China Completes Its First Manned Space Docking 130
This AP story, as carried by the Houston Chronicle, says that the Chinese Shenzhou 9 spacecraft (carrying a crew that includes the country's first female astronaut) has successfully docked with an orbiting module, a first for China's manned space program. However, manned mission or not, the actual docking was actually executed from below: as with previous docking maneuvers, "Monday's docking also was completed by remote control from a ground base in China. A manual docking, to carried out by one of the crew members, is scheduled for later in the mission. Two crew members plan to conduct medical tests and experiments inside the module, while the third will remain in the spacecraft."
Awww good on em (Score:2, Insightful)
Significant Milestone (Score:5, Insightful)
Slow but steady progress since initiating this program in 1992.
With a first Chinese moonwalk estimated for 2024 that is 32 years total (with already 50 years of rocket research in the world to leverage off) ... makes you understand just much the US threw at its lunar programme to manage going from the start of the Mercury program to moonwalk in less than 11 years
Re:Significant Milestone (Score:5, Insightful)
Maybe they just don't want to rush it and take chances. In the 1960s the US and the USSR were competing to be the first to space and the first to the moon. The Chinese are going to be the third country to reach the moon (second, for manned missions since the Russians didn't bother) whichever way you slice it.
There's no point going at it in a hurry and risking the lives of astronauts any more than they have to. Back when the Apollo missions were flying, the US and the USSR had an attitude of "get someone up there and maybe back down if they survive, and get it done now". The Chinese don't need to do that.
Re:Significant Milestone (Score:5, Insightful)
"... economy far in excess... "
is only a relative figure. Per capita (which along with total economy MUST be included), their economy was nowhere near the U.S. during that time, as measured in U.S. dollars. The total "GDP" (if there is such a think in a socialist country -- definitions must be clarified) might have been greater, but it was for a far larger population.
The fact is that during most of that period, China could not even feed itself, "large" economy or not.
Re:In Space... (Score:5, Insightful)
Look... I apologize already for the insult, okay? But it isn't entirely undeserved.
Making extensive use of, well, let's say "borrowed" technology -- not to mention the outright theft of some of it -- is hardly equivalent to doing this stuff on your own.
If it's a success, I will be somewhat surprised, and not very inclined to credit them for it.
I know. American scientists were able to get to the Moon without using any technology from any other cultures. Every other country should have to do the same. The Chinese shouldn't even be able to use those rockets we invented thousands of years ago.
(For the sarcastically disabled, I know who invented the rocket)
Re:Significant Milestone (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Face (Score:5, Insightful)
She isn't hot by any standard of the word. Well, at least by classical Chinese measures of beauty she's quite ugly. And if the pictures are photoshopped, whoever did it should be sacked. I think it's you who's insecure, and you seem to have a bit of a case of yellow fever, too if you think she's hot.
Re:In Space... (Score:4, Insightful)
Making extensive use of, well, let's say "borrowed" technology
Yes, China borrowed from the US space program, which borrowed from the German V2 program, which borrowed from fireworks, which were invented by guess who? That's how civilizations progress, a failure to comprehend that basic fact of life is a failure to comprehend all of human history.
[I'm] not very inclined to credit them for it
That's just sour grapes.
Re:Significant Milestone (Score:4, Insightful)
The space program is clearly not viewed as a high economic priority in China.
That's because China isn't in a space race with anyone. This is just their way of saying "We've arrived." There is no particular hurry and no pissing contest to win here, especially with the U.S. bowing out of the whole manned spaceflight game.
Re:Significant Milestone (Score:4, Insightful)
> And they stole all our rocket secrets in the 90's.
Says an American - from a country whose most used rocket is running on a Russian RD-180 engine.