China’s rapid rail + space progress is connected.
Mengzhou’s modular design feels like Dragon + Orion hybrid.
That tethered lander test was clever engineering.
ISS is aging gracefully, but Tiangong is fresh.
Lunar descent using four thrusters feels safer than one.
Tiangong is like a science condo vs ISS’s science warehouse.
Six docking ports for expansion is forward-thinking.
20 racks inside Tiangong = new science potential.
ISS clutter is a result of decades of upgrades.
Tiangong had the advantage of starting modern.