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China Will Attempt 30-Plus Launches in 2019, Including Crucial Long March 5 Missions (spacenews.com)

New submitter starmanaj shares a report: The main contractor for the Chinese space program is planning more than 30 launches in 2019, with major missions including the crucial return-to-flight of the heavy-lift Long March 5 rocket in July. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), announced Jan. 29 that it would aim to loft more than 50 spacecraft on 30-plus launches this year. Among these will be the third launch on the Long March 5, a 5-meter-diameter, 57-meter-tall heavy-lift launch vehicle which failed in its second flight in July 2017, delaying the Chang'e-5 lunar sample return mission and the construction of the Chinese Space Station. The mission will take place in July at the coastal Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on Hainan island, CASC vice president Yang Baohua said at a Jan. 29 news conference in Beijing, which also saw the release of a "Blue Book of China Aerospace Science and Technology Activities."

3 of 64 comments (clear)

  1. Re:How much... by Gavagai80 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Actually, Elon's philosophy is that he doesn't mind if another company beats his to achieving things if that makes the things be achieved faster. He's been urging automakers to go electric for ages, he's been rooting for Blue Origin and all the little rocket companies, etc. Certainly hasn't ever taken any steps to harm competitors. He started his current companies because he was a rich guy who wanted to solve more interesting/important problems, not to make money.

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  2. Re:Equal to Blue Origin, Orbital & SpaceX by skam240 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "Why is it impressive when private capital does it?"

    Because private capital is taking over a domain that had, up until recently, been strictly based on government programs. How is it not impressive that private companies are seeing a profit motive in such things when in the past they clearly weren't? It speaks wonders to how far what had mostly been government funded development in such areas has come.

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  3. Re:Good for them! by rtb61 · · Score: 1, Insightful

    It's called peace numb nuts, working together instead of one trying to dominate the other, which leads inevitably to war and that means MAD mutually assured destruction. Peace is not just a symbol, peace is working together upon a basis of trust, integrity and honesty, it is the only way it works, there is no other way, apart from peace by death and extinction.

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