China Sends First Taikonaut To Space 915
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 misread the headline as... (Score:5, Funny)
Yeah, right. (Score:3, Funny)
Congratulations china! (Score:3, Funny)
Another view, expressed before the launch, comes from The Times of India, which in an editorial Monday called the Shenzhou 5 launch a "joke." "It would be better to call it China's Late Creep Forward, given that Beijing is attempting to showcase a four-decade-old technology. If this is China's idea of arriving, then it's come at a time when the other two spacefaring nations have left it light years behind," the publication said.
Can you say greenRe:I misread the headline as... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Yeah, right. (Score:3, Funny)
Then again, translating the phrase "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" into Chinese and back yields, "One half step manner, one giant leap is the humanity." Just remember that.
Re:Congratulations! (Score:2, Funny)
[runs and ducks]
This is such a waste of money (Score:4, Funny)
Think about it. According to the CIA Factbook [cia.gov] China has about 1,286,975,468 people. Figure the average person is 5' tall and you've got 1,218,726 miles worth of people. The moon at apogee is about 251,655 miles away, so they've got enough people to build a ladder to the moon with a nice stable base, even figuring in the inevitable attrition. Hell, take a look at the prototype [spray.se]. Just start passing up building supplies and poof! Instant colony!
Re:GO CHINA! (Score:1, Funny)
Re:GO CHINA! (Score:3, Funny)
How does not spending money on exploration help this?
Re:I misread the headline as... (Score:5, Funny)
"Japan Sends Giant Robot Piloted by Cute Schoolgirl Into Space"
"New Zealand Sends Sheep Into Space"
"USA Sends Iraq Into Space"
"French Send Jerry Lewis Into Space, Then Return Him Safely"
"Germans Launch Brewery Into Space, Aliens Impressed"
"Australians Would Send Man Into Space, But Instead Got Drunk and Went Fishing"
"England Sends Own Cricket Team Into the Sun"
etc...
Capture the flag! (Score:2, Funny)
Maybe so (Score:1, Funny)
"Russians send Lance Bass into space..