FOR centuries, technological supremacy was the cornerstone of Western power.

From the Industrial Revolution to the digital age, Europe and later the United States defined the trajectory of science and innovation, shaping global politics and economics. Yet as the world approaches the third decade of the 21st century, a profound shift is underway. Beyond 2030, the mantle of space station operations will rest solely with China’s Tiangong, marking the symbolic end of Western technological domination and heralding a new era of multipolar innovation. Western ascendancy was built on industrial capacity, scientific inquiry and military application. The United States, leveraging Cold War rivalry, achieved unparalleled feats in space exploration. The Apollo missions, the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station (ISS) became emblems of Western ingenuity. For decades, the ISS stood as a testament to Western-led cooperation, orbiting as a beacon of human achievement.

But no supremacy is eternal. The ISS, launched in 1998, was a marvel of multinational collaboration, yet its lifespan is finite. Technical wear, escalating costs and geopolitical frictions hasten its retirement. By the early 2030s, the ISS will be decommissioned, leaving a vacuum in orbital infrastructure. Private ventures in the West aspire to fill the gap, but none match the scale or assurance of China’s Tiangong. China’s space program, once dismissed as derivative, has matured into a formidable force. The Tiangong (Heavenly Palace) station, operational since the 2020s, represents decades of investment and ambition. Unlike the........

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