# Another China/Space question to ponder **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 19, 2005, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-china-space-question-to-ponder/326907 "2005-10-19T15:04:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2005, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-china-space-question-to-ponder/326907/1 "2005-10-19T15:04:48Z")
China uses a modified Soviet capsule for their space program. So I suppose that they could dock with the international space station. Suppose China sent some guys up and they forcefully took over the ISS? What could we do? Stop trading with China? Send up a team of Space Marines? I doubt they could do much. Is the ISS considered US soil? ---
**Author:** ![Madd\_Maxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Madd\_Maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madd_Maxx)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2005, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-china-space-question-to-ponder/326907/2 "2005-10-19T19:11:11Z")
Stop sending supplies. That ought to put a limit on how long they can comandeer the ISS. I don’t belive China’s space program is to the level of being able to send supplies/astronauts up on a regular basis as is the case with Russia and the US. In a few more years, it could be more difficult. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2005, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-china-space-question-to-ponder/326907/3 "2005-10-19T19:17:04Z")
What could they possibly gain from this? ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2005, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-china-space-question-to-ponder/326907/4 "2005-10-19T19:33:24Z")
What ever it is we gain from having the space station up there. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2005, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-china-space-question-to-ponder/326907/5 "2005-10-19T19:46:40Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Send up a team of Space Marines? I doubt they could do much. Why not? If they could take it from us, we could take it from them. Anyway, I’m guessing the response would be somewhat similar to what we’d do if the Chinese forcibly boarded a US aircraft carrier. I’m guessing it’ll involve shootin’ people. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2005, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-china-space-question-to-ponder/326907/6 "2005-10-19T19:50:47Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I’m guessing it’ll involve shootin’ people. Or tossing their asses out the door. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2005, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-china-space-question-to-ponder/326907/7 "2005-10-19T21:42:35Z")
First of all, it’s extreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeemely unlikely. Right on the same level as “Hey, what if China decided to lob a nuclear missile at some random world capital just for the hell of it?” However, if we consider the situation where somehow the leaders of China were all doing crack on the same night and they just happened to have a space craft in orbit and they just happened to be armed and they gave the order to take the ISS by force, presumeably booting its current crew out the airlock … I’m relatively certain both the US and Russia (plus any other nations who may happen to have someone there at the time) would consider it an act of war. ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Gene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@Soylent\_Gene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Gene)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-china-space-question-to-ponder/326907/8 "2005-10-20T04:36:47Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > What ever it is we gain from having the space station up there. I agree. That thing is a money pit. We should thank the Chinese if they were so inclined to take it over. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-china-space-question-to-ponder/326907/9 "2005-10-20T14:26:47Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Why not? If they could take it from us, we could take it from them. > > Anyway, I’m guessing the response would be somewhat similar to what we’d do if the Chinese forcibly boarded a US aircraft carrier. I’m guessing it’ll involve shootin’ people. I’m thinking they take it with the element of suprise. We wouldn’t have that. Perhaps they want their own space station to set up a manufactory in space for a Mars mission. Rather than build their own space station, they take this one. Yes, it’s very unlikely but what could be done. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-china-space-question-to-ponder/326907/10 "2005-10-20T16:22:32Z")
> [@Soylent Gene](#): > > I agree. That thing is a money pit. We should thank the Chinese if they were so inclined to take it over. Maybe even charge them rent? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-china-space-question-to-ponder/326907/11 "2005-10-21T21:23:09Z")
> [@](#): > > Suppose China sent some guys up and they forcefully took over the ISS? Sudden, unrestricted nuke warfare. ---
**Author:** ![bizzwire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bizzwire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizzwire)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-china-space-question-to-ponder/326907/12 "2005-10-22T23:15:55Z")
I’m with **KanicBird** \*. I say we nuke 'em from orbit; it’s the only option. \*Now _there’s_ something I never thought I’d hear myself say… ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-china-space-question-to-ponder/326907/13 "2005-10-23T00:14:46Z")
> [@bizzwire](#): > > I say we nuke 'em from orbit; it’s the only option.[/size] But how we gonna do that if they control the space station? ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-china-space-question-to-ponder/326907/14 "2005-10-23T00:16:49Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > But how we gonna do that if they control the space station? Don’t bother us with details! We are big picture people… -XT ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-china-space-question-to-ponder/326907/15 "2005-10-23T00:47:41Z")
Wait two months, watch it deorbit. It may happen anyhow. ---
**Author:** ![bizzwire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bizzwire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizzwire)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-china-space-question-to-ponder/326907/16 "2005-10-23T13:58:47Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > But how we gonna do that if they control the space station? Sorry…couldn’t resist…it’s a tag-line from \* Aliens\* ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-china-space-question-to-ponder/326907/17 "2005-10-23T15:55:11Z")
The scenerio is wildly improbably, but to point out some of the obvious difficulties: - No way to resupply unless the Chinese have the proper docking hardware, which they don’t - The ISS is controlled from somewhere in Texas. I think we could make life pretty miserable for anyone up there - No training on how to run the place - It’s a really bad idea ---
**Author:** ![dotchan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@dotchan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dotchan)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-china-space-question-to-ponder/326907/18 "2005-10-23T19:33:24Z")
Or we could always send James Bond to retake it, hopefully without blowing too much stuff up in the process. 😃