TECHNOLOGY INVADES SHANGRI-LA 

FIFTY YEARS AGO HOLLYWOOD ADDED A NEW WORD TO THE LANGUAGES OF THE WORLD WHEN THEY CREATED THE CLASSIC FILM "LOST HORIZON". THE WORD WAS "SHANGRI-LA". AND IT DESCRIBED A DISTANT LAND HIGH IN THE TIBETAN REGION OF THE HIMALAYAS. THIS IDYLLIC ENCLAVE WAS THE EPITOMY OF TRANQUILITY WITH INTELLIGENT AND HAPPY INHABITANTS LIVING IN A TROPICAL PARADISE PROTECTED FROM HARSH WEATHER AND THE OUTSIDE WORLD BY THE SURROUNDING MOUNTAIN RANGES.

A FEW DECADES LATER THE WORLD GOT ANOTHER GLIMPSE OF THE REALITY OF THIS FABLED PARADISE WHEN THE DALAI LAMA, SPIRITUAL LEADER OF THE TIBETAN BUDDHISTS, ESCAPED TO INDIA AS ANOTHER PERIODIC CHINESE PURGE SWEPT THROUGH THOSE MIGHTY PLATEAUS.

TODAY, THE LATEST IN HIGH TECHNOLOGY -- A CANADIAN-MADE "EARTH STATION" -- BRINGS HIGH SPEED COMMUNICATIONS TO LHASA, A LOCATION STILL DIFFICULT TO REACH BY NORMAL TRANSPORTATION.

THE IMPLICATIONS BEHIND THIS DRAMA ARE IMMENSE. IT MEANS THAT CHINA IS ON THE MOVE. AND MOVING FAST. UNENCUMBERED BY HUGE INVESTMENTS IN THE RESTRICTIVE TECHNOLOGY OF THE INDUSTRIAL AGE, THE CHINESE ARE INSTALLING THE VERY LATEST COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT TO BRING THEIR ONE BILLION PEOPLE RAPIDLY INTO THE THIRD MILLENNIUM.

THERE IS A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY THAT CANADIANS MAY SOON BE WATCHING THEIR FAVORITE HOCKEY GAMES AND PROGRAMS SUCH AS THE CBC NEWS COURTESY OF CHINESE SATELLITE LAUNCHING FACILITIES. WE ARE NOT ALONE. WITH THE AMERICAN SPACE SHUTTLE DISASTER STILL HOLDING UP ANY PROGRESS FROM THE U.S., OTHERS AROUND THE WORLD ARE MOVING IN FAST TO FILL THE VACUUM IN THIS MULTI-BILLION-DOLLAR GLOBAL LAUNCH MARKET. CHINA HASN'T BEEN AS FAST TO MOVE AS FRANCE, BUT CHINESE PRICES ARE THE LOWEST AND THEIR RECENT STRING OF 19 SUCCESSFUL LAUNCHES VIA THEIR "LONG MARCH-3" SPACE ROCKET SHOWS A RECORD SUPERIOR TO ANY OTHER COUNTRY.

SWEDEN WAS THE FIRST COUNTRY TO SIGN UP FOR FLIGHT ABOARD CHINA'S LAUNCH VEHICLES. THE SWEDISH ELECTRONIC MAIL SYSTEM WILL USE THEIR SATELLITE "MAILSTAR" TO SPEED UP THEIR ALREADY-EFFICIENT POSTAL SERVICE. GREAT BRITAIN AND PAKISTAN HAVE ALSO DONE MORE THAN JUST EXPRESS INTEREST. THREE AMERICAN CORPORATIONS, INCLUDING WESTERN UNION, HAVE TENTATIVE ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE CHINESE TO LAUNCH THEIR SATELLITES. XINHUA, THE CHINESE NEWS AGENCY, HAS ANNOUNCED THAT BRAZIL WILL HAVE FOUR "BIRDS" LAUNCHED BY THE CHINESE BY 1992.

ANOTHER CHINESE PROPOSAL IS TO DEVELOP, IN COOPERATION WITH SINGAPORE, A MORE EFFICIENT EQUATORIAL LAUNCH SITE IN INDONESIA. SUCH A LOCATION COULD CAPITALIZE ON THE GREATER MASS OF THE EARTH AT THE EQUATOR AND PROVIDE AN EVEN MORE COMPETITIVE LAUNCHING PLATFORM.

WITH JAPAN DEDICATED TO LAUNCHING THEIR OWN SPACE SHUTTLE BY 1992 AND CHINA PLANNING TO DUPLICATE THAT BY THE YEAR 2000, WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO MORE ACTION IN THE SKIES IN THE YEARS AHEAD.

* * *

< previous | chapter index | next >
back to Main Chapter Listing
back to Home Page