Slashdot Mirror
China Sends First Taikonaut To Space
tuxlove writes "Space.com reports that China has just
successfully launched its first manned space mission. "Blasting off from a remote space base in the Gobi Desert atop a Long March 2F rocket,
a single Chinese astronaut named Yang Liwei is on his way
to circle the planet every 90 minutes aboard the Shenzhou 5 spacecraft. As a result, China has become only the third nation on Earth capable of
independently launching its citizens into orbit. " Perhaps this will kick the US space program back into gear?"
aerojad points to this
Reuters report, about which he says "The article is short on details, aside from 'Xinhua said the craft carried
astronaut Yang Liwei, 38. The launch on Wednesday, 42 years after the Soviet Union put the first man into space, marked a milestone for China's
secretive space programme, which analysts say has its sights set on a manned mission to the moon.' The mission is due to end in 21 hours."
zxm adds a link to China
Daily's coverage, and puiwah to a story on MSNBC.
...I would like to offer the following congratulations: ching-chong-yang-wah-ah-soh
Holy shit, you need you're head kicked in.
Maybe you will have to get your news from a real news network now that Rush is in re-hab, maybe you will be amazed what news is like when it's not from a person who admits he makes shit up.
Only republicans can make connections that if a US company works with china is must be ilegal and it must be the presidents fault.
CNN is all over things, just like they where all over gulf wars that were made possible by Bush and Regan in the 80's.
"take your conspiracy theories elsewhere, and your tinfoil hat too."
Oooh, a false argument AND a flame in one posting, you must be very proud of yourself. Are you sure you aren't working for the Chinese state run media? You seem awfully keen to defend China for not providing significant proof.
The Atlas rockets used in the Mercury and Gemini launches, along with the Saturn V used for Apollo/Skylab launches were all chemical rockets. And *dramatic chord* ALL of them had shown contrails from the moment they launched. And do we know why, kids?
They ran on the chemical reaction of oxygen and hydrogen to form large clouds of *tadah* WATER VAPOR! And this is in the very humid state of Florida. And despite the Chinese launch taking place in a desert, that water vapor would be considerably more evident in an explosive reaction between propellant and oxidizer of any type.
So why, then, doesn't the Chinese rocket show such a reaction, and in fact look more like a crappy photoshop job the more I look at it, eh?
Just because you can mod me down, doesn't mean you're right. Shoes for industry!