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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.
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!
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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?
Here's two jpegs captured from the viewer:
First one shows an overview of the launch site, the other one is a zoomed-in view of what appears to be the launch tower.
Please be kind to my poor server...
frotz grue
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.
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.