China really close to manned space flight

[Mr. Anderson]

http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/space/11/12/china.space/index.html

This is a good and bad thing. Great that another country besides the US and Russia actually get people into space. But given the secretive nature of the Chinese government and its political history its got me a little worried. We don't need another cold war and we should allow the Chinese to participate in international space ventures.

But my guess is they won't be playing in our sandbox for a while and set up their own spacestation and other manned missions.

D

 

[irmongoose]

Read the 2001 series. Then you'll know what'll really happen if China goes to space... they'll take over the International Space Station!!!

kiddin... but still, read the books




irmongoose

 

[Stelliform]

I think it is great. We know that Russia doesn't have the funds, and Americans don't care as long as they are on top. If China lands on the moon, then starts a lunar station, America will be building one within a week.

(Kinda like when the Europeans announced plans to land a probe on a comet. NASA then redirected one of its probes to land on a comet even though it wasn't designed for it. Americans demand to be first. Without any competion, NASA will just keep idling. (Kinda like Intel until AMD came out with the Athlon line. (remember Intel Announcing the Moore's Law had failed. AMD didn't seem to think so.))

 

[medea]

Yes some competition is a good thing and Chinas ventures into space will certainly help everyone progress along, I am not a big fan of the Chinese government though and don't trust them very much, NASA should make a deal with them: we will help you get into space if you free Tibet.......

 

[Mr. Anderson]

Yes, its very hard to 'trust' the Chinese, they don't play well in the global community, especially with the US and the Taiwan issue.

Was it 2061: Odyssey three had the Chinese in space? They're 'space station' turned out be a space ship that no one knew about and it blasted out of orbit and landed on Europa. But that's just the beginning, the fun starts afterwards on the second mission.

But that sort of thing is exactly what you might expect from the Chinese. Not that there is anything wrong with it. And I totally agree and little competition would be great for the American space agency. That's all the Apollo missions were in the first place, who could make it to the moon first.

Now, whether or not China goes immediately to building a space station of their own or continues a few years with their own manned program is up for debate. If things get along I don't see any reason for not having a Chinese presence on the ISS - I is for international - and it needs all the help it can get.

As for the Moon or Mars? Who knows. The money needed to do that is literaly astronomical. Ted Turner, Bill Gates and several other billionaires were asked if they would like to fund a manned mission to Mars - it didn't happen. Personnally, if I was Bill Gates, I'd be building my own manned mission to mars, maybe even to the moon as a stepping stone. I can't think of a greater legacy in moving mankind forward. But I'm also happy to see him helping out the aids issue, and I'll never hold his philanthropic gestures against him. He just needs to do some more (which he says he will).

D

 

[wdlove]

It's ashame that as a country we've lost our interest in space. I can remember the good old days of Mercury, Gemni, & Apollo? Hope we can work cooperatively with China. Private interprise may be the way to go for the future. A moon base station would be a good start for planetary exploration.

 

[Mr. Anderson]

Originally posted by wdlove
It's ashame that as a country we've lost our interest in space.

Its not a matter of losing interest in space - I don't think we have - its just the high price tag that is associated with it that causes more problems, that and the routine shuttle missions lack the ability to capture the imagination as well as the first Apollo launches.

Commercialization of space will bring the needed revenue and industry to get us off the planet permanently, we'll just have to wait a while for that to happen.

D

 

[job]

Originally posted by dukestreet
Yes, its very hard to 'trust' the Chinese, they don't play well in the global community, especially with the US and the Taiwan issue.

I don't think we can trust them. For now at least.

Remember those Lucent "employees" who were really Communist agents stealing corporate secrets?

Although I do agree that it would be nice to see NASA get get some competition and pull of something new.