China Launch Man Into Space

[mj_1903]

Congratulations China on your successful launch.

Good coverage at:

http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/10/14/china.launch/index.html
http://slashdot.org/articles/03/10/15/0147214.shtml?tid=134&tid=160

Good luck on the mission and a safe return.

 

[idkew]

Can you believe CNN had a pole as to whether this would cause a new space race?

That is rediculous. Good for them.

 

[topicolo]

A space race can't hurt--If China wasn't 47 years behind schedule. Hopefully they'll be able to bridge that gap quickly and promote some advances in spaceflight by starting a little competition.

 

[chibianh]

I applaud China on this historic event. Although they're some 4 decades behind on putting a man in orbit, they are not that far behind in terms of the technology. Remember, Russia's and America's current space technology for manned flights were developed quite a while ago.

 

[robbieduncan]

This is excellent news. We need more nations/private companies getting into space to reduce costs. At the moment there is not enough competition to drive forward innovation. All the real innovation happened during the space race. I hope this kicks off another period of excitement and progress.

 

[Mr. Anderson]

Excellent! And I'm really happy they managed it without any problems so far. Just wish they had broadcast it live....

As for a space race? Bring it on, we could use some more competition - especially if China eyes the moon in the next decade.

D

 

[wdlove]

Congratulations to China on a safe mission. Welcome to the space age. I heard an ancillary item on the news, "It was the longest distance take out in history." The astronaut decided that he didn't want regular space food, but decided on some chinese.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3192330.stm

 

[bennetsaysargh]

well, it wold be good if it was another space race, but then again, it would have to be a nice competition, for science, instead of last time. i too wish the broadcasted it, but they are very secretive about everything.

 

[Stelliform]

Congrats to Yang Liwei! I am glad that the Chinese now have a space hero.

And as for a space race, who says the US has to be involved. I haven't seen the EU put a person in space. I think there is some vast untapped potential in the EU...

 

[teabgs]

I like how CNN's poll says "Do you fear China's manned space launch will ignite a new Cold War-style space race?"

Cause, I don't fear it. But I hope it will

 

[mj_1903]

I also want a new space race. Its about time something exciting happened...like man walking on the moon in my lifetime. Gah.

 

[yamabushi]

Yeah go to the moon and put a permanent presence there. An optical telescope would be awesome on the dark side. Without the light interference and with high quality lenses you could get images many times better than Hubble or any other orbiting telescope could. It could also be useful for experiments with low-g manufacturing, botany, and medicine.

 

[Mr. Anderson]

Originally posted by yamabushi
Without the light interference and with high quality lenses you could get images many times better than Hubble or any other orbiting telescope could. It could also be useful for experiments with low-g manufacturing, botany, and medicine.

ugh, here we go again.

ok, I've discussed this before ad nausium, but for brevity's sake, I'll make it short.

1. There is no dark side of the moon. There is a near side (always facing Earth) and a far side of the moon (always facing away from the earth). The lunar day is the same as the lunar month and when we have a new moon, the farside is totally exposed to the sun.

2. The next generation space telescope is not going to be in near Earth orbit, but at L2 Point - very far from Earth orbit. A link to explain that. This position will give it a great (almost unobstructed view) of the universe.

And taking a cue from radio astronomy - I'm more excited about interferometric telescope systems that will have multiple satellites all working together to see even more clearly into the depths of space.

D

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

I think it is good they have sent someone up, maybe this will get Nasa out of the chair and build us some real hardware that flys instead of millions of dollars wasted in paper studies and no darn way to space. anyone knows what happened to all those x-projects-such as x-43???Happy for China sad for the U.S. maybe we should get rid of Nasa and form a Dept of Space Transportation who's goal is to open space up and develope real-not paperwork ways to space.

 

[wdlove]

I definitely not like to see another Cold War, lived through the last one. Would like to see a cooperative space race. We cooperated sucessfully twice with Russia, at least can't think of more at the moment. There was a docking in space between a Gemni and Souyz spacecraft. Currently the International Space Station. Much could be gained by cooperation, a sharing of knowledge and resources.

 

[Phil Of Mac]

Originally posted by Mr. Anderson
As for a space race? Bring it on, we could use some more competition - especially if China eyes the moon in the next decade.

They do.

Originally posted by Mr. Anderson
1. There is no dark side of the moon.

"There's no dark side of the moon, really. Matter of fact it's all dark."

Originally posted by wdlove
I definitely not like to see another Cold War, lived through the last one. Would like to see a cooperative space race. We cooperated sucessfully twice with Russia, at least can't think of more at the moment. There was a docking in space between a Gemni and Souyz spacecraft. Currently the International Space Station. Much could be gained by cooperation, a sharing of knowledge and resources.

I disagree. Competition is definitely the way to go. There's a reason monopolies and governments are inefficient: they have no competition. Once there's a joint international world space program, guess what? It's a monopoly! There's no competition! It sucks! Just look at the International Space Station!

Apollo 11, on the other hand, was the product of a competition. It's probably the most successful government program in all history, because, firstly, all the hallmarks of a federal bureaucracy were abandoned to beat the Rooskies, and secondly, it was something really great that caught the people's imagination.

The second most successful program was probably the Manhattan Project, which succeeded for a few reasons: competition with Germany, and the high stakes of it. When the survival of Western civilization is at stake, that's a pretty big motivator.

If we cooperate with the Chinese and the Russians, I think that's the most effective way we can ensure that we will get nowhere.

 

[bennetsaysargh]

Originally posted by Mr. Anderson
1. There is no dark side of the moon.

i was just listening to that a few days ago! of course there is! lol

i think that we should have a contest. which private company gets into space first. it would be great publicity, and then people wouldn't have to go to the government, and they can go into space commercially.

who thinks apple should have a G5 power space shuttle

 

[Phil Of Mac]

They need to have a reality TV show on the space station.

 

[pivo6]

Originally posted by Phil Of Mac
They need to have a reality TV show on the space station.

Good luck voting out contestants.

 

[teabgs]

Originally posted by bennetsaysargh


i think that we should have a contest. which private company gets into space first. it would be great publicity, and then people wouldn't have to go to the government, and they can go into space commercially.

there is. it's the X Prize

 

[robbieduncan]

The X-Prize itself is cool, but not really enough! First off it's all sub-orbital. Second almost all the teams are at the computer model/conceptual stage. The one big exception is Scaled Composites who have flown their first stage (basically a plane) and I believe have even tested the space section a bit. They are on course to win sometime next year. With a little development I can see this becoming a viable orbital vehicle.

Too many of the teams are basically building 60s style rockets with a little bit for the people to sit in. There are massively inefficient and not the future.

 

[bennetsaysargh]

i did not now that. thanks for the link.

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

Originally posted by robbieduncan
The X-Prize itself is cool, but not really enough! First off it's all sub-orbital. Second almost all the teams are at the computer model/conceptual stage. The one big exception is Scaled Composites who have flown their first stage (basically a plane) and I believe have even tested the space section a bit. They are on course to win sometime next year. With a little development I can see this becoming a viable orbital vehicle.

Too many of the teams are basically building 60s style rockets with a little bit for the people to sit in. There are massively inefficient and not the future.

what you say is true we need a easy way into orbit, i like the idea of the x-15 concept. to open space we need to be able to launch anywhere and land anywhere rockets/capsules dont allow this. The scaled composit design does as does the Russian entry. take Scaled Composits and give them the millions/billions that Nasa has thrown away and we would have a way into space. Nasa has become nothing more then a govt run science class papermaker what is needed is a solid way to and from earth orbit and then a solid spacecraft that can travel back and forth through the inner solar system,moon, etc. We need a downsized Nasa and create a Dept of Space Transportation and Commerce who's goal is to open space up.

 

[wdlove]

Originally posted by Phil Of Mac

I disagree. Competition is definitely the way to go. There's a reason monopolies and governments are inefficient: they have no competition. Once there's a joint international world space program, guess what? It's a monopoly! There's no competition! It sucks! Just look at the International Space Station!

Apollo 11, on the other hand, was the product of a competition. It's probably the most successful government program in all history, because, firstly, all the hallmarks of a federal bureaucracy were abandoned to beat the Rooskies, and secondly, it was something really great that caught the people's imagination.

The second most successful program was probably the Manhattan Project, which succeeded for a few reasons: competition with Germany, and the high stakes of it. When the survival of Western civilization is at stake, that's a pretty big motivator.

If we cooperate with the Chinese and the Russians, I think that's the most effective way we can ensure that we will get nowhere.

I'm not against competiton, that is what has made the United States a Super Power. What I don't want to see the threat of a world war. Having the threat of mutually assured destruction. The race with nuclear weapons was not productive for our safety.

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

we dont want war in space though the military is moving in the other direction and the last thing they want to see is a public space program. im sure this is why Nasa has done nothing as far as building better space vehicles since shuttle design of the 70's. our own govt may be the worst enemy to opening up space. If we are serious we Must create a agency whose #1 goal is to help with technology transfer to private industry to drive a easy safe way to and from earth orbit for mankind, science,commerce, exploration,recreation? etc. we then need a pure space vehicle who can go places and then return to earth orbit, lunar orbit or go elsewhere. it would be better for us all to work together but when govts gets involved it will cost 3 times as much and be less efficient.