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.

Comments

Nice, but...

[suso]

this should have happened long ago. It's one thing to put a man into space when you're the first one to do it or when you are part of the initial space race. But 40+ years is long enough that all the information and resources are probably available to country that has enough money to throw at it.

And on the menu?

[mrpuffypants]

21 hours worth of Tang, Ramen, and Frozen Dog

Incredible

[stratjakt]

How long does freeze dried cat last?

I hope this guy doesnt starve.

Re:I misread the headline as...

[fenix down]

Great. I guess we can expect 500 comments full of a combination of racism and idiocy.

A brief summary: Takeout joke blah blah blah stupid MSG joke blah blah blah somebody confusing Korea and China and making a dog-eating joke blah blah blah something so goddamn offensive I can't even think of it, but it'll happen blah blah blah communism is bad blah blah blah communists don't care if they die blah blah blah militarizing space blah blah blah this something about libertarians or Ayn Rand blah blah blah does it run Linux blah blah blah Bush is gonna declare war on China blah blah blah one or two people who actually know what the fuck they're talking about but are so hopelessly drowned out by racist non-humor that I'll never read them.

Nice work, Slashdot!

Inferiority complex?

[gklinger]

I hope this isn't taken out of context because I mean no insult nor do I mean to belittle what China has done but am I only the only one that thinks China has a massive inferiority complex?

They seem so desperate to prove to the rest of the world that they're not backwards or technologically inept or whatever it is. They're obsessed with getting into space, building skyscrapers that are taller than those in other countries and they're sinking billions into modernizing Beijing to impress the world during the Olympcs. If all this results in a higher quality of life for the Chinese people, I'm all for it. Unfortunately, I don't think it will.

Re:Anyone else notice the map?

[hector76]

unfortunately, Taiwan has been part of China at least 1000 years ago. You can go to check history. How long has California been part of America? ALaska? Hawaii?
The previous chinese regime escaped from mainland to Taiwan after its loss in the 1949 revolution. China is not about communism, capitalism, it is about 5000 years history. No matter what government it is in mainland, it is not affordable for China to lose Taiwan. One billion mainland Chinese will say no to the government.

Re:FUCK YOU TIMOTHY

[Penguinshit]

What the fuck is "\."; the Microsoft version of "/."?

Re:Outside Verification?

[NeuroManson]

In case you haven't noticed, water vapor can condense in high humidity/high temperature areas as well, kiddo. Basic gradeschool physics back atcha. Ever hear of a thing called dew point?

But hey, lets see the proof, you know, from the people who claimed to launch the vehicle? As many people out there who can photoshop a picture as there are, all we have to go by is AP's pictures, supplied to them BY the Chinese. In other words, FAR from anything resembling an impartial source.

In other words, NOT PROOF.

Something you have failed immensely to provide, and guaging from your replies, something one would expect from a 13 year old, what could hardly be considered as an expert on the subject, let alone someone who grew up observing studying and the space programs their entire life.

Go back to school little one.