China enters the 1960s!

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » October 15, 2003, 12:03 pm

http://edition.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/ ... index.html

Krimson Klaw · Post by **Krimson Klaw** » October 15, 2003, 12:18 pm

Hehe don't clown on them too hard, that is an awesome accomplishment. I was disapointed when I found out that they did not want to show the launch LIVE, so they could edit the tape in case it failed or something, or just not realease the video at all. Seemed cowardly to me. It went off without a hitch as far as I know, congratulations to them, big step they just took.

Raistin · Post by **Raistin** » October 15, 2003, 12:41 pm

We all know people going to space is fake.

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » October 15, 2003, 12:56 pm

hehehe im with you krim

Forthe · Post by **Forthe** » October 15, 2003, 1:37 pm

Intel sees China PC market overtaking U.S.

http://news.com.com/2100-1006_3-5091384 ... g=nefd_top

Kelshara · Post by **Kelshara** » October 15, 2003, 3:14 pm

Might have something to do with how last time they sent the launch live the rocket blew up over a populated area and killed 6 people.. on live tv.

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » October 15, 2003, 4:13 pm

I know a guy who is a technician at NASA who told me that they are all rooting for the chinese down there. He said that nothing would be more helpful in getting the government to give them more money than seeing them plant a chinese flag on the moon. NASA seems pretty strapped for cash lately. I still feel that we have enough problems on earth without going into space and looking for more but I'd rather see money being spent on space travel more than money being spent on dropping bombs on arabs and tremendously wasteful trillion dollar missile defense shields to protect against imaginary missiles.

masteen · Post by **masteen** » October 15, 2003, 6:37 pm

I don't think we can fully learn about the universe while stuck in the bottom of a gravity well. Getting out there is really the only way to make meaningful progress.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » October 15, 2003, 6:46 pm

We are motivated by competition or keeping up with the Joneses or Wangs in this case. I see this as a good thing if it reignites our desire to explore. If it doesn't, we're fucked.

Krimson Klaw · Post by **Krimson Klaw** » October 15, 2003, 6:47 pm

kyoukan wrote: He said that nothing would be more helpful in getting the government to give them more money than seeing them plant a chinese flag on the moon.

I'll bet China gives our landing site a once over to see if we 'really' have a flag planted on the moon. Oh what news that would bring.

Deward · Post by **Deward** » October 16, 2003, 3:57 pm

USA probably won't get into a space race again. We really can't compete with China at this point. It takes too long for us to develop missions and they cost too much. China employs 200,000 people in it's space industry and they probably don't give a shit if they kill a few along the way. I see China establishing a moon and mars base before we do.

Just another one of the advantages of a dictatorish society. Of course if we would stop fucking being the world's policemen then we could afford to go to space.

masteen · Post by **masteen** » October 16, 2003, 4:08 pm

Deward wrote:...China employs 200,000 people in it's space industry and they probably don't give a shit if they kill a few along the way...
Just another one of the advantages of a dictatorish society.

It also helps that they have 1.3 billion peeps with no illusions about being beautiful and unique snowflakes.

Skogen · Post by **Skogen** » October 16, 2003, 4:47 pm

Kelshara wrote:Might have something to do with how last time they sent the launch live the rocket blew up over a populated area and killed 6 people.. on live tv.

I worked for the company that used their booster to launch a satellite we built, and that was the rocket that blew up. It wasn't just a few people according to eyewitness accounts. Co-workers I personally knew saw it first hand, and they said the casualties were more like a couple of hundred, not 6.

Neroon · Post by **Neroon** » October 16, 2003, 11:34 pm

masteen wrote: It also helps that they have 1.3 billion peeps with no illusions about being beautiful and unique snowflakes.

Exactly. Americans are far to busy being materialistic to do anything remotely progressive.

I hope the Chinese can sustain the support to keep this going, instead of giving up like we did. And yes, I consider sending a shuttle up to orbit the planet every so often as giving up.

Ask ten different scientists about the environment, population control, genetics and you'll get ten different answers, but there's one thing every scientist on the planet agrees on. Whether it happens in a hundred years or a thousand years or a million years, eventually our Sun will grow cold and go out. When that happens, it won't just take us. It'll take Marilyn Monroe and Lao-Tzu and Einstein and Buddy Holly and Aristophanes .. and all of this .. all of this was for nothing unless we go to the stars.

Krimson Klaw · Post by **Krimson Klaw** » October 17, 2003, 9:24 am

Deward wrote:USA probably won't get into a space race again. We really can't compete with China at this point. It takes too long for us to develop missions and they cost too much. China employs 200,000 people in it's space industry and they probably don't give a shit if they kill a few along the way. I see China establishing a moon and mars base before we do.

Just another one of the advantages of a dictatorish society. Of course if we would stop fucking being the world's policemen then we could afford to go to space.

Are you freakin kidding me here? So China will close a 40 year gap, space walks, mars missions, lunar landings, countless top secret space missions, China will bypass all of that and leave the US standing still in the space race. That is the most idiotic thing I have seen in all of 15 minutes on this board.

Chmee · Post by **Chmee** » October 17, 2003, 10:27 am

Chinese astronaut says that he couldn't see the great wall (referring to the old saying that the great wall is the only man made structure visible from space).

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holn ... 220021.htm

Snopes and space.com points out the old saying is wrong, and more things than the great wall can be seen from space (and apparently the great wall is kind of tricky to see).

http://www.snopes.com/science/greatwal.htm

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/v ... 31006.html

And an article with some cool pictures I noticed on space.com, included just because.

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/t ... 224-1.html

Skogen · Post by **Skogen** » October 17, 2003, 12:51 pm

Deward wrote:USA probably won't get into a space race again. We really can't compete with China at this point. It takes too long for us to develop missions and they cost too much. China employs 200,000 people in it's space industry and they probably don't give a shit if they kill a few along the way. I see China establishing a moon and mars base before we do.

Just another one of the advantages of a dictatorish society. Of course if we would stop fucking being the world's policemen then we could afford to go to space.

dude what color is the sky in your world? Or have you just ben stuck in the closet with a rubics cube for the past 15 years?

Sionistic · Post by **Sionistic** » October 17, 2003, 2:12 pm

With the current state of space exploration here in the us, I dont think China will pass us, but the us doesnt exactly give me much faith in our interest in space travel. the gov is too worried about shit down here.

Forthe · Post by **Forthe** » October 18, 2003, 12:19 am

Krimson Klaw wrote:
Deward wrote:USA probably won't get into a space race again. We really can't compete with China at this point. It takes too long for us to develop missions and they cost too much. China employs 200,000 people in it's space industry and they probably don't give a shit if they kill a few along the way. I see China establishing a moon and mars base before we do.

Just another one of the advantages of a dictatorish society. Of course if we would stop fucking being the world's policemen then we could afford to go to space.
Are you freakin kidding me here? So China will close a 40 year gap, space walks, mars missions, lunar landings, countless top secret space missions, China will bypass all of that and leave the US standing still in the space race. That is the most idiotic thing I have seen in all of 15 minutes on this board.

Unless something changes this is entirely *possible*.

The US economy is stagnent and the government deficits really hurt the US's ability to spend more.

At the same time China's economy is growing at a crazy rate (9.1% the last 12 months ending in September), is still expected to accelerate further even with the government trying to slow it down some (inflation fears) and has seen more foreign investment this year than any other country in the world.

Likely no, possible yes.

Krimson Klaw · Post by **Krimson Klaw** » October 18, 2003, 8:18 am

Anything is possible 100 years down the road. This scenario is 100% not possible in the next 20 years, our immediate future. US could be nuked off the map right now, total oblivion, and China could not surpass what we have accomplished anytime soon, surpass us? No way. I am sure they are happy that you have that much faith in their abilities though. US amd Russia accomplished what we did at break-neck speed, in an out and out race, one country vs another until one of us went bankrupt. China does not have the same IMPENDING motivation to put that kind of effort and resources into it the way we did. but hey, you have your opinion, and I have mine, mine just happens to be right. I guess I'm a prick afterall.

Zaelath · Post by **Zaelath** » October 18, 2003, 11:13 am

You assume that they have to do everything from scratch... their dev time/cost doesn't have to be anything like the US program...

Krimson Klaw · Post by **Krimson Klaw** » October 18, 2003, 11:29 am

When it comes to space research, they will have to do it basically from scratch, unless they steal the technology. I congratulated them on the launch, it's an impressive feat, that's why only three countries have done it. If it were as easy as your delusional mind makes it out to be, everyone would have a space shuttle and mars landings. China is going to be an economic monster here in the near future, I see them surpassing the US with no problem in that regard, but even with the added technology which benefits from a booming economy, it will not be enough to surpass the US in space anytime soon. The gap is just too large to be done quickly.

Zaelath · Post by **Zaelath** » October 18, 2003, 12:01 pm

Krimson Klaw wrote:When it comes to space research, they will have to do it basically from scratch, unless they steal the technology. I congratulated them on the launch, it's an impressive feat, that's why only three countries have done it. If it were as easy as your delusional mind makes it out to be, everyone would have a space shuttle and mars landings.

I'm sorry, who are you talking to? I never said they would be on Mars in a year... If you think it's delusional to expect a faster rate of achieving something that's already been done because of the information that available, freely or otherwise, then I really don't know what your major malfunction is.

I was going to take the high road and question why you have such personal investment in the US's achievements in space and how no one can ever surpass you that you need to lash out at anyone that suggests a flaw in your reasoning.. but no, I think I'll accept that you're a pompous fucktard who knows everything and leave it at that.

Krimson Klaw · Post by **Krimson Klaw** » October 18, 2003, 12:19 pm

Krimson Klaw wrote: China is going to be an economic monster here in the near future, I see them surpassing the US with no problem in that regard, but even with the added technology which benefits from a booming economy, it will not be enough to surpass the US in space anytime soon. The gap is just too large to be done quickly.

Re-read my edit, and I never said a year.

Zaelath wrote:I think I'll accept that you're a pompous fucktard who knows everything and leave it at that.

Now you're talking.

Zaelath · Post by **Zaelath** » October 18, 2003, 12:39 pm

You made the implication that someone, I have no idea who, had given some unrealistic timeframe. I gave none at all. But I will refer you to the tortoise and the hare..

Krimson Klaw · Post by **Krimson Klaw** » October 18, 2003, 12:51 pm

You are on a roll, what quip do you have planned for me next?

Boogahz · Post by **Boogahz** » October 19, 2003, 12:09 am

Big move for China, but nothing that will stop or even slow the US from getting back into the space race. In fact, it could help. China is the third country that has succeeded in getting a manned ship into orbit and recover the astronaut (or whatever the chinese equivalent is). The Russian program has been stagnant for years, but it has been successful. Personally, I think that the US may have made a mistake is putting everything into the shuttle program (btw, how many shuttles were built? 5?). Obviously NASA is looking into the whole program. The fact that almost half of the Shuttle fleet has essentially been destroyed when it could have all been gone as complex as the ship is, doesn't help the US at all. Shuttle lift-offs get delayed by pigeon's poopin' within the state of Florida, but the Russians can still launch manned flights in blizzards, etc.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » October 20, 2003, 3:44 pm

We've had hit and miss success with our unmanned space probes. Another batch of probes are on their way and due to arrive, orbit and land on Mars in the near future.

I like the idea of multiple cloned probes. It's much less expensive to duplicate the parts for an original probe than to build an entirely new design. With many factors that can cause failures on probe missions throughout the solar system, sending several cloned probes is the best way to assure at least a partial success.

And if the god damned illuminati and greys would quit fucking with our probes, we'd have even more success! Truman's greatest failure as president was not succeeding in getting Humans admitted into the Galactic Federation which would have substantially cut down on the frequency of cattle mutilations. I understand negotiations broke off when Truman tried to jam an anal probe up the chief grey representative's ass.

I have major concerns about our space program. Development of new delivery systems for earth orbit takes many years. Even if we started today, we wouldn't have anything ready for 5-10 years. We're already looking at 2010 and the clock is ticking. While we delay and ponder manned space flight, we should be pressing for more unmanned probes.

Skogen · Post by **Skogen** » October 20, 2003, 4:07 pm

How many avatars has Winnow gone through in the past month? =)

Boogahz · Post by **Boogahz** » October 20, 2003, 9:47 pm

Don't the Russians also have an unmanned "ship" for supply deliveries? Launch it and it goes to the station unmanned on it's own? That's a step that I don't think the US has even bothered trying since we are so focused on multi-purpose ships