China Plans 5-day Manned Space Mission 245
rune writes "Both the BBC and The Register have articles on China's next manned space mission. This time two taikonauts are planned to be on board the Shenzou VI spacecraft sometime during 2005 for about five days. There is also a brief mention of the plans of the Chinese Space Agency for lunar exploration." hrld1,kon adds a link to this article on Chinaview, the official English-language news source for the People's Republic of China.
A New Moon Race? (Score:2, Funny)
At least somebody is doing something (Score:5, Insightful)
Something is always better than nothing.
Ever since the space shuttle disaster, and the bankrupt of Russia, both the Americans and Russians are stuck with the ultra-expensive ISS.
The Chinese are doing something, and they ought to be congratulated.
If the Indians can do it earlier than the Chinese, so much the better. I also heard that Brazil also has something under development.
How about the Europeans ?
Re:At least somebody is doing something (Score:5, Insightful)
Think about it: DC. Huge contracts. Political oversight. Do you really think that money is being spent in the most cost-effective way?
Re:At least somebody is doing something (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:At least somebody is doing something (Score:2)
Apart from that: It's not true that 'any new technology is dangerous'; some new things may be dangerous. And people don't die when making them better, they die when things aren't good enough. In most cases that kind of accidents can be avoided if those in charge can be bothered
Re:At least somebody is doing something (Score:3, Interesting)
We let people die in various ways and huge numbers all the time... The economic choices we make help millions to die in 3rd world. The car industry makes thousands of people (both
Re:At least somebody is doing something (Score:3, Insightful)
Yes people die when things are not good enough, in most cases the reson for them not being good enough is because we do not know enough.
About attitude in general, I think that the current culture trying to overprotect people is stopping innovation in many fields. Some of them important some less important.
I just wonder at what point the good of individual became
Re:At least somebody is doing something (Score:2)
Re:At least somebody is doing something (Score:2)
Re:At least somebody is doing something (Score:2)
I don't know why you think europe sucks, Arianne has been pretty successfull.
Jeroen
Re:At least somebody is doing something (Score:2)
But yes, the US has essentially nothing to do with Brazil's space program. That's why most Americans didn't hear about when a rocket blew up on the pad and killed ~20 scientists and engineers.
I'm sorry... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:I'm sorry... (Score:4, Insightful)
Sounds to me like China's space program is really going well and also that China is very much a potential super power - time will tell.
Re:I'm sorry... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:I'm sorry... (Score:5, Insightful)
Someone post some stats about China's military numbers and their nuclear arsenal...I'm too lazy to google...
No I'm not...2.5 million in the military, first successful nuclear test, 1964, hydrogen in 1967....OK they're #5 among the main nuclear powers, but that's still ~120 nuclear missles can do enough damage to consider them pretty powerful.
Re:I'm sorry... (Score:2)
Well, why do you think the current missile defence system that US is developing is targeted at about the same number of threaths?
Re:I'm sorry... (Score:2)
Seriously, read Bob Park [aps.org] once in a while - it's his favorite subject. (example at http://www.aps.org/WN/WN04/wn102204.cfm [aps.org])
Re:I'm sorry... (Score:2)
Re:I'm sorry... (Score:2)
The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force.
Re:I'm sorry... (Score:3, Insightful)
Becuase US military planners don't think China will just build more misiles?
Re:I'm sorry... (Score:2)
They have only 24 ICBMs [globalsecurity.org] that can reach US soil. Many of the rest can't even reach Tokyo or Moscow. Still, 24 5-megaton warheads makes for a sufficient deterrent, and China probably feels no pressure to upgrade until the US missle defense proves its efficiency.
Re:I'm sorry... (Score:4, Insightful)
China's nuclear arsenal is about as good of an example of a "deterrant arsenal" as you can get. And, barring a drastic change in military strategy, if the US tries a "try to break their budget through a big military buildup" strategy, it's only going to break our own budget.
Re:I'm sorry... (Score:2)
Nuclear weapons a Superpower do not make... (Score:2)
In terms of superpowers, you have to look at the GDP and economic growth, and China has quite a deal going. Any company wishing to take advantage of the huge potential workforce has to sign a fifty/fifty deal with the chinese government. There isn't a lot of creative accounting that you can do, and this has fueled the growth over the past ten years, ad
Re:I'm sorry... (Score:2)
This is way cool... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:This is way cool... (Score:5, Insightful)
I wonder if the current partners will try and bring China on board the space station project? It would probably be comforting to know there was another party that could reach it if the US and Russia (at the same time) were rendered unable to.
Well, so long as no one is trying to render anyone else unable to, it's comforting.
Re:This is way cool... (Score:2)
We need infrastructure outthere (Score:2)
Regards Thomas
It IS way cool (Score:2)
I mean, feel free to explain it away, but I seriously doubt the situation is even as remotely dire as you portray it when it comes to the current administration. Hell, I'm even one to say they haven't done done a stellar job on the deficit, but I'm thinking it's a tad over the top t
Re:It IS way cool (Score:2)
Made in China... (Score:5, Interesting)
Meanwhile in North America, we've perfected manufacture of the double bacon cheeseburger. Gulp.
Re:Made in China... (Score:2, Funny)
P.S. Don't worry! Years ago we had already done everything they hope to do some day. We're way ahead. And space is not for humans, but for our offspring, robots.
Re:Made in China... (Score:2, Insightful)
Scared?? What is their to be scared of?? China is the mightiest nation on earth. They have a standing army larger than the population of the United States. By 2050, if we are still around, you won't have anything to worry about. In fact you'll be happy in your new job that was outsourced from "the mainland" to save China money
Re:Made in China... (Score:2)
Re:Made in China... (Score:2)
Note that the superiority is allways local as most forces have very limited ranges they can influence the battle. Forces that cannot influence the battle do not count. Thus a nonmobile army cannot bring it's forces to contact in ways that are beneficial. A faster army can bypass and attack selected peices of the enemy.
Insurgency is based on the same principle, th
Re:Made in China... (Score:2)
Don't equate production with profits, I seriously doubt the money is staying in china.
Well ya (Score:5, Funny)
And I'm also certian that the US didn't just complete the first non-government manned space flight [scaled.com] and doesn't have billions of dollars going to develop private space flight [virgingalactic.com].
Give me a break.
China is emerging as an ecenomic powerhouse, and it looks like it will continue down that path, provided their government doesn't screw up. However please don't pretend like all good things come from China. I gave just a small list of the US companies that produce advanced hardware, including what drives almost all the devices you listed. Your MP3 player may be built in China but it's usually using TI DSPs and AD opamps.
You know it's perfectly possible for China AND the US to be economic powers, and for both to benefit from trade with each other.
Re:Well ya (Score:2)
Re:Well ya (Score:3, Informative)
And I'm also certian that the US didn't just complete the first non-government manned space flight and doesn't have billions of dollars going to develop private space flight [virgingalactic.com].
Actually, the Virgin [virgin.com] group of companies is British...
Al.Re:Made in China... (Score:2)
Of course. Here, space exploration doesn't have a "business case" which sufficiently impresses middle management. Therefore, we invest in breakfast nooks.
Re:Made in China... (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Made in China... (Score:2)
Re:Made in China... (Score:3, Informative)
I'm getting scared. TVs, computers, LCD displays, mp3 players, and nearly every other kind of high tech device is made in China. Now they're leading the "new wave" into space.
If the Yuan ever floats (which would be due to economic/legal reform in China), then I believe that it would quickly fall in value compared to the US dollar, and the trade issues would change. I don't think that the current fixed exchange rates are sustainable as China's economy becomes a good fraction of the US's economy.
The
2008 wake up call (Score:4, Insightful)
I think China is interesting, they will grow rapidly, with ever increasing ties into Japan-tech and don't forget a little sporting event in 2008 that will wake up most of the western world to how great China is.
I wouldn't think for one moment China wants to barrage the US with bombs, I think barraging them with LCD's, Chips and assorted gadgetry will suffice.
Look what happened ot Japan after 2 nuclear bombs. They didn't reinvest into thier army, but in developing technology.
If in 4 years I here rhetorical war mongering amongst a (hopefully not, why not go and vote today?) Bush administration I will wonder what country they will hype up as a threat to world security in order to keep their little club in power.
You see, we have no right being scared, trying to hold back other countries. You cannot be anti-monopolistic and worry about China at the same time.
Fact: China will become a (the) world super power within 40 years, and export technology, culture and politics around the world.
I for one welcome our Chinese overlords...
Re:Made in China... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Made in China... (Score:5, Interesting)
Hardly. Credit or blame goes to 1) Hughes Electronics Corp. and Boeing Satellite Systems for unlawfully transferring rocket and satellite data to China [nytimes.com] and 2) Richard Nixon for agreeing to expand political and economic ties with China back in 1972 [americaslibrary.gov].
Re:Made in China... (Score:2)
Any people going on about Clinton, you have to wonder what Bush has given the chinese. Especially when his brother made so much money [thememoryhole.org] on a contract he had no experience in.
Re:Made in China... (Score:5, Funny)
Blame Bush! (Score:2)
Re:Made in China... (Score:2)
Oh wait, you were just making things up to throw at your favorite straw man. Silly me for feeding the troll.
life support (Score:5, Interesting)
wow, IMO that's a pretty a small buffer! i would add more to accomodate for any miscalculations or if they must stay up for londer for whatever reason.
Re:life support (Score:2)
Re:life support (Score:2)
LOL (Score:5, Insightful)
The funny part is... the US sent men to the moon in the late 60's and the entire spacecraft had less computer power then a 486 computer... And they need to improve current technology???
Just goes to show, with todays technology, we sometimes forget we can simplify things.
Re:LOL (Score:5, Informative)
Well, there's always room for improvement. I'm sure they'd like to send more men up with less rocket booster than we could do 40 years ago. I bet they've already caught up to where we were in the '60s; after all, they've been making ICBMs for a long time now [fas.org], they claim.
As for the instrumentation, they make a lot of chips in China, but I think they're all consumer-grade, not radiation-hardened. Nowadays they should be able to collect a lot more data on the ship and its performance than we could get during the Apollo era.
Re:LOL (Score:4, Informative)
Actually, far less power than a 486. It was a 15-bit CPU (8K RAM, 64K ROM) with a memory cycle frequency of only 83 kHz.
486 (Score:5, Interesting)
FYI: even today, you can't send more than a 486 in orbit, mostly because of feature sizes. The smaller the feature size, the easier for cosmic radiation to screw things up.
NO buddy, today we have PPC in space.... (Score:2, Informative)
Re:LOL (Score:2)
That's allegedly sent men to the moon...
Re:LOL (Score:2)
Re:LOL (Score:2)
Lets face reality: we are reasonably good at sending up satelites that skip along atop our athmosphere, but that's about it. How far away is the ISS? A few hundred kilometers? We could drive there in a few hours if there was a road
What we need is a situation where goin
America, meanwhile (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:America, meanwhile (Score:2, Insightful)
Remember, Scaled Composites, a private American company, has just recently completed two manned flights into space. And through a partnership with Virgin Atlantic, they've already pre-booked quite a few future flights.
If you really want America to take a commanding lead in orbital work and space exploration, close NASA. Within 12 months, every one of their scientists and engineers will be re-employed
NERVA-like designs (Score:4, Funny)
If I remember correctly, the Chinese government never signed anything that forbids them putting fission reactors in orbit.
Re:NERVA-like designs (Score:3, Interesting)
Anyway, here is the big problem with nuclear rockets: getting them into LEO. At some point you have to launch the fuel. That tends to attract a lot of protes
Re:NERVA-like designs (Score:2)
China doesn't have to worry about protesters if it wants to launch a nuclear-powered spacecraft - don't forget China is a totalitarian dictatorship, and protesters tend to get run over by tanks or get shot.
Re:NERVA-like designs (Score:2)
That would be a shame if it were true, which it isn't. If you had read the ABM treaty, which you obviously haven't, you'd know why it was false...
Let me be the first (Score:3, Funny)
China needs to join the ISS (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't know about you, but as a Chinese living in the USA, I would really like for China to join the ISS -- we don't need another Cold War style space race, and cooperation with the world will, I believe, lead to greater transparency and scrutiny of China's space program anyhow.
Indeed, it's absurd that China is currently one of only two nations with a operational manned spaceflight capability, but isn't allowed to join the ISS -- when the ISS is suffering from major logistical resupply problems due to the grounding of the shuttle.
China has, for years, been on a path from isolation back in the 1950s and 1960s, to being a part of the world community in many ways. The US needs to ditch its outdated paranoia, or else the other nations (Russia, EU, etc) need to grow some balls and admit China into the consortium for the benefit of all sides concerned.
Re:China needs to join the ISS (Score:2, Insightful)
1. Taiwan
2. Tibet [savetibet.org]
3. East Turkistan [uhrp.org] (Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region)
say what you will but at least most Iraqis are glad the US invaded, and want us to stay for a while. oh, and we let them protest and practice their religion.
Re:China needs to join the ISS (Score:2)
Friend, you must be joking. They aren't glad we invaded. As for freedom, they don't really have that, either. Ask them how free they are to support a non occupation-approved political faction, such as, for example, an Islamofacist one. Do you think US soldiers will wait around in an Iraqi warzone to see if, for example, a demonstration in favor of
Re:China needs to join the ISS (Score:2)
Re:China needs to join the ISS (Score:2)
Re:China needs to join the ISS (Score:2)
1) Putting a rocket in space isn't the same as having the capability to put on up, dock with a space station, and run extended missions. China will get there soon, I've no doubt, but as of yet, they aren't really of any use. This week-long mission is a good step in the right direction. Once they get down longer missions, there is real possibility for working with a space station.
2) Much lik
Re:China needs to join the ISS (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:China needs to join the ISS (Score:3, Interesting)
The dam cost $24.65 billion. [wikipedia.org]
The ISS has cost estimates on the order of $30 to $40 billion (including shuttle launch costs) [nasa.gov]
I'm not sure I understand your point. Anyway, a better comparison to China's dam would likely be the Panama Canal, the Tennessee Valley Project, or Hoover Dam. As for modern projects, how about New York's third water tunnel ($6 b
Re:China needs to join the ISS (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
Re:China needs to join the ISS (Score:2)
Sounds like Western political spending to me to be honest. Our politicians aren't exactly shy at giving lucritive contracts to their buddies. :-)
And thaaaats the problemmmmm .... (Score:2)
"China has, for years, been on a path from
isolation back in the 1950s and 1960s, to
being a part of the world community in many
ways. The US needs to ditch its outdated
paranoia, or else the other nations (Russia,
EU, etc) need to grow some balls and admit
China into the consortium for the benefit of
all sides concerned."
You've hit the bullseye, man !
What else can the ball-less do ?
Re:China needs to join the ISS (Score:3, Insightful)
Except that the 1960/1970's era cold war won't happen again. Power in the 1960/1970s was concentrated into the US govt and the USSR govt.
Today, there's too much distributed power.
I watched an old James Bond movie [klast.net] not too long ago with my kids. In one scene, the phone rings in the car, and Bond goes to answer it.
My teen children, watching, had no idea that was even unusual, since between my wife, myself, and my household, we have 6 phone numbers, two of th
Re:China needs to join the ISS (Score:3, Informative)
Here [slashdot.org] is a posting of mine on this topic. China has already approached the US and been rebuffed.
Re:China needs to join the ISS (Score:2)
No. This is exactly what we need. Scientific advancement has stagnated without adequate competition.
I would really like for China to join the ISS
The ISS is a floating garbage heap that costs billions but produces little to no scientific advancements other than practice for longer space missions. You should be glad China isn't bankrupting themselves on something so useless. When China overtakes the US is space technology and we are still clinging to ISS y
India and China (Score:3, Informative)
So now that China has money to put men in space... (Score:5, Interesting)
Quick! (Score:2, Funny)
Damn dirty apes!
"taikonauts" (Score:3, Interesting)
In what way does "astronaut" convey that the explorer must be from the USA? Why the segregation? Because a precedence was set with "cosmonaut" during the cold war? Do russians and chinese use different names for the space explorers of other countries? Why doesn't the ESA have their own word in place of "astronaut"?
Dan East
Re:Race to mars... (Score:2, Interesting)
Not exactly... As people have been mentioning with Space Ship One and the private space industry in particular, there is a lot of borrowed technology and knowledge from previous missions. A lot of the legwork has already been done. But you are absolutely correct in saying that competition is good. Ain't no good capitalist gonna let no pinko commie space rocket beat us to space again!!! (Holy crap that triple negative actually
Re:Race to mars... (Score:2)
Maybe in attaining these goals but if the US wanted to get a person into lunar orbit do you really think they have the gear on hand to do it?
Having a working heavy lift/human transport system puts them in front in my book, particularly for Mars.
Re:Please, no more "taikonauts"! (Score:4, Interesting)
The first man in space was Russian.
Re:Please, no more "taikonauts"! (Score:3, Informative)
In fact, the first recorded use of "cosmonaut" was in 1959, while "astronaut" was first recorded in 1929. Check the OED before you make silly, easily disproven statements.
Re:Please, no more "taikonauts"! (Score:4, Informative)
Check history more thoroughly before you make silly, easily disproven statements.
Re:Please, no more "taikonauts"! (Score:2)
Re:Please, no more "taikonauts"! (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Please, no more "taikonauts"! (Score:2)
Oops, 'space' comes from Latin spatium? And 'sailor' from proto-Germanic seglom? Never mind.
Don't be idiotic. (Score:2)
The term astronaut perfectly describes anybody that goes into space in the Englis language, what reason is there to use stupid terms like the one sprouted in the initial posting?
If there was no term to describe a person going into space then the use of a neologism from a different language will be appropriate and to be encouraged.
Re:Please, no more "taikonauts"! (Score:2, Informative)
Example: Xinhua news international (this is their government news agency so you can't get much more "official" than this)
What the official Chinese media call their astronauts [xinhuanet.com]
Re:Please, no more "taikonauts"! (Score:3, Insightful)
In my opinion, the reason for the word taikonaut to exist is because it carries a Chinese background. You can say "Chinese astronaut", but it's too long and people don't like it when they can use one word. Also, "Chinese astronaut" could be confused with Chinese-American astronauts like Dr Leroy Chiao http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/chiao.h tml [nasa.gov].
As a Chinese speaker, I'm not satisfied with the word "taikonauts" either. It sound
Re:sexist language (Score:4, Funny)
Because you chicks are so cute when your act like pouty feminists.
Sincerely,
W.J. Clinton