China's Reusable Rocket Success — Can We Claim Another Victory?
The video explores the public opinion and economic reflections triggered by China's success with reusable rockets, analyzes the two goals behind Musk's research—Starlink and space-based computing power—and points out that China, with its high population density, comprehensive 5G coverage, and advantages in electricity and environmental protection, does not need Starlink or space-based computing power, and blindly following the space race will only lead to massive economic waste.
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After China's recent success with reusable rockets, it seems that if you don't mindlessly praise the rocket as awesome, people immediately criticize you, calling you a 'hater of the country,' saying you aren't just opposing the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), but are anti-China and against the Chinese people. I sometimes really think these people are either harboring malicious intentions or their IQ is just too low, lacking basic economic common sense. Is this rocket success really beneficial to the country and the people? Musk researches reusable rockets for two goals: one is Starlink, and the other is space-based computing power. Space-based computing power hasn't been realized yet, but Starlink has. And China actually doesn't need either of these. The US needs Starlink because it is truly vast and sparsely populated, with many uninhabited areas where laying fiber-optic cables is not cost-effective, so Starlink is needed. What about China? China just spent a fortune on 5G. For a country with such high population density as China, what is the value of Starlink? It has no value. The scariest thing is not that China can't develop reusable rockets, but that it actually does. To engage in a space race with Musk, to 'win,' Xi Jinping might wave his hand tomorrow and decide to start launching satellites too. Musk spent hundreds of billions to send thousands of satellites up. China, perhaps because labor is cheaper, might have a lower unit cost for sending them up, but it might spend trillions to send thousands of satellites up. Then, after spending trillions, because of the Great Firewall restrictions and China's high 5G coverage, these thousands of satellites would end up empty and unable to be sold. Of course, even more ridiculous than Starlink is the idea of space-based computing power. One reason Musk wants to do space-based computing is that the US lacks electricity, and another is that the US has too many environmental restrictions. But these two problems are precisely China's AI advantages; China has no need at all to pursue space-based computing power.
Of course, some might say at this point, 'You have to consider the strategic value.' Look at how important Starlink is on the Russia-Ukraine battlefield. How could Russia fight Ukraine without Starlink? So, if China fights the US in the future, how will it fight the US without Starlink? How will it take Taiwan? But the problem is, how can there be so much 'strategic value'? If you have to consider strategic value for Starlink, then don't photovoltaics and electric vehicles also have strategic value due to energy blockades? If every single item can have strategic value, and you spend every day pursuing strategic value, how are you supposed to live your life?