Chinese to Launch Manned Spaceflight Next Week

[Kuciwalker]

Just like West Virginia, only 1000 times bigger!

The Chinese marry their siblings?

[Az]

Originally posted by DanS


That's precisely the point. The technology to do this stuff is part of the "house". And much of it is just a rebadged Russian product.

the technology maybe is, but manufacturing is Chinese. And it's also a matter of delivering the quality of manufacturing of these things.

It's not as if they got DIY "Man in Space" kits from the Russians.

[Az]

Originally posted by skywalker

Just like West Virginia, only 1000 times bigger!

The Chinese marry their siblings?

The chinese don't have any siblings.

[Straybow]

Dang, beat me to the punch!

[Adam Smith]

Originally posted by Azazel


The chinese don't have any siblings.

Or their girl siblings come to the US

[Nubclear]

Originally posted by Azazel
It's not as if they got DIY "Man in Space" kits from the Russians.

[Straybow]

Yeah, everyone toots their own horns

Originally posted by mindseye
There is no question from anyone that the space program is intended Number One as a jewel in China's development crown. You should not underestimate the importance of "face" in Chinese culture.

Think about it - in a single ten year span, you have:
* China hosting APEC
* China joining WTO
* Beijing hosting the Olympics (2008)
* Shanghai hosting the World Expo (2010)
* Construction of the largest dam and hydroelectric project in human history
* World's first maglev passenger train
* World's 3rd tallest building (2002) and soon, THE tallest (2005).
... and, assuming all goes well,
* Manned space flight

My understanding was that the maglev was a project undertaken by a German enr & constr firm, and the tallest building under construction (Union Square Phase 7 due in 2007) is in continuation of a pre-takeover Hong Kong project.

China was admitted to the WTO in hopes of leveraging diplomatic influence to improve workers rights and induce freedom of trade. I suppose most of the Chinese citizens don't realize that, but we should not fool ourselves.

Everybody knows IOC members were falling for the wine, women & song routine (and a few bribes to close the deal) all through the '90s. Can the World Expo be that different?

As for the Three Gorges Dam and Reservoir, it should be an excellent showcase for How To Seriously Screw Up A Delicate And Overburdened Ecology. Chinese face-saving may cost them their arse in the long run.

The long term effects of dams on some of the world's major rivers (Columbia, Nile, Danube) include irreparable damage to salmon spawning, loss of nutrients and vital minerals downstream (the entire Black Sea, for example), silting of reservoir capacity, salt buildup, etc.

It appears these problems are worse the larger the impoundment and flow. Three Gorges will have all these problems to some extent and more nobody has anticipated.

Me? I'm no snail-darter-hugging enviro-wacko, but even average folk are starting to realize that hydro isn't the harmless solution to power generation it once was thought.

I'm also no stereotypical Bigger-Is-Better Yank. The way to control a giant river is control its tributaries with dams, its banks with levees, its populations with evacuation plans, and its economics with insurance investment. Then you roll with the punches.

The Chinese desire to ecclipse the accomplishments of the "barbarians" has ecclipsed their normal caution in solving age-old problems.

[Urban Ranger]

Re: Yeah, everyone toots their own horns

Originally posted by Straybow
China was admitted to the WTO in hopes of leveraging diplomatic influence to improve workers rights and induce freedom of trade. I suppose most of the Chinese citizens don't realize that, but we should not fool ourselves.

Have you done any in-depth study of the whole process? I have.

[DarthVeda]

Dang... where is Ernst Blofeld when you need him?

[DaShi]

Re: Re: Yeah, everyone toots their own horns

Originally posted by Urban Ranger




Have you done any in-depth study of the whole process? I have.

So you're both in agreement. Good, I like this new UR.

[Tingkai]

The Chinese have put a man in space! They've done it, although I guess we got to wait until he's safe on the ground.

Still its an impressive accomplishment for a economically developing country. China has made incredible progress since I first visited it 1981.

A photo of the rocket in the NY Times looks odd. It looks like the thing is falling apart. Anyone know if the debris is normal?

[Agathon]

[Winston]

Yes let's all dance and cheer. Now they can oppress human rights in outer space as well.

I am not impressed.

[Tingkai]

What a troll

[DaShi]

To think, it probably would have gone unnoticed.