China to send space into man

[neoolong]

I'm surprised there not trying to be the first at something else in space, like orbiting the first cow, and then recouping part of the launch costs by selling the milk at a hundred times the normal price. Critics might wonder at first how one cow can produce five thousand gallons of milk per day, but then only idiots will be buying in the first place.

They aren't testing their craft with animals first? Huh. Every nation that put a lifeform in orbit first did it with animals. America useds chimps, Russia used dogs, even France had it's space cats, with their very own space cat carriers. Very odd.

China isn't exactly known for it's regard for the well being of it's citizens. Heck, there is no telling how many cosmonauts died before Gagarin was finally put into orbit...

The Chinese tested it with mannequins first.

[PainRack]

You know, I haven't seen anything, even from the Chinese press, to suggest that Beijing is saying that China is now uber advanced for sending a man into space.

Mind saying why this is the view here?

[Tsyroc]

We call Americans in space "astronauts" and Russians in space "cosmonauts"; what are we going to call the Chinese?

"dead"

That's kind of what I was wondering.

The aritcle didn't say anything about sending a man into space AND safely recovering him.

[AniThyng]

That's kind of what I was wondering.

The aritcle didn't say anything about sending a man into space AND safely recovering him.

er, what?

the article states:

Friday's announcement also gave the first official details of the planned flight, revealing that the Shenzhou (Divine Vessel) V spacecraft would make 14 orbits of the Earth before landing in a pre-selected area.

[AniThyng]

to clarify, lack of edit button doth prove annoying, that i think we can safely assume he meant that by implication, since it would not be good PR for the taikonaut or whatever he is to die. China IS seeking to show the world it can match the West, after all. [yes, i know, 1950's. but i think mockary will be deserved if they announced the launch is to Mars....walk before running, no?]

[MKSheppard]

China IS seeking to show the world it can match the West, after all.]

Moron, we're not mocking the Chinese because they're trying to break into
the space race 40 years too late, we're mocking them because knowing chinese technology, they will have a Deadnaught on their hands

[AniThyng]

fine fine i concede that it is pointless to harp on the "welcome to the 1950's" style mockery, and that the mockary, despite containing such temporal refences, is really just mocking that thier technology is old hat and a legacy of the soviet space program.

that said i would think the Chinese will not annunce this wothout being sure they can suceed, this is already very public news, not some sort of secret hushable military test.

but will concede if the mission fails in future.

[Typhonis 1]

Didnt the Chinese try this earlier like in the Middle ages when one idiot had rockets attached to a throne,he sat on it. When the rockets were lit there was a loud nise and he was never seen on Earth again? thats how I heard it

[StarshipTitanic]

Didnt the Chinese try this earlier like in the Middle ages when one idiot had rockets attached to a throne,he sat on it. When the rockets were lit there was a loud nise and he was never seen on Earth again? thats how I heard it

There's actually a little news story about that on the CNN page under related articles.

[Crown]

And so China prepares to make its first bold step into the early 60's. Likely the US won't need the non-existent help of our fictional god.

Not to pick on you specifically, but this is addressed to all the other sycophant 'me too-ers'; does that mean that they are only 20 years behind?

[Patrick Degan]

There really isn't all that much reason to laugh at the Chinese. Nineteen-Sixties' level technology is certainly adequate to send men into orbit, and that's what they've got. Their Long March rocket is a fairly reliable booster and the Shenzhou is based on the Soyuz —also a proven and reliable design. They're smart enough to build atomic reactors and atomic bombs, they're smart enough to build atomic submarines, and they're smart enough to be up on the current level of computer design. It's not as if they're a bunch of ignorant coolies who believe a giant dragon swallows the sun every once in a while.

As for why they're doing this, they evidently see the wisdom in not being dependent on either the American or Russian space programmes, and they evidently have their own ambitions for a future in space. These are people who tend to think the long view decades in advance rather than the next quarterly profit statement or election-cycle.

[MKSheppard]

they're smart enough to build atomic submarines

Albeit some very noisy ones that are on par with 1950s Russian SSN designs

[Bob McDob]

China IS seeking to show the world it can match the West, after all.]

Moron, we're not mocking the Chinese because they're trying to break into
the space race 40 years too late, we're mocking them because knowing chinese technology, they will have a Deadnaught on their hands

Also, the Chinese are easy to make fun of. Like France, except without the homosexual innuendos.

[Wicked Pilot]

Also, the Chinese are easy to make fun of. Like France, except without the homosexual innuendos.

Normally I'd make fun of France's practice of surrendering here, but I can't seem to tie it into China. Can somebody help me out?

[MKSheppard]

*snip chinese are so smart stuff*

If they're so brainy, then why is their best domestically produced plane
a MiG-21 knockoff? They've always failed every time they've tried to
produce a next generation fighter, despite the obvious photoshopping
jobs by Chinese aviation fanboi, hence them buying FLANKERS from Russia.

[Sea Skimmer]

If they're so brainy, then why is their best domestically produced plane
a MiG-21 knockoff? They've always failed every time they've tried to
produce a next generation fighter, despite the obvious photoshopping
jobs by Chinese aviation fanboi, hence them buying FLANKERS from Russia.

The first batch they license produced where so badly put together they had to be shipped to Russia to be completely rebuilt.

[Admiral Valdemar]

If they're so brainy, then why is their best domestically produced plane
a MiG-21 knockoff? They've always failed every time they've tried to
produce a next generation fighter, despite the obvious photoshopping
jobs by Chinese aviation fanboi, hence them buying FLANKERS from Russia.

The first batch they license produced where so badly put together they had to be shipped to Russia to be completely rebuilt.

Jesus, I heard they had some problems with their airforce (okay, military in general) but can't they even follow instructions now?!

[Kazuaki Shimazaki]

Albeit some very noisy ones that are on par with 1950s Russian SSN designs

Now, let's have a bit of fairness. We've only seen their FIRST submarine design set. First attempts often suck.

[Drooling Iguana]

I'm saying that, what with the current funding and PR levels of NASA, that the Chinese will be the first on Mars.

So Mars really will be the Red Planet then?

[MKSheppard]

Now, let's have a bit of fairness. We've only seen their FIRST submarine design set. First attempts often suck.

But to have a 1950s era boat in 2004 is not...good. What? couldn't they buy
some expertise off the Russians, or steal our quieting methods?

[Patrick Degan]

*snip chinese are so smart stuff*

If they're so brainy, then why is their best domestically produced plane
a MiG-21 knockoff blah blah blahblahblah....

And this says they're incapable of putting a man in space how, exactly?

[Kazuaki Shimazaki]

Now, let's have a bit of fairness. We've only seen their FIRST submarine design set. First attempts often suck.

But to have a 1950s era boat in 2004 is not...good. What? couldn't they buy
some expertise off the Russians, or steal our quieting methods?

I suppose they are getting every bit of assistance from the Russians for their new Type 093s. The current estimate (seeing they aren't built) is that they'd be about as good as the first generation subs that are quieted - the Victor III and the Permit in silencing.

For the Hans, they were first completed in 1974! Their design goes back to before the Cultural Revolution (they were building them, then the Cultural Revolution got in the way.) For them not to have many silencing features is natural considering their ancestry.

Not many parts to steal then, and the Soviets just said "We aren't friends anymore..." Perhaps they hadn't even realized the full importance of silencing.

At least it was a teardrop, which was something that could not be said IIRC about early American and Russian nucs.

After the Hans and Xias they weren't building many nuclear submarines. That's not dumb. They knew they had a lot to learn. Some lessons can only be learned by actually BUILDING, but might as well do a little classroom learning before actually trying another "hands-on."

[MKSheppard]

And this says they're incapable of putting a man in space how, exactly?

It says that I don't exactly have a very high opinion of the quality of their
workmanship. Which is why I prefer the term "Dead" for anyone who
steps into a Chinese made space capsule.

[Kazuaki Shimazaki]

It says that I don't exactly have a very high opinion of the quality of their workmanship. Which is why I prefer the term "Dead" for anyone who steps into a Chinese made space capsule.

But sending a man into space requires only 50s-70s workmanship, which you just agreed they did have.

As for their failures to reproduce the Flanker, I suppose it just shows again how hard it is to copy tech when your own base tech isn't enough. This is a weak link situation - they can be up to par in (for instance) computers and airframe and everything, but if they couldn't reproduce say one of the alloys fo rthe engines (computers are more or less public, but engine alloys even for corporate jets could be secrets,) it goes to pot.

Your own base design reduces that problem, because it is worked around your own tech. But then you have ambition. There's no point in trying to develop a MiG-23 or F-4, and at least one part of the tech isn't up to developing at least a Flanker grade aircraft. No wonder they aren't succeeding.

[StarshipTitanic]

These are people who tend to think the long view decades in advance rather than the next quarterly profit statement or election-cycle.

Which is why they're well on the way to solving their hunger, economic, and social problems...D'OH!