It will be difficult to overtake whoever colonizes orbit first because they will have made a significant evolutionary leap. Thus, that’s why West is freaking out over this. It will be entirely unfamiliar to them that someone will occupy new frontiers with an infinite resource base (Russia) and they (USA/West) won’t be there, for it’s own resources are barely able to help themselves with after squandering it all…
Open your eyes people and wake up…
WtR
PS: I will let this info sink in and maybe later express why this is so important…