China launches first manned space flight

Reuters ^ | 10-14-03

[Brian S]

Wed 15 October, 2003 02:07 BST

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has launched its first manned space flight from the Gobi desert, Xinhua news agency says, in its bid to become the third country to put a man in orbit after the former Soviet Union and the United States.

The Shenzhou V, or "Divine Ship V", was expected to orbit the Earth 14 times before returning after about 21 hours.

Xinhua said the craft carried astronaut Yang Liwei, 38. The launch on Wednesday, 42 years after the Soviet Union put the first man into space, marked a milestone for China's secretive space programme, which analysts say has its sights set on a manned mission to the moon.

[maui_hawaii]

Oh please...stop enlightening us.

[RightWhale]

We don't have the budget...

China does, and with a lot less resources. Something is wrong somewhere. Like we don't know that already.

[maui_hawaii]

On the other hand though I am all for taking them seriously. For all too long people have been telling us the harmless nature of China...

That sucks.

[Brett66]

Your post is as good of an excuse as any to post a pic of Rutan's ship. I modeled this ship using Lightwave:

[Joe Hadenuf]

Even if we ever get back to the lunar surface, which we should have never abandoned, our so-called leaders and Congress would probably make them remove the American flag that we left behind, so as not to offend anyone....

[Tree of Liberty]

At the current rate, I'd put money on Rutan beating them to the moon, if he desires to continue the project to that point.

China only got to this point after at least eight years of technological theft, and thirteen years of help from the Russians. Rutan's only been working on his craft since '96 without using, according to the contest rules, any government property.

[GeronL]

what is Lightwave and how do I get it? free if possible?

[RightWhale]

stop enlightening us

It's Pearl Harbor again. This time, though, it's a different kind of war, they aren't dropping bombs or taking our property. So we don't know how to fight this one.

[Lunatic Fringe]

And the new space race begins.....

[Momaw Nadon]

"I have a bad feeling about this."

[GeronL]

a european consortium claimed to have made solar cells that are cheaper, lighter and 20X better at collecting energy.. that will be the best way, for a while, to power a ship to the moon and back if its true.

I'd love to see Rutan add a second stage in the next design and boost itself into a cis-lunar orbit.

[Brett66]

Lightwave 7.0 is 3d modeling software. You can get it for about $1500 if you buy a legit copy or you can download it using Kazaa, for free. heh heh. :)

[Poohbah]

Remember; they still have to get this astronaut back down to earth safely if they want to claim total success.

"Any landing you can walk away from is a good one. Any landing where you can use the plane again is a GREAT one!"

[RightWhale]

I'd put money on Rutan beating them to the moon

He is $1.5 billion from achieving earth orbit. Send your excess funds to him rather than visiting a casino.

[swarthyguy]

Language of EarthCentric Space Exploration" will be CHINESE,--NOT ENGLISH!!

Might explain the appearance and hieroglyphics of some of those UFO based alien beings, the "greys"; some speculate that they're humans from the future - hence their appearance? ;)

[MJY1288]

Yeah, I'm sure the same thing was said by the doom-n-gloom crowd when McArthur was in Japan after WWII ?

The Japanese were are sworn enemy and were just as ruthless as these Islamic whack jobs in the middle east, this war is not with Iraq or Afghanistan, it's with the culture of terrorism in that entire region, and unless we confront it now, we will not be able to if one of these dead enders get a hold of a nuclear arsenal.

What part of that can't you get through your isolationist, head in the sand mind?

[Poohbah]

They confirm orbit, the most dangerous part is over.

The crew of the Columbia might disagree with you...

[GeronL]

Like there is anyone on Kazaa willing to allow someone to download it

[Alter Kaker]

One country.. One race.. Pride..

Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Fuhrer?

Sorry, this has been tried; it is bad idea.