China's Strategic Space Infrastructure Development Raises Global Climate Data Stakes
China is increasingly treating space as a critical component of its national infrastructure, focusing on building sovereign capabilities across various strategic layers of the space economy. This includes the development of systems like BeiDou for navigation, Tiangong for orbital infrastructure, and Gaofen for Earth observation. These efforts are part of a broader strategy to ensure independence from Western-controlled systems and to enhance China's geopolitical influence. The United States, while still leading in commercial space innovation and scientific depth, faces challenges in maintaining its dominance due to budgetary issues and over-reliance on private companies like SpaceX. The article highlights the importance of maintaining robust public science institutions like NASA and NOAA to support climate data infrastructure, which is becoming increasingly vital for managing physical risks in the economy. 
