Slashdot Mirror
China's Space Launch Near; Malaysia Wants One, Too
Enoch Root writes "According to an article on People's Daily Online, a Chinese news service, the first Chinese manned space launch is set to take place in the next few days, between October 15th and October 17th. Space.com has an interesting article on the subject, including a satellite snapshot of the Jiuquan, strongly suggesting the imminent launch." And alphaque writes "Malaysia is calling for interested applicants aged 21 and above to be its first cosmonaut aboard the International Space Station. The ability to speak Russian and prior space exploration experience is a definite plus, they say. Applications can be made online at your nearest astronaut recruitment site. Light sabres optional. Now the floodgates are open. Boldly go where no Malaysian has gone before -- to space, the final frontier." Offer is for Malaysians only, though.
Bloody proprietary media viewers! BTW, fp
I managed to get a copy of the chinese launch computer setup instructions...
Welcome to Microsoft's Windows 3.11 Install step by step (Text Only). This will give you an idea on how to do this when and if the time arises for you to either reinstall the operating system, install for the first time or upgrade your present operating system.
Well for this I will show you the install for Microsoft Windows 3.1. Now follow the following steps.
1. Install MSDOS first using the 3 install disks.
2. Once this is done boot up using hard drive.
3. Now go to the A: prompt by typing A: and hitting enter
4. Now type Setup
The "Welcome to Setup" screen will now appear. Hit enter to continue.
You will now be prompted for custom or express setup. Just hit enter for Express
Windows will start copying files to the hard drive, let this continue.
You will then be prompted for disk 2, insert disk 2 and hit enter to continue.
Windows will continue to copy files.
Then the screen looking for "Name" and "Company" will appear and the mouse will become active. Fill in your name and company, click on continue when finished.
You will then be asked to verify the information, click on continue
If using a boot disk to install you will get message about copying system files, click cancel to continue.
Now you will be prompted for Disk 3. Insert before clicking on "Continue"
Windows will continue to copy files..
Now you will be prompted for Disk 4. Insert before clicking on "Continue"
Windows will continue copying files to the hard drive, let this continue.
Now you will be prompted for Disk 5. Insert before clicking on "Continue"
Windows will continue copying files to the hard drive, let this continue.
Now you will be prompted for Disk 6. Insert before clicking on "Continue"
Windows will continue copying files to the hard drive, let this continue.
You will get the a warning about config.sys and autoexec.bat changes, click ok to continue.
And now you have an option to install your printer. Use no printer attached (you may install a printer from windows itself) and click "Install".
Windows install is finished. You may now watch the tutorial on using windows and a mouse or you can skip it. Select as needed
And that is it all finished. Return to dos and reboot the computer to access windows 3.1
I live in a general state of malaise. Does taht make me Malaysian?
If Mr. Edison had thought smarter he wouldn't sweat as much. --Nikola Tesla
... between October 15th and October 17th
That would be October 16th, then...
Congratulations and Thank You, China.
Here in the US our Space Program is hampered by whiny politicans who complain about its cost and by people who don't seem to understand that anytime you make people sit ontop of a several story tall candle and light it under their asses there's a big risk involved.
But if there's one thing we hate more than spending money and risk, it's being shown up by Godless Communist Heathen Scum like you. So this will spur the Republicans to have a Moon Base in no time!
Edward@Tomato - /home/Edward/ man woman
man: no entry for woman in the manual.
"Qua!?"
Du bisch de Chef
that's right. you won't be needing any shoddily engineered vehicle/model rocket cam to go for this ride/see the light.
lookout bullow.
the daze of the felonious phonIE georgewellian fuddite southern baptist freemason payper liesense softwar gangster corepirate nazi stock markup FraUD execrable, is WANing into coolapps/the abyss.
consult with/trust in yOUR creator....
for each of the creator's innocents harmed, there is a badtoll that must/will be repaid by you/US, as the aforementioned perpetrators of the life0cide against humankind, will not be available to make reparations, after the big flash.
Mentioning geopolitics on Slashdot will be considered flamebait and modded as such.
... for all /. heroes :)
CC.
TaijiQuan (Huang, 5 loosenings)
Auso !?
Gruessech !
I don't have a light sabor, but I have a cool golfball retriever. I do a mean Darth-Maul impersonation too. I made a video application here
Thanks for your time,
Star Wars Kid
-a
Sorry, no terrorists need apply. The last thing we need is a fucking extremist blowing up the ISS. Get rid of your extremist leader, Malaysians, before you expect the Int'l community to take you seriously. Religion is a fucking fairy tale, so if you want to play with 21st century technology, leave your 14th century superstitions behind.
By the way, whenever I see that television commercial on CNN Int'l for Malaysia tourism ("Malaysia is a land of tolerance, people living in harmony, etc.") I almost bust a gut laughing. Yeah, whatever. Terrorists.
Competition is good.
If the Chinese launch succeeds, it should kick some NASA executive bootie.
In Soviet Russia, I ruled you
Do we ever kill anyone? Of course not.
Oh come on, you're being overly negative. It isn't that hard to find pictures of many of the tens of thousands of innocent civilians lately slaughtered in Iraq. Somewhere like The Memory Hole has lots of piccies of dead little kids, for instance, if that's your kind of thing.
Just don't go saying you never get your money's worth.
Does anybody have a source for those pictures that *doesn't* require the Viewpoint Player (which isn't supported on Linux)?
The next Cmdr Taco duplicate will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush and see it early!
""It is not that expensive,'' he said, adding that the plan to send a Malaysian into space was part of a RM3.42bil deal to purchase Sukhoi SU-30 MKN fighter jets from Russia. "
Basically it's like the tourist trips before (once again only to the Russian part of the station?) - this time bundled with some fighter jets (wtf?).
Guess the Malaysian part is quite significant (developing country and all)... but do you realize how much troll food has just been provided?
Me too, me too!!!
More crap in suborbital space to fall on our heads whilst we are not looking. When will the madness stop. There is too much trash in space already, does the world really need any more? The answer, is an emphatic NO!.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
See this sciscoop article on a new proposal for the future of US human spaceflight - I'm told this was prepared at the request of the White House, so both the administration and Congress are looking seriously at what to do next.
Energy: time to change the picture.
They have their own rapidly growing technology sector, including china developed chips and Red Flag linux and they are building their own space agency. Investmenting in technology is crucial to challenging the US lead economically, politically and militarily.
They have little or no foreign debt and growing economic power...
This rather than being the New American Century is likely to be Chinese!
---- The Open Source Record Label : : LOCARECORDS.COM
Your cries of 'Hooray America!' will only empower the Nazi Rulers to continue to ironhold grip on power in that country You only enable them to continue to torture and repress Iraqi's, and other nations, and maintain their country as a owner and user of everybody's slave labor. You guys make me sick.
Yes i completely agree.
This is just as America was at the height of its righteous campaign to clear all them commies from its civilians, and then started a space program....
Erm
Decisions made in one part of decision space are not necasserily of influence on those made in others.....
...your post is +1000 Insightful.
The ability to speak Russian and prior space exploration experience is a definite plus, they say
How can any Malaysians have prior space exploration experience, if no Malaysian has ever gone to space?
No they did that esca-later.
Har har.
If China's rocket misfires...
It will be easy to motivate our fellow man; there is hardly anything people treasure more than not being annihilated.
All Malaysians can apply to be the first Malaysian in space, and experience in space is a plus?
That's like Columbus hiring sailors saying "Experience in traveling to America is a plus".
Yes, I know he was trying to reach India.
I want one too!
according to the bbc, the telecast of the lauch will not be shown live.
t m
here is the link http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3189416.s
I knew there was something suspicious about the Petronis Towers! :-)
-- "To ask a question is to show ignorance; Not to ask a question means you'll remain ignorant."
Buzz Aldrin has some comments on how we ought to behave in this article. Also note a new position paper on human spaceflight from the National Space Society, and Congres is meeting this Thursday morning (session to be webcast!) to discuss The Future of Human Spaceflight. Should be an interesting week...
Energy: time to change the picture.
---- The Open Source Record Label : : LOCARECORDS.COM
I cannot visit this Open Source site, because it's only visible using a Closed Source technology. Perhaps you could ask your friends there to consider creating a non-Flash version for the rest of us? Thanks.
You said it, in the 1400s they had rockets. At what stage was the US space race back then?
Nei stimmt nod. ich bi de chef!
Mir want au es racketli! Erschti Auguscht fur alli!
It never ceases to amaze me how much hate some people reserve for any other nation than America, be it in Europe, Asia or Africa that achieves any goal in science or technology. Wouldn't trying to achieve something with your own lives possibly make you happier? (Hmmm, scratch that, it probably wouldn't)
I am amazed at the very well paced programme that the Chinese have concentrated on. In some ways it's very simple, in that the technology is known, but in another light that same simple technology allows them to proceed almost flawlessly (compared to the more messy NASA high tech experimentations that have gotten exactly nowhere) and to achive a working human launch capacity that is both affordable and robust.
I hope this will be a kicck in the butt to both NASA and ESA to actually do something themselves instead of wallowing in self pity and fear. Here's looking to a revival of the Hermes spaceplane and a robust and cheap NASA human launch capacity. Competition is good.
China's space program, America's tax dollars at work.
Except that space programs are government run and not really capitalistic in any sense.
If Mr. Edison had thought smarter he wouldn't sweat as much. --Nikola Tesla
If it was an achievement when the Rusians and Americans did it then it's still an acheivement now. They are just not the first to do it that's all. But then again neither were the Americans.
That's very perceptive of you Mr Stapleton and rather unexpected in a G Major
The way i see it, the goal of humanity is to continually improve life for our species. Its totally non logical to try to do that yourself. That is, two heads are better than one, or in this case 6 billion or so heads are better than 1 billion or so heads. But im not aiming this at China, I'm also aiming it at rusia and the US, which are basiclly the only countries (that i know of) to have mad a significant impact on space travel. Because if they had thought about it before they made their great triumphs, than we'd prolly had done what they planned to do a lot earlier and maybe more.
Some call it the space race. It is not a race. Who cares what country got to space first, or what country got to the moon first, we're humans or beings. And i know some may be thinking im like this cause i am Australian, and we havnt committed anything to space travel but seriously, if Australia tried to get to mars first, without outside help, I'd be pissed off at the mismanagement of the whole thing.
The facts are, as i said, if funding and expertise came from around the world, we'd all have a better chance at getting where we want to be, a lot faster and maybe with a smaller rate of fatalities. Put aside the pride of your nation for one moment and lets pool together the pride we have of being human.
The only times when we seem to come to together is to kill someone such as in a war. Lets do something GOOD together! That way, we'll be come better more quickly and everyone will have the same advantages as everybody else.
Its a dream anyway. The fact that some people might agree with me doesnt help. This message needs to be sent to our presedents, prime ministers or "rullers" to show them that we dont care who makes it first, just that it should happen for the good of all humanity!
Another point. This is ultamatly something that will help everyone, and the fact that a specific group of tax payers (chineese) are paying for something that has already been completed is a shame. The old saying, re-inventing the wheel. A very important rule of engineering, yet we're still doing it.
Giving IE users a taste of their own medicine since 2005 - http://pods.-is-a-geek.net/
Mozilla/Konquerer on Linux:
/end rant
Trying to view the image link results in a popup window (in addition to the advertising one) containing this:
Unsupported Configuration
We're sorry, but you're using either an unsupported browser or operating system. Please review our system requirements.
You may still download the player, but must install and use it with a supported system configuration.
Instructions
1) Download the Viewpoint Media Player Installer for Macintosh or Windows.
2) When the download is complete quit all running applications and launch the installer.
3) After installation is complete launch your browser and return to the page that contains Viewpoint content.
Oh, really? Install your proprietary image viewer to look at *pictures* on your website? "Quit all running applications"? Sounds suspiciously like spyware to me...hmm. Google...first link....Yup.
permlink
Yeah, I know, it says "A CUID is never connected to a user's name, email address, or other personal contact information. "
I don't care. There is no reason in the Seven Hells that I should have to install a third party viewer to look at pictures from anyone's website. It's not paranoia; why should I have to interrupt my browsing experience, even once, to install more unnecessary clutter on a system?
Space.com didn't used to be this bad. One more website I won't bother to go to anymore.
Sigh.
(I couldn't see the image at all in Mozilla, where I had popup off; so I tried in Konq and saw the popup; this note just to head off the people trying to tell me about the anti-popup feature in Moz)
SB
It's old. The more humans I meet, the more I like my cats. At least they are honest.
I believe that exposure to 'Star Trek' counts in that area.
(Extra credits for Dr Who, Reddwarf, Farscape, Babylon 5 and star wars)
Be you Admins? nay, we are but lusers!
CNN.com: China scraps live TV space plan
All those years ago the dicey first flights of Alan Shepherd, John Glenn, Apollo 8, and STS-1 were broadcast live. In the US our technical successes and failures are there for all to see. What's your excuse China?
an ill wind that blows no good
Offer is for Malaysians only...
probably just for Malays....that country discriminates heavily against all minorities. If you aren't Malay and muslim you are trash.
Right Here
It probably wasn't a good idea to show a first attempt at manned space flight. If something does go wrong, China would have to admit that it still couldn't duplicate the success of the late 1950's even after purchasing their whole space program from the Russians.
Does playing Elite count?? Otherwise, how the hell are you going to get that one on your resume?
The dangers of excessive individualism are nothing compared to the oppressiveness of excessive collectivism
There is no way, on current trends, that China will be able to challenge the US as an economic power. There aren't the resources on the planet to raise China to the economic level of the United States or Europe.
While I loathe to respond to the nation bashing that weaves this thread, I think that there is a valid reason to speak against China. I think that China's policy towards human rights is horrible. From Tianamen Square to Falun Gong oppression (and no, I don't believe in religion, but I believe you should be able to practice,) China has abused its citizens. And I think history had proved that the communist governments tend to act this way. So when a rocket is built by a nation paid for by the taxes of citizens, who never got to vote for the people who decided the rocket should be built... It is hideous. It is very hard to be celebratory.
No, the US isn't perfect. But we don't arrest people for their religion, we allow people to vote, we honor personal achievement, science, etc etc etc. When we went to the moon in 1969, there were ticker tape parades, spontaneous celebration... heck , people camped out in Florida to see the launch. In china there might be state sponsored/forced events, but I doubt you'll see anything like what happened in the US
Do you believe the chinese are as enthusiastic? do you know why?
I love science, achievement, technology... but what good are all those if we don't have the freedom needed to create and use those things?
Reason, free market capitalism, and individualism
The more countries who have the me too attitude the better the chances of the U.S. getting off thier asses and going to mars. If we don't establish a larger presence in space first the other countries will militarize it first.
it's not to say that the U.S. won't do it.
reminds me of the political cartoon of Pakistan developing Nuclear weapons and they had thier bomb strapped to the back of a donkey to deliver thier payload.
Science fiction is often a glimpse of the things to come. If so, I'd hate to live in the world of The Middle-Kingdom.
= 9J =
Seriously, this is the country that seems to have adopted "Hey, I can do that!" as its national motto.
... and yes, I'm Malaysian, and I know exactly what I'm talking about.
... and I think this is cool too. :-D
Just wait and see. Come launch time it'll be "Hey Singapore, watch this!11!!" (those who know the love-hate competition between those two neighbouring countries will get this).
Really, considering the state of the economy and all the crap going on with Iraq/Afganistan I think the US has something better to do than do something on the Moon. They (China and US) need to work on things here on Earth.
The surprise isn't how often we make bad choices; the surprise is how seldom they defeat us.
Of course whoever does something first is better and smarter. IS that is why we have Linux and are now educating the bassackward US businesses how to use it?
"The only way to catch tiger cubs is to go into the tiger's den."
Malaysia is calling for interested applicants ... to be its first cosmonaut ... prior space exploration experience is a definite plus ... Offer is for Malaysians only
This is like a recent help wanted ad demanding at least six years of experience for a Windows 2000 Data Center admin.
$#%^ing HR...
Here and here you can see the image taken on Oct. 4, in a more conventional format.
My exception safety is -fno-exceptions.
s/Petronis/Petronas
fixing typo...
-- Hasbullah bin Pit (sebol)
No, the Chinese are probably going end up making a big crater somewhere in Mongolia. This IS their first try, you know, and they have had major quality control issues with their submarines. I would imagine a manned space mission would be even more complicated than a boomer.
Is this a sigs-optional kind of place? 'Cause I am totally down with that if you know what I mean.
All major news sites are filled with small technical mistakes and oversights. However, just because a website is called 'Space.com' doesn't mean it is any more accurate.
In the text associated with the image of the launch site they state Also take note of a neighboring and comparable launch pad. I assume they are refering to the large tower in the bottom right.
However, if you look closely, there are no tracks going to the tower (tracks have curves, not 135 degree angles). Instead there are a heap of pipes leading to the launch tower.
This second tower should be the LOX processing and storage plant. I'm not an expert, but it's just a little annoying when a 'space' site goes overboard on the tech pr0n.
To all those griping about the Malaysian "help wanted" - prior space exploration experience doesn't HAVE to mean they've been to space. Support, logistics, engineering, etc, done from the ground would fit that description, too - and NASA, for one, has plenty of foreign nationals working in positions like that. Possibly even Malaysians.
:::The Spear in the heart of the Other is the Spear in the heart of You; You are He - Surak of Vulcan:::
This IS their first try
First MANNED try. There have already been four launches of the same model vehicle unmanned. Compare this with the US only launching two Gemini (Titan II) unmanned before strapping Gus Grissom inside the third.
Not that there's anything patently wrong in affirmative action programmes (if implemented in the right spirit), but just to point out.
Well, Malaysia is not alone in that. I can cite research on this, but it's a facet of every multi-ethnic { region | country }.A simple observation:- Ethnic Indians in Singapore, which is usually considered more meritocratic than the abang up north, often complain that in public buses and MRT's, the seat next to theirs is the last to be filled. Latent racism? I don't know; mmmmay be not. But that's a phenomenon that you'll find in other multi-racial cities as well; if I'm not wrong, there was a study in London that showed exactly that. People tend to stick with people of common ethnic descent. Deal with it.
I would have agreed with you had you said affirmative action is necessary for social justice or something, but this, sorry, is plain stupid.Malaysia hasn't seen a racial flare-up mainly because of strong governance, and perhaps, the fact that the ruling coalition has representation from all three major races. That is, not many feel dis-enfranchised from the political process; not much cause for dissent from the Union. That the region saw an electronics boom in the 90's only helped the cause.
More to the point, the bumiputra policy, as you said, is to mostly keep the majority population happy at the expense of the minority. So why haven't they rebelled? Scroll above.
More than mere navel gazing.
"Of course whoever does something first is better and smarter. IS that is why we have Linux and are now educating the bassackward US businesses how to use it?"
And you have Linux because of UNIX. And UNIX was created by...
Anyone?
AMERICANS!
WOOOOOOH! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
Why do users with IDs under 100,000 or over 700,000 usually have the most worthwhile comments?
Allegedly, there will be live television coverage of the launch. Anyone know how to get a peek?
Shut up and eat your vegetables!!!
Boldly go where no Malaysian has gone before -- to space, the final frontier." Offer is for Malaysians only, though.
What, no H1B visas accepted?
Ok, first manned try is what I meant. If the others had failed, it wouldn't be as embarrassing as the manned one going splat. After the problems China has had manufacturing very small numbers of fighters, submarines, etc. I wouldn't want to be the poor sucker they strap into it.
..so no hurry is going to happen at NASA I belive.
Capitalism (coporate interests) I do think will go on with the most obsolete, useless, bloddy and expensive space program in the world.. yes ladies and geeks... the Space Shuttle!!. The hurry now is to get the suttle back in space so all of NASA suppliers keep earning thier buck.
What is the deal with this bullshit moderation? -1 flamebait isn't fair at all. This is a legit post...
Perhaps this will bancrupt their communist economy and then their people might just be freed.
Yep, that's what I thought. Especially considering it started life as +2.
I noticed this interesting observation in today's nytimes article on the upcoming launch:
The Chinese named their spacecraft Shenzhou or Divine Vessel. Weighing more than 8 tons and almost 30 feet long, it was slightly larger and heavier than the Soyuz. The main difference is the forward unit, which on the Shenzhou has solar panels and can remain in orbit after the piloted module descends back to Earth.
Why would you want to leave a powered section of your spaceship in space every time you do a launch? Possibly so that after hundreds of launches you have hundreds of building blocks up there, floating around and ready for assembly?
That's a quantum shift in space strategy. Hopefully the U.S. will adopt a similar policy.
You are the kind of stupid asshole I hope never rises to power. Even in our disarmed state, the US has the potential to cause global catastrophe - we have by orders of magnitude the largest operational arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. The Chinese aren't exactly scratching for bombs either, and they're far more likely to use them. All we need is to piss off China or Korea to the point that they nuke Japan and bring the world economy to its knees.
This is more than about a space launch. This is about China telling the world that it has arrived and that things are going to be different in the International arena.
It is difficult to guess how. China is no more a strategic threat then it has been. They have no global military reach and unlikely to obtain one in the near future. US carrier groups steaming through the Taiwan Straits are symbolic of that. Except for Tibet China and the derelict DPRK China exerts very little political influence and has nothing to offer the world idealogically.
I wouldn't read to much into the space launch either. The Chinese space program consists of a repainted Soyuz sitting on top of a Long March rocket. It would have been far more impressive if Chinese industry had developed the spacecraft themselves.
They have their own rapidly growing technology sector, including china developed chips [zdnet.co.uk] and Red Flag linux [redflag-linux.com] and they are building their own space agency [yahoo.com]. Investmenting in technology is crucial to challenging the US lead economically, politically and militarily.
All true. But politically China is run by a bunch of gangsters trying there best to keep a lid on revolution and placate a freedom starved population. Can China's leadership ever be comfortable projecting power on the world stage when they have so many skeletons in the closet at home.
They have little or no foreign debt [uscc.gov] and growing economic power [cato.org]...
They have a non-market currency whose low value gives them a temporary trade advantage, but is not sustainable.
This rather than being the New American Century [newamericancentury.org] is likely to be Chinese!I wouldn't say that this is a new American Century, just another American Century.
an ill wind that blows no good
If by 'tax' you mean 'retail', then I agree.
XJS*C4JDBQADN1.NSBN3*2IDNEN*GTUBE-STANDARD-ANTI-U
Those who take such pronouncements as something more than government propoganda should read about the real Chinese space program:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A337 -2003Oct8.html
Boy, this kind of irrationalism mixed with China's current political situation is more dangerous than dynamite. The leaders there have been promoting a virulent form of nationalism since communism was abandoned as a viable ideology 20 years ago. China right now is basically 2nd Reich Germany- a resentful, up-and-coming power that feels it's been denied its place in the sun for too long. I hope that when their space program meets with its inevitable first disaster they do not decide to lash out by invading Taiwan or something.
As for becoming an astronaut, NASA takes applications. Fewer people want the job as the years go by. Starting salary for astronauts is grade GS-11, at $42,976 per year, and maxes out at GS-13 and $79,629. Anybody who can qualify can do better elsewhere.
Given what ISS crew really do, which is assemble and fix stuff, NASA should be hiring people with A&P (airframe and powerplant) training, licenses, and experience. NASA's had to give basic shop training to their fighter-jock astronauts.
In the end, it's a blue-collar job with some glamour.
If the news clips of the actual lift-off show a red/black/yellow/blue/white rocket and launch tower with surpisingly blockish looking lettering, I'm selling my shares in China Aerospace International Holdings Ltd.!
Merlin.
The Taiwanese have a history of transferring sensitive/military technology to mainland China.
It's time we put ENGINEERS back in charge of NASA instead of appointing politicians and, more recently, a bean-counter as its administrator.
Case in point: On Sep 10, Congress cross-examined said bonehead about an intriguing idea that a Joe Ordinary engineer published in an op-ed which can be read here. It's breif, very well-versed and I definitely recommend reading it, but the ghist of it is instead of completely scrapping the shuttle (referred to as STS) and all of its infrastructure and personnel, that it is technologically and financially (read as cheaper) possible to take those people and task them to refitting existing shuttle hardware to go to Mars. Jobs are saved, progress is made, and all for cheap--irresistable, right?Not to our resident killjoy administrator Sean O'Keefe. At the hearings, Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) entered the full text of the op-ed into the Congressional Record, and then asked NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe what he thought of it. Mr. O'Keefe responded defending NASA's current approach, saying that the ideas in the op-ed represented "wrong headed thinking."
It would seem, ironically enough, that NASA is behaving the way we would expect a communist regime to--CYA tactics. We saw this same behavior prior to the Soviet Union's fall (cheer): shunning innovation and new ideas in a desperate bid for self-preservation.To complete the irony, China is doing the opposite in their design for their spacecraft, going with the new school of thought in space travel: Using inexpensive off-the-shelf technology and using unconventional engineering and logistics. The former, make fun of it all you want, but the Soyuz is a tried and tested spacecraft. It beats spending billions on dollars of money wrenched from the hands of peasants to make a new bigger craft when a Soyuz is all you need for the job.
By the latter, I refer to this detachable portion obviously meant for space station construction. This sort of approach has been called for by several engineers recently, most notably Dr. Robert Zubrin, the author of the op-ed. A few years ago, he sent NASA his idea for a Mars mission involving sending a return vehicle to Mars FIRST and have it make propellant from the chemicals in the atmosphere, and have the crew arrive in a separate "hab" craft. At the conclusion of the mission, they ditch the craft and leave in the return vehicle. Repeat several times, then can hook those unused habs together and--PRESTO! Instant Martian base! And all for the same cost as the shuttle.NASA didn't take too kindly to having someone challenge their plan, which involved huge orbital stations, orbiting shipyards, a lunar refueling base, and everything else logistically necessary to support it all. Price tag: $450 billion. It would seem though, that this sort of idea has found a new home with China, who are willing to adapt and accept new ideas like this.
I certainly do hope that this will start a new space race that will end with the US on top, but I have my doubts. It's sort of a shame, we have everything we need to make, say, a mission to Mars possible.--Our economy is recovering.
--We had the technology to do it (at least, if you take Zubrin's approach) back in the 80s, but political short-sightedness of the time kept us.--This incident I mentioned, plus this Congressional hearing Thursday suggests that our COngress will back a renewed space program.
--Mission: SPACE, a new space themed ride at EPCOT just opened amidst much fanfare, and is receiving a lot of attention and popularity. Tourists are flocking in to experience the thrill of spaceflight, even if it is just a simulation. This coupled with statistics in a recent Popular Science special feature show that the public support is definitely there.If you've read this far, thank you for tolerating my ranting. This is my first time posting on Slashdot, and I consider myself very passionate about our future in space. As we space nuts say, "Ad astra!"
Don't you remember. Communism is a good thing on slashdot.
Ther are social and political reasons for that state of affairs.
Your childish simplification does nothing to enlighten people that have not been in Malaysia.
IANAL but write like a drunk one.
It is a tax if it goes to a government. How much of the "Retail" from walmart is ending in the Chinese governments coffers?
chinese people cant make rocket ships because they would break to easy because its probably made by kids in their toy shop so they smell
We have been broadcasting radiowaves for awhile. Taking precautions against alien invasion may be prudent. I suggest we use the asteroid belt for ore and begin creation of early warning systems and weapons seriously.
If they have the technology to get here then chances are they will have the technology to defeat any defense systems that we have.
Have you tried Linux yet?
chinese people are cool homie g's so dont be mean because i am chinese and dont like racisist unslanty eyed people they give me the willys
Read about it here.
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"First things first -- but not necessarily in that order"
-- The Doctor, "Doctor
It seems CNN changed their links around: Here's a fixed set.
While we've been talking about the chinises space launch here, the Chineese have launched a fighter pilot into space. I wish him well on his 14 laps around the earth.
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"First things first -- but not necessarily in that order"
-- The Doctor, "Doctor
The paragraph in question:
Dr Mazlan said although the selection was open to those interested in space exploration, the person who knew the Russian language or had a doctorate in the field of science would score higher points during the short-listing process.
Malaysia is a country which practices OFFICIAL RACIAL DISCRIMINATION POLICY.
It officially DISCRIMINATES against EVERYONE who is not a Malay, and/or a Moslem.
If you are a Malay (and/or a Moslem), you get to enjoy ALL TYPES OF PRIVILEDGES - like you get discounts on purchasing houses, you get to study in universities even if your academic results sucks, and you get to call yourself "BUMIPUTRA" (aka Prince Of The Earth) and with that you can kill any non-bumiputras with the knowledge that you will get only a slight slap on your precious little fragile hand.
And such a country is sending people into outer space ?
Does that mean Malaysia is gonna extend its RACIAL DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES INTO OUTER SPACE ?
Damn !
Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
for me, having an astronut for a country is not important.
Yes, if they choose you, Malaysia will definitely have its first astronut.
I see that you may have friends from Malaysia.
They may be bright and promising individuals.
But if they are NOT Malays, and/or Moslems, you can count out the possibility for them to be chosen by the RACIST REGIME that is controlling Malaysia as their astronaut.
Everything in Malaysia is tainted by RACE. That is, if you are a Malay - the so-called PREFERRED RACE, you get all types of priviledges. You can get into universities even if your academic scores stinks. You get lots of discounts when you purchase houses. You get unending aids from the governments. You can even kill some non-Malays for fun, and you won't be punished.
Yes, that's the TRUE PICTURE in Malaysia.
South Africa's apartheid system is over, but Malaysia's own blend of OFFICIALLY CONDONED racial discriminatory policies are still VERY MUCH IN EFFECT.
Plus, if you read the news for the past 2 years or so, you will see that Malaysia has A LOT of connections to the Islamic Terrorists, from Taliban to Al-Queda to all types of Jihad movements all over the world.
The terrorist connection is nothing new, for the RACIST REGIME that controls Malaysia is also a TERRORIST-SUPPORTER.
THe prime minister of Malaysia believes that the Moslems of the whole world must unite so that they can KILL ALL THE INFIDELS (especially those from the Western "satanic" countries.)
That guy, Mahathir Mohammed, has said that the Moslems must obtain "world class and very destructive weapons" in order to "fight" the west - one has to wonder about the meaning of "weapons" and "fight".
He also publicly condemned the WHITES for being "racists", and he made that comment as the HEAD OF THE RACIST REGIME IN MALAYSIA WHICH PRACTICES OFFICIAL RACIST DISCRIMINATORY POLICIES against everyone who is not Malays.
That's the REAL Malaysia.
So stop being so darn naive about the "goods" of Malaysia.
In Malaysia, there is NO SUCH THING as GOOD. Everything here is rotten to the core !
Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
http://www.coxandforkum.com/archives/000192.html
Here's a note I sent to the white-house on this:
Given the recent bellicose and racist comments by the President of Malaysia, which indicate that Malaysia is squarely on the side of the Islamists we are currently at war with, I urge you to oppose, and prevent, Malaysia from sending an Astronaut to the International Space Station.
The US is the largest, and almost the sole significant, contributor to the Space Station. Having a representative of a country that chooses to incite hatred and violence towards us and our allies, as well as provide a base of operations against us, be our "Guest" there, is unseemly.
Malaysia must pay a price for its positions and behavior. Space is the final frontier for humankind, and we should make it clear that medievalism has no place in our future by preventing representatives of medievalist governments from setting foot there.