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China Plans Space Station By 2020

Posted by samzenpus on from the great-space-station dept.

RedEaredSlider writes "China unveiled plans for its own space station, to be completed by 2020, along with a cargo ship to ferry supplies to and from orbit. The fact that the country is proposing one is a sign of the Chinese government's ambitions in space. China is the third nation to launch its own manned rockets into space, sending its first astronaut into orbit in 2003 aboard the Shenzhou 5 rocket. Since then two other manned missions have been launched."

8 of 293 comments (clear)

  1. Space Race v2.0 by PmanAce · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Hopefully the emergence of the Chinese and others (India?) will fuel a new space race, with bigger ambitions than last time around. Mars maybe?

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    Tired of my customary (Score:1)
    1. Re:Space Race v2.0 by rufty_tufty · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I'd like it to have bigger ambitions.
      To make a profit from humans in space

      --
      "The weirdest thing about a mind, is that every answer that you find, is the basis of a brand new cliche" -
    2. Re:Space Race v2.0 by smelch · · Score: 3, Interesting

      We can only hope that something like that will happen. To be honest, we need to start focusing on getting the technology to make using materials from other worlds feasible. With all of the focus on dwindling supplies of rare earth metals and energy sources and economic problems and population problems we should be devoting as much time and effort in to space as we can and pay any costs to get to that point. I'm generally a low taxes kind of guy, but I would definitely support a raise in taxes that was specifically designed to boost the space program. It would have to be genuinely a case of having the budget, then the new budget with higher taxes and the only difference is the amount dedicated to NASA.

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      If I can just reach out with my words and touch a butthole, just one, it will all be worth it.
  2. A very slow race by mangu · · Score: 2, Interesting

    China first launched an astronaut in orbit eight years ago.

    Seven years after the US launched its first astronaut in orbit, they had sent people to the moon.

  3. Chinese GDP by Slur · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Look for a video called "China's Ghost Towns" to see how China is inflating their GDP by building cities that no one can afford to live in. It's freaky to see all these empty supermalls and highrise apartment buildings. When China's bubble explodes it's going to be a whole new disaster for the world economy.

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    -- thinkyhead software and media
  4. Re:Planning is not doing.. by CohibaVancouver · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Just because China is planning to planning to build something does not mean they will

    Sure, but China's track record on executing on promised mega-projects is pretty good.

    Men in orbit? Check.
    High-speed Rail? Check.
    Three-gorges dam? Check.
    Hangzhou Bay Bridge? Check.

    We could go on and on...

    Meanwhile, all the USA seems able to produce any more is Obama's birth certificate.

  5. Dumb Idea, Potential Opportunity by Un+pobre+guey · · Score: 1, Interesting

    For whatever reason, the Chinese may indeed commit the colossally stupid act of setting up a manned space station. It is a moronic waste of money, which presents competitors with an opportunity: set up a network of completely robotic space stations that will do vastly more at far lower cost and generate more advances in robotics. Let the Chinese put little red stars on their shirt collars so that mommy can see what good little boys they are. Nations that have already seen that it is a financial black hole that produces practically nothing of value need not accompany them.

    Actually, it is wishful thinking to believe the Chinese are that stupid. 2020 is still a ways off, and they will likely see that for many reasons robotics is the way to go. They have the potential to dominate the nascent robotics boom if they avoid idiotic distractions like this one. Let's hope those of us in the US are up to the challenge.

  6. Yes, but was it sustainable? by Chicken_Kickers · · Score: 3, Interesting

    True, the US sent men to the moon a few years after their first manned space flight. But, was it sustainable? Did the US followed through with a moon base and all that 2001 Space Odyssey dreams? Maybe the Chinese had studied the history of space exploration and decided not to repeat the US mistakes. Maybe they have a longer term and more sustainable plan for space exploration. You have to remember, the Chinese have more than 4000 years of advanced civilization behind them. This tends to make them more farsighted don't you think?