What's the chance of any Western country actually launching a solid core nuclear rocket, or anything else containing the word "nuclear" first? The only way it will become politically acceptable for us to do so, and even then there's a good chance for it not being, is if the Chinese do it first. The antinuclear movements are simply too strong for such a thing to happen.

The Columbia tragedy would be used to its fullest by such groups to show that our launch systems aren't safe enough. Never mind the fact that Columbia made it into orbit just fine. In China, such sentiment isn't given nearly as much weight.