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?"

Comments

Re:Yes, the point seems to have escaped you.

[Asprin]

Hrumph.

I suspect there is little if any interest in any sort of manned space program. Rather, this is a nice cover for a testing program to work the bugs out of the missle guidance systems Clinton sold to them in the 90's. Notice how the "capsule" is nicely affixed to the top of a "missle". Curious, that. Whether they actually get a man into space is secondary, the real insterest is in being able to control the rocket over long distances.

Re:Yes, the point seems to have escaped you.

[Ouroboro]

Notice how the "capsule" is nicely affixed to the top of a "missle".

A couple of questions, and a point:

• Where would you want to affix the "capsule" to a missile. It seems to me that the top has been established as the appropriate position. If you have a design to allow the suspension of the capsule underneath the missile, I would suggest you get that patented as soon as possible. ;)
• What else would you expect them to affix a capsule to the top of. A catapult? Would you be happier if they had called it a rocket, or a launch vehicle?
• Placing quotes around something only makes you look like a "sarcastic bastard", and doesn't really help to make your point.

Slashdot and anti-China

[jman11]

What is it with bringing down China on /. at the moment? It seems that due to China being behind the USoA and Europe that everything it tries to do, in a technological sense (see the Dragon chip comments), is demeaned as being about Chinese ego and sticking it to the West.

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.

• One is self sufficiency: China has been a terribly unpopular country and to be secure doesn't want to be absolutely dependant on the USoA and EU for it's survival. In fact all countries do this for various items, it shouldn't be surprising that the world's largest does it too.
• Another is that 1 billion people live in China and surely they could make a contribution to technology, but first you have to catch up to where everyone is. You can't catch up just by copying; you just have to develop it yourself. Do they teach automotive engineers how to designa car by showing them a Ferrari and saying "OK improve that?" No, they get them to design dinky little things and learn about what has already been done by others.
• Also Western technology isn't always that good or the best. Maybe someone in China doesn't like the failure rates, maybe they don't like the implementation, hell maybe they just don't like the colour. For whatever reason some one in China thinks they can do it better and tries.
• And this is the ultimate. Maybe one day in the future they won't have to put up with the sanctimonious crap from the USoAians and EUians.

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.

Re:Short-sighted

[medcalf]

That is probably just a consequence of doing space exploration as a government activity. After all, there are people out there right now calling for the US to stop fighting the war on terror and focus on "the real problem" (prescription drugs, unemployment, fatty foods at McDonald's or whatever). Until the US stops discouraging private enterprise in space, and we get a private-sector example to go by, this situation will likely continue.

Developing a Tiger Economy

[judowillreturns]

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.