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The Chinese are no-where close? Let's define the term 'no where' shall we. Heavy lift rocket plans already exist, and we have made the plans public. Russia currently has booster engines (in production, and in current use) far more powerful than what we have ever used. We have 3 sets of booster engines, and all three are currently on display as museaum pieces at various NASA installations (Florida, Alabama and Texas). As far as telemetry, computers, life-support, and power generation goes, China is at least equal to us. Fuel Cell technology is not limited to us, and using Lithium Hydroxide as a CO2 cleanser is nothing new. China is also a dictatorship, thus; should they choose to aggressively pursue space, they will. The USA on the other hand can't decide what to do with NASA. We can't even agree if we are at war with terrorism, Afghanistan, Al-Quaida, Iraq, Iran or just Bin Laden (or a mixture of all the above). The shuttle is 30+ year old technology, and we have no timeline to upgrade existing craft. NASA has no vision, politicians have blinded it, and unions have crippled it.

The Chinese are no-where close? Let's define the term 'no where' shall we.

Yes, let's. What you've done is define just some of the elements required to get people into space. That's not the same as getting to the moon, but we may assume that they could try, and perhaps succeed. It's not all that hard, but then again, it ain't all that easy, either.

But please note that they're not just "going to the moon," they're talking about a moon BASE, and exploitation of resources, which implies a very much higher level of space logistics than merely traveling there. You might try roughing out the requirements for a lunar base sometime -- it's complicated, really expensive, and a MAJOR commitment. They aren't close to having it -- and neither were we, even at the height of Apollo.

And once again, it's important to understand that this is a geopolitical "me-too" statement. Not much of a basis for maintaining the program through the inevitable hard times such a program will endure -- not to mention that those times probably mean political (and possibly literal) death for those in the Chinese gov't who are perceived to be "patrons" of the program when it happens.

I would predict that most Chinese bureaucrats will buy in just enough to take credit if it works, but will stay far enough away to avoid blame if it doesn't. Not too hopeful.

As for the rest, it's just NASA bashing, and not worthy of comment.

When you put it like that, it seems very bleak! :-(

Can we turn off the GPS or something like that when the time comes?

Maybe we are just at the wrong historical stage of things right now. Maybe we first have to have our nuclear war with the Islamics and the Red Chinese, before we finally build the first warp drive in Montana and the vulcans come rescue us. Yeah, that's the ticket...