China Plans Moonbase

jfruhlinger writes: "According to this BBC news article, the Chinese government plans to put a human on the moon by 2010, with the long-term goal of 'set[ting] up a base on the moon and min[ing] its riches for the benefit of humanity.' The article seems to think that the program is more for the benefit of China's defense and aerospace industry. D'ya think they can pull it off?"

Comments

It was done with 1960s technology once...

[texchanchan]

The Americans sent men to the moon using 1960s technology. The very thought of this makes my blood run cold. However, it worked.

I'd say any sufficiently determined organization with enough money to sink into the project could build a moon base.

Another factor: They'll find it easy to recruit enthusiasts from all over the world. Imagine a brain drain toward China.

D'ya think they can pull it off?

[randomErr]

Can they get someone to and back from the moon by 2010 - Hell yes. They have at least a million young men who are willing to risk thier lives for a chance at glory and honor.

Will they do it before we do? - A resounding 'Hell yes'. They don't have to go through all the red tape that we've made for ourselves. IF the goverment says we are going to do it they will do it.

Will they establish a STABLE moon base by 2010 - Hell no. There will be too many countries trying to sabatoge those ambitions(present country included) for both political and security reasons.

I learned where the word sabatoge came from by watching Star Trek movies.

trying to be apolitical here, but...

[myc]

don't the Chinese have the right idea? That is to say, we hear a lot about how the Americans want to send a manned mission to Mars, but its unclear to me that the Americans have sufficient real-world experience in long term manned deep space missions. To first establish a long term base on the moon would go a long way towards gaining that experience. It's only 3 days away, as opposed to several years for Mars. Just a thought. Comments?

Unlike a space station it could be self sufficient

[SgtChaireBourne]

This would be great if it became a second phase of the space race. It's also a better long term move than a space station. While a space station has a lot of advantages, a moon base has more long term growth potential. Among other things, the moon itself is in a pretty stable orbit and anything under the surface is sheltered from micrometors. Then with mining and manufacturing, you have a steady supply of building materials. An excellent place for observatories, low gravity manufacturing or as a step point to the rest of the solar system.

Lets also hope it's governed by similar laws as Antarctica.

Excellent, I hope they succeed.

[Lumpy]

It's funny though, is it just talk like the russians did in the 60's and 70's? or are they serious. The united states doesnt have the balls to try something so ambitious. Hell we dont even have the capability to make a rocket as powerful as the saturn 5 anymore. (capability as in nasa's abilities and our government body having enough leaders not looking at the prostate in their own rears first hand..) Hell we made the stupid decisiot to choose a vaporware shuttle replacement over a working prototype.. and now the new shuttle program is now dead..

sorry but the US as a leader in space research is dead... put a fork in us as we are done.

It is Good(tm) Regardless

[FreeUser]

I wonder what would happen if China offered the US participation in the program. It probably would not happen but if China is serious about benefiting the whole of mankind (?) they should consider such an offer.

It is good for humanity, regardless.

If China is serious about this, maybe it will be get US Government off of its sorry ass, stop underfunding NASA, and start actually doing something to facilitate long term economic exploitation of space.

If the US doesn't get off its ass, humans will still have finally gotten off their sorry asses and begun colonizing space. Once we have colonies independent of earth, the liklihood of our extinction goes way down. This is a Good Thing(tm), regardless of whether those humans come from the United States, China, or Timbuktu.

If the Chinese manage to start another space race with the United States I will personally take my hat off to them, because apparently we (the United States, and the West in general) don't have the will, or the vision, to do it on our own, without competition from the Russians or someone else.

Maybe the threat of having the Chinese sweep away all physical proof of the lunar moon landings (to promote the absurd myth that the landings were somehow fake ... as if they had modern special effects back in 1969) will be enough to at least send someone up to secure that historical site. :-)