If you come at it from the point of view of American technological and military superiority, as does Neil Armstrong, you will be dismayed:
"For a country that did so much for so long to achieve a leadership position in space exploration and exploitation, this is viewed by many as lamentably embarrassing and unacceptable," he told a congressional hearing on the future of space flight. "Nasa leaders enthusiastically assured the American people that the agency was embarking on a new age of discovery. But the termination of the shuttle, the cancellation of existing rocket and spacecraft programmes, the lay-off of thousands of aerospace workers [and] the outlook for American space activity through the next decade is difficult to reconcile with agency assertions."
Though, to be fair, there's probably an undertow of my-life's-work-pissed-away ire to Mr Armstrong' statement. Another indicator of the decline of American power, relative to other nations. In a year's time the Chinese space program will be able to put its own astronauts into space. If Americans want to reach the final frontier, for the time being, they'll have to hitch a lift with the Russians. Let's forget this is, ultimately, capitalist competition. In this race, once you lose an advantage it's very difficult to get it back.
From an abstract point of view this is a good development. Humankind's future belongs in space, just as 500 years ago European civilisation's future belonged across the ocean. The main aim of getting people into space for long periods is to reach Mars. Why? Because Mars is our prime target in the solar system. It once had an atmosphere, water and volcanism. Did it also have life? Might it still have life now in the form of a stealth biosphere? These questions have numerous implications, including right here on Earth. I have been reading about the adventures of the twin Mars Exploration Rovers. Achievements though they are, they have covered in years what would have taken a scientist days to achieve. Mars can only really be explored by human beings.
But this is not an abstract question. As we have mentioned this mini-space race is part of capitalist competition. This leads to tremendous cost and waste. Why does humanity need two competing space stations? Because of the capitalist nature of the race, states use huge, secretive, bureaucratic agencies. Amongst other drawbacks, the true cost of various programmes is only now coming to light.
The only long-term viable way to explore space is through open, accountable co-operation.