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Chinese Launch 4th Shenzhou
Heartbreak writes "Spaceref and others are reporting that China has launched its fourth and possibly final unmanned test of the Shenzhou capsule atop one of their Long March missiles---with a possible manned orbital flight to follow next year.
The Shenzhou appears to be essentially a larger and more maneuverable version of the venerable Russian Soyuz. Aside from a boost to Chinese national pride, the point of duplicating Soviet space achievements of the '70's and '80's escapes me. Will they eventually send four men to the moon?"
Shenzhou launches YOU!!!
Aside from a boost to Chinese national pride, the point of duplicating Soviet space achievements of the '70's and '80's escapes me. Will they eventually send four men to the moon?"
The point is that they don't have their own manned launch vehicle. If they want to have any sort of manned space program, they need to start somewhere, and why not with a proven design. You have to realize that given their current standing in the world it would probably be hard for them to rent out time on the space shuttle, which is the only other currently viable option for getting your ass into space. Unless you count in the gondola of a high altitude baloon.
When I want your opinion I will beat it out of you.
Sorry. Mod this way the hell down.
If you think that way: Why explore America again, when the Vikings and Spanish already did it?
70's technology like the Space shuttle and Delta rockets are sending US payloads into space every day. The Soyuz spacecraft is/was providing essential supply replenishment missions to the ISS on a monthly basis.
Dismissing a technology because it is old is a dumb idea -- the technology behind the Soyuz is tested and reliable, and I'm sure that the improvements the Chinese make will modernize the platform further.
If NASA had invested billions in refurbishing the Space Shuttle, rather than squandering billions on a "Space Plane" that does the same thing as the shuttle, we'd probaly have a cheaper, more effective and more efficient space shuttle today.
Conformity is the jailer of freedom and enemy of growth. -JFK
the point of duplicating Soviet space achievements of the '70's and '80's escapes me.
I think it's a 'retro' phase china is going through
The Russians have the only space tourism business going right now, based on very old (and reliable) Soyuz technology. The Chinese design is apparently an improvement - they mention better heat shields for one thing. Note also that the Russian Soyuz capsules are only rated for 6 months in space and haven't gone beyond low Earth orbit; the Chinese have stated plans to to a bit more than that...
Energy: time to change the picture.
The comments of "it's already been done - yeah by us!" and that "they should just use Company X's shit" seem to be bandied about with gay abandon.
There are very good reasons for China to try and develop their own technologies, and for the most part they aren't about ego. More than what follows, but these are a couple.
That's right, the continual we are better than you from the EU and the USoA. Where's the huge stink that the EU is putting up a GPS system when the USoA already has one there. What about all those dickheads in the EU (and some in the USoA) trying to build a new OS, we've already got a great one that is ubiquitous. That's right this is the EU, the EU is advanced and can justify what they are doing. China isn't and can't.
Moderators, here's a tip. This disagrees with the majority opinion and is maybe a little controversial. So you must vote this "-1: Troll", rather than "+1:controversial" or "+1:thought provoking" (which you'll note are not options). Yeah and to end this note fork you.
"bandied about with gay abandon"
"Aside from a boost to Chinese national pride, the point of duplicating Soviet space achievements of the '70's and '80's escapes me."
This coming from a website know for supporting space exploration... It seems lika the people who are against the space exploraion.
"Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds !"
Well, obviously you are out of touch. Here in the Grand Old Party, we know that the HEATHEN CHINEE are the source of all our problems!
For example, clearly the problems with the economy are due to Clinton's pandering to the Chinese, as so ably and accurately documented in the conservative media.
Another example is anti-Jesus candidate Al Gore, who is actually controlled by demon-worshiping chinese "bhuddists". Gore's treasonous challenge to the electoral process was clearly at the behest of his chinese puppeteers! This is also extremely well documented in the well-written and accurate conservative media.
And anyone who says different is clearly in the pay of New York Jewish Liberals.
All hail Saint Reagan!
Thank you.
Um, look, missiles have WARHEADS, which are those explodey things? Remember those?
Multi-purpose boosters can be outfitted with warheads, at which point they become missiles.
You don't call the Soyuz a missile, and it's on the same booster as a Soviet nuke... can we try for some consistency, or is that too much to ask?
Hmm, would that be like Reagan selling hypersonic cruise missiles to Arabs? I was THERE, dude.
How about when Reagan declared that the PDP-11 computer had no military use and that it could be sold to Russians? At the time, I was putting the finishing touches on software to test the Peacekeeper (AKA "MX") nuclear missile... using a PDP-11/34, how about that!
Why do the Chinese give dittoheads such a hate-woody, anyway? Why does everything they do have to be about hurting the US, don't you think they might have a few other priorities?
What China is trying to do is a very good idea. If it locally produces all its own 'stuff' (Computer chips, space craft etc..) it provides people with jobs.
These people can now afford to buy more.
There is a larger demand for products, and for a rise in quality.
Therefore more people get jobs, and better ones too.
Repeat until rich.
South Korea and other Asian countries are doing just this to immense sucess. Japan did it, and they are a economic super-power.
Think before you speak, people.
It is wonderful that they are making such progress with their space program. The Chinese and perhaps the Europeans will hopefully assume the responsibility for leading and inspiring the children of Earth toward such high and seemingly pointless goals. While the US heads into a downward spiral of wound-licking, and Russia grapples with REAL problems, at least somebody will still provide fuel for our dreams. I think I'll send them some money, to support my son's future -- to give him more to aspire to than mere fame or fortune.
Strange things are afoot at the Circle-K.
You wrote:
after running the oritinal quote through my home-brewed sarcasm filter, I got:
No offense intended, just a weak attempt at humor a little more congruent with the master flame baiter's post...
Damn /. makes me have a body.
All that is true, but the the real failure is the inability to decide where to go. The Shuttle is, indeed, a politically compromised piece of 1970's engineering designed to cheaply haul stuff to orbit. Turns out it's not cheap, but now we have a truck whose only purpose is to build a truck stop (ISS). It's as if Lewis and Clark spent their budget building a houseboat moored at St Louis rather than setting out to the West.
Better to set a goal -- a destination -- and build the infrastructure needed to get there. Go to Mars? Fine, then build the boosters and spacecraft to get there. Establish a permanent presence on the Moon? Fine, then do it.
-- Slashdot: When Public Access TV Says "No"
While China continues to grow technologically as well as economically the world's attention is devoted to terrorism thanks to 9/11 - it's probably the best thing that could have happened to China. China was going to be the next USSR and now they have nearly a clear run at becoming an extremely dominant force on the world scene with very little harrassment from the U.S. while getting there.
Doesn't the U.S. still have a pretty tight government hold one what goes into orbit? NASA is a government agency.
What do you think would happen if China decided to "open up space" to the paying public? Well, the paying commerical public? I'm not talking about tourism, I'm talking about undercutting NASA for getting commerical satellites up in orbit.
China is going to continue to become a bigger and bigger force in the world while our attention is on little ole bin Laden.