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Space Science

China Plans Manned Space Flight October 15 362

Posted by timothy from the autonomous-province dept.
epmos writes "As previously reported on /., China is working toward launching a manned space flight Real Soon Now(tm). Many news sites have stories suggesting it could be as soon as a week away. The flight is expected to last about 90 minutes and complete one orbit." According to some of these stories, though, there's speculation about the flight lasting up to 24 hours.
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China Plans Manned Space Flight October 15 More

China Plans Manned Space Flight October 15

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  • Low gravity eating? (Score:4, Funny)

    by PFactor ( 135319 ) on Wednesday October 08, 2003 @10:18AM (#7162542) Journal
    Were this to be a longer flight, how would they solve the problem of eating with chopsticks in low gravity?

    • Re:Low gravity eating? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Epistax ( 544591 ) <<moc.liamg> <ta> <xatsipe>> on Wednesday October 08, 2003 @10:22AM (#7162578) Journal
      I'll pretend you're being half serious.

      Eating with chopsticks in space would be easier than eating with a knife or fork. For using either of those, you must apply pressure against a back surface. You won't be able to stab a steak in the air (not that they get steak) as it would go flying into a research colony of ants and spread havok (I for one welcome yadda yadda yadda). Same thing with knives. With spoons, you're relying on gravity to hold whatever you picked up on the spoon.

      With chopsticks, however, you provide pressure to two sides of a food particle. While making a mistake might be more spectacular (fling), they are less likely to happen.

      Sticky rice, anyone?
      • I'll also pretend you're being half serious.

        I don't know about you, but I don't always use a fork like a spoon, i.e. like a shovel. I tend to use those points on the fork for, you know, stabbing stuff. I think that would be rather effective in space.
        • Basic physics:

          Since even fork with points of a single atom will cause a force on the steak the stack will simply fly away from you.... Unless there is a plate on the other side preventing it moving away from you like on earth.
          With chopsticks the second stick will provide an equal, yet oposite in direction, force on the other side of the steak... Those forces will cancel eachother out and the steak will not get accelerated.

          If you were stabbing harder at a steak in space it would only fly away faster.

          Jeroe
          • Not if you stabbed fast enough! The steak should have enough inertia that it wont accelerate fast enough to get away from the fork before the fork penetrates it. Sort of like spearing a fish in water. There is nothing on the other side of the fish, but the spear goes through if you do it fast enough.
            • As sound as that is, you'd need a sharp fork and a massive and tender steak to get it to work. Are you also doing high-speed mid-air slices with a rasor sharp knife too? if not, you are probably going to need the steak to be pre-cut into little slices. Good luck trying to harpoon those.

              Also by using a sharp fork, you introduce unecessary risk during meal time. You could either cut your own mouth or injure others near you....

      • Sticky rice, anyone?

        This is a Chinese flight, not Japanese.

        Actually Nor Mai Gai (sticky rice wrapped in a lotus Leaf) would be good space food. Dim Sum, mmmmmm.

        But the point about chopsticks being good for eating in space is absolutely right as ha been shown on the various shuttle flights that had Japanese astronauts on board. You can pick anything right out of the air.

        "Beginner's ruck"

      • Re:Low gravity eating? (Score:2, Interesting)

        by nolocke ( 708048 )
        Ed Lu, the current ISS science officer has this to say in his blog (http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/crew/exp7/lu l etters/lu_letter3.html) about eating in space:

        "As for utensils, the only utensil we use is a spoon. Don Pettit had a pair of chopsticks up here, but I haven't found where he stashed them yet, so I can use them! It turns out there is no need for a fork or a knife. All of the food that requires a utensil to eat has some sort of sauce or at least some moisture to it, so it naturally sticks t

  • Blimey (Score:4, Funny)

    by JohnGrahamCumming ( 684871 ) * <slashdot@jgc.oERDOSrg minus math_god> on Wednesday October 08, 2003 @10:18AM (#7162548) Homepage Journal
    [1800s-style Imperialist Brit Mode On]
    Next you'll be telling us that old Johnny Chinaman has gained mastery
    over the atom and created a doomsday weapon ready to threaten our
    very own God-fearing people.

    Well never fear gentle-people, in my new steam-o-matic flying machine
    I'll quickly handle this yellow menace so your children can sleep
    soundly!

    God Bless Queen Victoria
    [1800s-style Imperialist Brit Mode Off]

  • The 60's called... (Score:3, Funny)

    by pdbogen ( 596723 ) <tricia-slashdot@ce r n u.us> on Wednesday October 08, 2003 @10:18AM (#7162549)
    They want their space program back.

    (Sorry. :()
    • Maybe cuz I grew up in the 60's I can't help but view all these cute Slashdotters falling over themselves to praise China's space 'initiatives' with the same patronizing bemusement I normally reserve for the 14-year-olds just discovering Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, and carrying on like someone has just invented a brand new musical note.

      "Putting a Man in Space?" Great. Super. Wake me when he lands on Mars...
      • So if it's so easy to put a man in space, how's your X prize [xprize.org] entry going? Or are you too busy being smug?
        • So if it's so easy to put a man in space, how's your X prize entry going? Or are you too busy being smug?

          Although I'm pretty damn busy being smug, I will take a little time to point out that I'm a *PERSON*, Andrew, and not a friggin' *NATION*.

          You're not really confusing the X-prize competition with a national space program, are you?

      • Re:Been There, Done That, Bored Now (Score:4, Insightful)

        by Daniel Dvorkin ( 106857 ) on Wednesday October 08, 2003 @01:07PM (#7164703) Homepage Journal
        Maybe cuz I grew up in the 60's I can't help but view all these cute Slashdotters falling over themselves to praise China's space 'initiatives' with the same patronizing bemusement I normally reserve for the 14-year-olds just discovering Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, and carrying on like someone has just invented a brand new musical note.

        "Putting a Man in Space?" Great. Super. Wake me when he lands on Mars...
        Putting a man in space is a necessary prerequisite to putting him on Mars. We could have done it decades ago, but we lost our national will. Now someone else is giving it a shot, and maybe this time they won't say, "Oh, okay, we did something cool, now let's go home." That's why people are excited.

        I can go you one better: my Dad worked for NASA during the Apollo program, and for Martin Marietta (as it was then) during Viking and the early stages of the Shuttle. I grew up surrounded by space program memorabilia, and I've always been bitter that we never lived up to the promise of those years. This is damned exciting, and I don't see why you don't see it. Maybe because you grew up in the 60's you're a bitter, jaded old fart who can't get excited about anything any more?

        And you know, Zep and Floyd are still good music. Why the hell shouldn't the 14-year-olds enjoy it, if they want to? God, I hate patronizing ageism ...
    • The 21st century called: They also want the 60's space program back...

  • Good Luck! (Score:5, Insightful)

    by bishmasterb ( 536143 ) on Wednesday October 08, 2003 @10:23AM (#7162583)
    I hope everything goes successfully for the Chinese, and I hope that this is only the beginning for a long Chinese manned space program.

    Additionally, let this serve as a wake-up call to us, that manned space exploration is a common goal and desire that we all share.

    • Re:Good Luck! (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Anne_Nonymous ( 313852 )
      The only way the US will really get motivated, is if China threatens to surpass American technology. This short flight, in a ship of copied design, decades after the US did it, will not motivate NASA or Congress (that mighty controller of the purse strings) in the least.

      • IMO, US motivation won't count this time around. The US economy has piled up so much debt, and is facing the enormous future expenses of the retiring baby-boom generation. When the time comes that Congress has to decide between manned spaceflight and medical care for the boomers, the boomers are going to win. Regardless of what the rest of the world may do, the US can't afford a significant new manned space program. Most of western Europe and Japan are in the same position due to rapidly aging populati

    • I absolutely agree with your feelings of best intentions.

      >that manned space exploration is a common goal and desire that we all share.

      Actually not all of us do. I rather have China improve their standard of living and level of freedoms rather than spend the effort for more "chest-thump-ing in the name of Chairman Mao".

      I rather have these improvements here at home too.
    • Additionally, let this serve as a wake-up call to us, that manned space exploration is a common goal and desire that we all share

      That or the weaponization of space is a goal all countries share.

  • This will prove the conspiracy (Score:3, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 08, 2003 @10:25AM (#7162598)
    Once they make it to the moon and notice that there is no flag, footprints, or left over rocket parts, then we'll know that the "one small step for mankind" occured somewhere in the Arizona desert.

  • Kungpao Chicken for the Taikonauts (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward

    My favorite quote from today's news regarding the Chinese space mission is from this story [yahoo.com]:

    "They'll be able to eat shredded pork with garlic sauce and kungpao chicken," China.com said. "It will be more tasty than Western food."

  • knowing china (Score:5, Funny)

    by gfody ( 514448 ) on Wednesday October 08, 2003 @10:26AM (#7162605)
    they have some well thought out elaborate plans already to inhabit the moon.. I don't blame them, it must be getting crowded over there.

    • Re:knowing china (Score:2, Interesting)

      by hattig ( 47930 )
      The benefit that China has is that it can afford to lose a few taikonauts to accidents, etc, all in the name of exploration and to benefit the country as a whole.

      The western world has no guts and won't try and take a risk any more.

      Expect China to become the number one space faring race within 20 years.
  • Next then you know, Mars won't be called the Red planet due to it's color.

  • chinese-american running space station (Score:3, Informative)

    by peter303 ( 12292 ) on Wednesday October 08, 2003 @10:39AM (#7162687)
    Chinese-American astronaut Ed Lu [nasa.gov] has been on the International Space Station since April and will be returning later this month in a Soyuz capsule. You can read his blog here [nasa.gov].

  • Actually, the scary thing is that this is an excellent first step to the Moon and then onwards and upwards to Mars.

    In fact, a conservative estimate would be that they could land on the moon in less than five years. Part of what took us (U.S.) so long was all the groundwork that needed to be done. Heck, now you can go into Barnes and Noble, or any other reasonably large bookstore, and buy the official NASA documents on the space program.

    And considering the how much electronics have shrunk in the past 40

    • And considering the how much electronics have shrunk in the past 40 years, they won't need to put so much weight into orbit, or they could use that weight for more passengers or supplies.

      What percentage of the mass of a spaceship is tied up in computers? Not much I imagine. If the Apollo computers were 10 kilos (I have no idea, this is just an example) and you can shrink that to 3 kilos it's not such a big deal considering you still need the same amount of fuel and supplies.

      Now advances in materials s
      • According to this page at NASA [nasa.gov] the total weight of the Apollo computer was 29.5 kg. Now, for a few things they could do if they cut say 25kg from that: Add more redundancy say to the life support system (scrubbers for the air, for instance - Apollo 13 springs to mind), add more batteries (though improved battery technology could make this moot), add some extra fuel for emergencies (or 25kg less would mean less fuel spent anyway - again Apollo 13 springs to mind)

        ANYTHING that reduce mass and volume for a s

  • My question is whether we'll see any semblance that the launch system can rendezvous with the ISS (and then, if it's based on Soyuz architecture, whether it can dock), or will it be too low in earth orbit.

    And if it can dock, whether there's a minimum order for Kung Pao delivery. *ba da bum*

  • How many orbits? (Score:4, Funny)

    by Crolis ( 697068 ) on Wednesday October 08, 2003 @10:44AM (#7162729)
    The news article says they are planning a single orbit, but you know how it goes: one hour later and they will feel like they need to orbit again.

    -Crolis

  • More outsourcing in our future... (Score:5, Funny)

    by hirschma ( 187820 ) on Wednesday October 08, 2003 @10:44AM (#7162731)
    Today's story:

    BEIJING, Oct. 8 -- After a decade of preparation, China will launch its first human being into space on Oct. 15 in a 90-minute flight that will orbit the Earth once, a major Chinese Web site reported in one of the most concrete signs yet that the landmark trip is imminent.

    In 2013:

    BEIJING, Oct. 15 - As part of a celebration of its first decade of manned space flight, China announces an agreement with the USA's NASA space agency to outsource all space-related operations. An unnamed NASA official said: "Well, they can do it cheaper than we can - we can hire three taikonauts for what it costs us to loft one astronaut - and who cares if some foreigners get killed repairing our satellites?"

    In related news, all remaining astronauts have been informed that their services are no longer needed, and offered placement services for lucrative positions in the fast food industries.
  • Hah, so China is on the same level as John Carmack and a few of his friends. Yep, there is a Super Power in the making.

  • I wonder if the side of the rocket.... (Score:4, Funny)

    by Lester67 ( 218549 ) <`ratels72082' `at' `mypacks.net'> on Wednesday October 08, 2003 @11:04AM (#7162931)
    will say "Made In China"?
  • I hope they do launch on october the 15th, i can't think of anything else memorable happening on that day, except me being born of course :p
    • These happened on Oct. 15:

      70 BC: Virgil born.
      1844: Friedrich Nietzsche born.
      1908: John Kenneth Galbraith born.
      1917: Mata Hari, the Dutch dancer and spy for the Germans, was executed by firing squad near Paris.
      1946: Convicted Nazi war criminal Hermann Goering poisoned himself the day before he was to be executed.
      1951: I Love Lucy premiered on CBS.
      1991: The Senate confirmed the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the US Supreme Court by a 52 to 48 vote.

      Ummm.

      Maybe you're right...

  • Great (Score:2, Funny)

    by frode ( 82655 )

    Great chineese food delivery goes orbital. I bet they'll be making devileries to the ISS by 2006.

    Possible names for their space crafts:
    1) The General Tso
    2) The Sweet and Sour Shuttle
    3) The Communist Surprise

  • Chinese space program pics (Score:5, Informative)

    by finchman ( 166628 ) on Wednesday October 08, 2003 @11:24AM (#7163226) Homepage

    Here is the Chinese space program in all its glory.

    The China Space Capsule [space.com] (space.com)

    The China Manned launch vehicle [spacedaily.com] (SpaceDaily.com)

    The China Manned Launch vehicle [spacedaily.com] (SpaceDaily.com)

  • Keeping up with the Chans (Score:5, Insightful)

    by puzzled ( 12525 ) on Wednesday October 08, 2003 @11:30AM (#7163302) Journal

    The United State's space program is a flabby, stagnant beauracracy. It needs an enema at the top, an exercise program in the middle, and some moral support in the rank and file. Most of all, it needs to take a long, hard look at boron/proton fusion, and get busy designing ships that can use it for swift interplanetary travel.

    The fact that both China and India have space programs is beautiful to me. Remember who was first in space? Not John Glenn, but Yuri Gagarin. Perhaps NASA will recover from its existing case of cranial rectitis (hint: leaves a brown ring around your neck) when faced with a large, motivated competitor with a growing economy.

  • Can't the US patent travelling to the moon or something, or claim copy right on the entire moon?

    Oops... the Russians had a probe there first.
    OOps... China doesn't care about the USPO.

    M@

  • China's Long March past US supremacy ? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 08, 2003 @11:42AM (#7163453)

    One of the major flaws, perhaps, with the US democratic system is that it is predicated on a 4 year cycle of election and re-election. This tends to make planning for long-term projects politically disadvantageous to the White House incumbent who ideally wants to see "returns" during his period in office. It is not often that grand projects such as the Interstate system or the Apollo program are enacted.

    China is very different. There is a single monolithic party in power. Also do not forget that this a people who have a collective ethno-genetic memory spanning thousands of years who have historically proven willing and able to plan decades and centuries ahead.

    Couple the above with the fact that all 9 members of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party politburo are engineers by training and you realize that the forthcoming manned flight is not a flash-in-the-pan but part of a broader strategic decision to achieve preeminence in space.

    This is part of a collective Long March by which China aims to overtake the USA in almost every field of human endeavour. This will perhaps take 50 to a 100 years - a sizeable period to the American world-view but much less so to the Chinese mindset. Given the extraordinary progress China has already made since the 1970s we would be fools to doubt their ability to go the rest of the way.
  • Can /.er speak to this:

    Are the Chinese reinventing the wheel here or are they actively using US and Russian experience.

    I mean sending a guy up to do an orbit sounds to me (as a total layman in space programs) as a "we doing all this ourselves from the ground up" method.

    I mean do they have to incinerate 3 astronauts in a oxygen rich capsule too?

    If this is the case, it's kind of sad that they can't build on the experience already in-place. I mean this is science after all.

    Yeah yeah, I know I being naive
  • Ok let's tally this up:
    • Apr. 12, 1961 - USSR sends man into space
    • May 5, 1961 - USA sends man into space
    • July 20, 1969 - USA lands on moon
    • Dec. 19, 1972 - USA decides they have had enough of the moon
    • Feb. 1, 2003 - Columbia disaster immediately prompts the question of replacing manned missions entirely with computerized vehicles
    • Oct. 15, 2003 - China increases their frantic pace to join the Space Age by putting a man in space

    Ok, we've "been there, done that" for 40-odd years. Now suddenly it's not enoug

    • ... spectorating all that rubish about militarizing space, the Moon begins to look like an attractive strategic location.

      It may give a huge military strategic advantage to its "owner".

      If fear is what is going to get us out of this planet, soo be it. The sooner space travel becomes a reality the better.

  • 90min vs 24hrs (Score:3, Insightful)

    by AJWM ( 19027 ) on Wednesday October 08, 2003 @01:02PM (#7164652) Homepage
    Ninety minutes is the minimum flight time, since China has no water recovery fleet and the vehicle isn't design for splash down. Assuming they want it to land back in China, it has to go at least once around.

    That may be all they're planning on. With more than a couple of orbits the ground track will be such that they can't land in China until the Earth and orbit track synch up again. I haven't looked at the likely orbital inclination to figure it out, but that could well be nearly 24 hours (16 or 17 orbits) after launch.

    Presumably if all goes well during the first orbit, and they have the consumables (power, O2, etc) aboard, they could go for further orbits, but they may plan on taking it cautiously.

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