China To Snap 4 Space Ships Into a Station 340
hackingbear writes "According to a report by Hong Kong newspaper Mingpao Daily (poor Google translation), quoting the Director of Jiuquan Launch Center, China is set to build a space station by snapping together four spaceships (Shenzhou 7, 8, 9, and 10), to be launched sequentially. Though other reports indicates that taikonauts abroad SZ 7 will return to Earth on September 28, the official said the ship will remain in the orbit to be docked with unmanned Shenzhou 8 and 9. Finally, the manned spaceship Shenzhou 10 will be launched and dock with the other three, completing the space station." A story at Space.com also briefly mentions Shenzhous 8 and 9 (with no mention of number 10), and adds that
China has selected its first spacewalker.
Hmm (Score:5, Funny)
I dunno... I used to build those "snap together" model kits. They really might want to consider going with cement.
Voltron! (Score:5, Funny)
I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. I tagged this with "voltron"
-G
Re:Hmm (Score:5, Funny)
But if they use cement, they can't separate until they're needed to reform Voltron again.
Re:Taikonaut, cosmonaut and astronaut (Score:5, Funny)
Taikonauts? (Score:4, Funny)
Look. "Astronaut" is Greek. "Cosmonaut" also Greek. "Taikonaut" is dumb.
But it's not the fault of the Chinese. They call their space travelers "Yuhangyuan".
Re:Voltron! (Score:5, Funny)
Short translation. (Score:5, Funny)
following the launch of manned spacecraft "God 7", "God 8" and "God 9" will be unmanned spacecraft, "God 10".
Snapping four gods together to form one orbital god?
Or is this just a bad google translation?
Re:Voltron! (Score:3, Funny)
Insightful, really? I mean, really? That was not what I had in mind...
-G
Re:Taikonaut, cosmonaut and astronaut (Score:5, Funny)
We're squabbling about which Greek-derived term to use, based on the language we're currently using?
It's true what they say about arguing on the internet, apparently.
Re:Sky lab a used booster rocket (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Taikonaut, cosmonaut and astronaut (Score:5, Funny)
You're probably running an old version of Firefox.
You can check your version from the Help menu: "Aboot Mozilla Firefox" ;-)
Re:Taikonauts? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Taikonauts? (Score:5, Funny)
They call their space travelers "Yuhangyuan".
Yooha... yoohangee... uh... Taikonaut it is then!
Re:Voltron! (Score:2, Funny)
I hear that pink has an opening *rimshot*
-G
Re:independent Orbital/Hab module (Score:2, Funny)
Shenzhou is NOT a 'modernized Soyuz' - it has a similar appearance to Soyuz simply because of the practicalities of building a spacecraft, but don't try and imply the Chinese do not have an indigenous spaceflight capability.
If by indigenous you mean copied bolt for bolt from somebody else's design, then yes you're right :P
Re:Taikonaut, cosmonaut and astronaut (Score:5, Funny)
No it isn't.
Re:independent Orbital/Hab module (Score:4, Funny)
Hey, American component, Russian component, it doesn't really matter as they are all made in China.
Re:Taikonaut, cosmonaut and astronaut (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Taikonaut, cosmonaut and astronaut (Score:5, Funny)
No, actually, you just need to change the local for the spell checker by typing aboot:config in your address bar.
Re:Taikonaut, cosmonaut and astronaut (Score:3, Funny)
Oh, I'm sorry, this Internet is for abuse. You want Internet 12A, just along the corridor.
It's a bird! It's a plane! (Score:2, Funny)