"Because India and China are the planet’s two emergent space powers," said Tony passionately. "China is about to launch its first manned mission. China is only the third nation on this world that is able to launch men in space. And India has an unmanned moon rocket planned for 2008. You Indians, you Chinese, you need this space capability to diminish America’s overwhelming space power. The Americans don’t need laser weapons. Not at all! If the Americans want to attack your Indian and Chinese satellites, they can fly up with a Space Shuttle and bring them down whole in one piece. "