China's manned space flight program.

[Joseph]

Originally posted by mindseye

I say we blow the thing out of the sky. Space is ours, you dirty communists.

Uh, they (Communists) were there first.

No, we were with a small rocket in the late 40s or real early 50s.
The Soviet were first with a sat. and with a human even with the first one or two that were lost before Yuri flight. That is still a secret in Russia.

[Q Classic]

a small rocket can't carry a flag and claim vacuum for a country.

then again, neither can a person.

space is international, you w*nkers.

[My Wife Hates CIV]

The sad part about Chinas space program is it will be completely secret. They will share nothing with the world even if they are successful. So... what's the point??

[Q Classic]

well, that way, if they fail, nobody knows.

[Dinner]

I think the main point is to build intercntential ballistic missiles, to get int o the stalitte launching business, and to sooth their bruised egos about historically being kicked around by the West and the Japanese.

[SpencerH]

Re: China's manned space flight program.

Originally posted by Oerdin
The Chinese government has announced that they will launch a manned Shenzhou 5 rocket by the end of the year. The Chinese media is saying that the launch of a Chinese rocket will "symbolize China's significant breakthrough in space flight and aerospace business". While I applaud China for building a manned space flight mission I really don't see who this is anything more then a giant pissing context because they're just doing what the Soviets and Americans did 50 years ago. Also it's perfectly clear the EU and Japan could have had manned space programs decades ago if they wanted to but the truth is there is very little money to be made in such a program so they haven't bothered.

The main issue for the Chinese seems to be soothing their bruised egos about being a second rate power for most of the last millenium. Wouldn't the money be better spent by providing water and power to the hundreds of millions of Chinese peasants who make less then $200 per year?


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3112322.stm

If you can launch a spacecraft like this you're not far from a real ICBM.

Thanks again Bill for supporting the Chinese "space program"

[mindseye]

I think the main point is to build intercntential ballistic missiles, to get int o the stalitte launching business

Uh, hello ... China already has ICBMS (albeit old ones) and China is already one of the world's leaders for launching satellites. They even launch them for US corps.

As I've said in earlier threads on this topic, it's clearly a national prestige program that may have some ancillary benefits (spin-off techs, infrastructure development, experience and skills, etc.).

China has other such programs either under its belt or under development. Three Gorges Dam, Shanghai maglev railway, world's largest shipyard, incredibly big/long bridges, etc.

Damn, don't you guys play Civilization? Have you forgotten the importance of building Wonders of the World? Sometimes the symblic value of a great undertaking is more important than any practical or immediate benefit.

[Q Classic]

yeah, but you can usually buy those wonders in one turn without any deaths.

[mindseye]

If you can launch a spacecraft like this you're not far from a real ICBM.

They already have ICBMs (albeit relatively old ones) capable fo striking the US.

Thanks again Bill for supporting the Chinese "space program"

Nice try, but the USSR/Russia was/is far, far more influential on the PRC's space program than anything they gained dring the Clinton admin.

[MikeH]

Originally posted by Lonestar


Ten. Using Technology we already have. We don't even need any "Battlestar Galactica" ships, just a couple of super-heavy boosters.

Getting astronauts there is easy. Getting them there and having them not die rapidly because of radiation damage and preventing the huge muscle and bone wastage that they'd suffer on the journey, so that they could actually function on a return to the Earth are the difficult bits.

[C0ckney]

a haircut costs 25 quid i america, do they use gold scissors or something?

and i'm all for sending the chinese leadership into space, and leaving them there

[mindseye]

a haircut costs 25 quid i america, do they use gold scissors or something?

Scissors? Try lasers.

Another China-US haircut comparison:
* Cost of a haircut in a hair salon in San Francisco: about $30
* Cost of a blowjob in a hair salon in Shanghai: about $12

Hair salons provide a broader range of service here.

[Arrian]

In San Francisco, a haircut (with tip) cost me about $35.

Are you serious?

I got a haircut yesterday for $14.

-Arrian

[Chemical Ollie]

So now, instead of little green men we will get little yellow men?

[Sava]

Originally posted by Chemical Ollie
So now, instead of little green men we will get little yellow men?

that's terrible...