Charles R. Smith
Tuesday, July 13, 2004

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  Bigelow is currently developing a commercial "Nautilus" inflatable space module. The watermelon shaped Nautilus weighs 25 tons and once inflated in orbit, will measure 45 x 22 ft. with 330 cu. meters of volume.

The Bigelow inflatable module is based on NASA technology and Bigelow is receiving "substantial technical assistance" from NASA, which developed the original inflatable concept for use on the International Space Station.

China Great Wall managers "sounded out the company on the possible launch of Bigelow test or operational modules on Long March boosters or the in-orbit support of Nautilus by Shenzhou Chinese manned spacecraft."

"We talked to the Chinese on a confidential basis, and they indicated they are thinking seriously of opening their program to space commercialization," stated Robert T. Bigelow, president and founder of the company.

According to Aviation Week, Bigelow made his fortune as the founder of Budget Suites of America, along with other real estate deals. Bigelow is financing the inflatable development with millions of dollars his own money.

Bigelow also stated there's an "opportunity for America" in cooperating with the Chinese space program, and he disagrees with what he regards as the current negative U.S. policy toward such cooperation.

"It may be up to the American private sector to make these overtures to China where our State Dept. finds it so difficult to be adept," said Bigelow.

Great Wall Sanctioned

What Bigelow seems to be un-aware of is the fact that Great Wall is a major contributor to the Chinese nuclear tipped ballistic missile force. Commerce Dept. documents show that "China Electronics Systems Engineering Company (CESEC), a subsidiary of the People's Liberation Army", owns China Great Wall Industry.

In fact, the U.S. government sanctioned China Great Wall twice for selling advanced missile technology. Great Wall, along with nine other PLA controlled companies, sold nuclear tipped M-9 missiles to Pakistan. In response, Great Wall was banned from purchasing U.S. controlled technology, including space technology.

Not everyone agrees with Mr. Bigelow and his one-man effort to build a joint U.S.-China space program. Richard Fisher, a respected defense analyst and Vice President, International Assessment and Strategy Center noted that Bigelow is not serving U.S. national security with his efforts.

"If he is quoted correctly in the Aviation Week article, it would then appear that Mr. Bigelow is choosing to place his business interests ahead of American national security interests. This is understandable; he is a businessman and his first responsibility is to his company and shareholders," stated Fisher.

"However, the U.S. government has an obligation to the American people, not to mention the requirements set forth in many export control laws, to judge whether the new inflatable space habitat technology that he is clearly interested in selling to Communist China could better enable that regime to pose greater security threats to the United States," Fisher said, and noted:

PRC Military Space

China has set forth an ambitious manned space program that includes the development and testing of its Shenzhou spaceship, a modified version of the Russian Soyuz, the possible building of a small space station comprised of a series of Shenzhou orbital modules, and eventually a much larger permanent space station. All flights of the Shenzhou space ship, from its first unmanned test in 1999 to the first manned test in October 2003, have been used to test either military electronic intelligence or electro-optical intelligence surveillance systems. From its inception China's manned space program has been a military-manned space program.

There should be no illusion that when China builds eventual manned space stations that these platforms will also be tasked to perform military surveillance, and possibly, military space combat missions, said Fisher.

Chinese Military Exercise

To underscore Fisher's assertions, the Chinese military announced it is staging a series of exercises near Taiwan at Dongshan Island. The Chinese People's Daily emphasized the military operations were "just 150 nautical miles away from Taiwan's Penghu Islands."

"This year, aside from missile brigade, tank brigade, marine brigade, warships and submarines, all advanced weapons will be used in the exercise," noted the report from the Chinese People's Daily.

"Emphasis given to mastery of the air. Viewed from past exercises, the PLA put emphasis on crossing the Taiwan Straits, landing on the Taiwan Island and missile attack. The joint exercise at Dongshan Island features fierce attack on Taiwan targets from multi positions and directions from land, sea and air," noted the official Chinese news outlet.

The announcement of the military invasion exercise also accompanied a veiled threat against the U.S. and in particular the U.S. Navy aircraft carriers.

"Attacking aircraft carrier, cruise missile, fighter plane and armed helicopter is carried out on the assumption that war were broken out in the Taiwan Straits and foreign countries had their military involvement there, the PLA forcefully prevented foreign countries from meddling in China's internal affairs, supporting 'Taiwan Independence' and even invading China," stated the People's Daily report.

Helping the Chinese War Machine

"In July 2004 the U.S. and China find themselves arming and preparing for a war over the future of freedom in Taiwan, while China remains a critical contributor to the nuclear and missile programs of Pakistan and North Korea," noted defense analyst Fisher.

"Both of these regimes are in turn abetting secondary proliferation that may result in the ability of a terrorist to obtain nuclear weapons they will surely use to murder many more Americans. China has taken no realistic step to end, much less reverse its nuclear and missile proliferation, and is vocally hostile to U.S.-led attempts to stem the secondary proliferation it has made possible," said Fisher.

"All issues of peace on Earth should have precedence over notions of cooperating with China in Space - especially when any contribution to China's manned space capabilities may be used to directly increase its military-space capabilities," cautioned Fisher.

"Mr. Bigelow's inflatable space platform technology is exciting and may offer an amazing advance in our ability to build orbital and maybe lunar habitats. But it should be remembered that his ability to do so is a direct result of generations of effort and sacrifice by the American space sector and the U.S. taxpayers who have funded their progress. As it is their responsibility, it is necessary that the U.S. Congress and the relevant U.S. export control agencies review Mr. Bigelow's desire to sell his novel space technology to Communist China."

RADIO AND TV SCHEDULE Charles Smith will be on: The Jerry Hughes show on Friday, 7/16/4, at 3 p.m. Eastern time. Show information at http://www.cilamerica.com. The Charlie Smith Show on the American Freedom Network on Friday, 7/19/4, at 11 a.m. Eastern time. Show information at http://www.amerifree.com.