States is in ceding space exploration and leadership to China because it lacks the political will to proceed at a steady , supportable pace . This will have broad strategic implications . Complicating the issue is the largely dual-use nature of space technology , which can be used for both civilian and military purposes . And it is difficult to discern whether military space assets are intended for offense or defense . The difference between a rocket and a missile is considerable in political considerations , but nominal in terms of technology . A country that possesses missile defense could also use it as a weapon . So what can be done if we need to protect our space assets ? One thing is clear -- weapons are not the answer . China 's irresponsible 2007 anti-satellite weapon test exponentially increased the amount of space debris in orbit , which is dangerous to operating satellites . Space debris is now recognized by all countries ( and militaries ) as a threat to space assets . An International Space Code of Conduct is being discussed in the United Nations . It would state what responsible spacefaring nations consider acceptable behaviors in space . Though legally nonbinding , it would be a first step toward maintaining the sustainability of the space environment for use by all . The United States largely knows what space technology China possesses , but it does n't know what China 's intentions are . The United States should try to better understand China 's space goals . However , NASA is prohibited by law from working with China . This makes no sense . If one believes that China and the United States are not inherently enemies , then working together on space projects -- with technology transfer controls -- will benefit both countries . If one believes that China is inherently a threat to the United States , then the adage `` keep your friends close and your enemies closer '' comes to mind . The script for U.S.-China relations -- and space relations in particular -- is constantly evolving . The United States can influence the direction , but only if we engage and persuade the Chinese to engage with us . It 's one way of preventing a scenario of a galactic Wild West in which China has become the world 's leader in space . Historic Chinese space mission docks successfully . Follow CNN 's space and science blog Lightyears .
China successfully achieved its first manned space flight this week . Joan Johnson - Freese : America should not worry just yet about China overtaking it in space . She says real danger is if U.S. cedes space rights to China because it lacks patience . Johnson - Freese : It would benefit both America and China to work together on space projects .