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.

[optik_b]

"socialism will NEVER defeat freedom. "

China has the rawest form of Capitalism in the world.

[Action-America]

It's not the launch that's tough.

It's Reentry

One half degree off and you're toast

 

[TexasGunLover]

I'm afraid I don't agree. While I won't argue that there are differences between the previous generation and the current one, I will say that it is certainly still possible for us to do so. You need to understand that China's space program is built on the backs of ours and the Russians. The Chinese have virtually no innovation in any of their efforts and are only good at copying others.

[Fee]

The profits and innovations generated by off shore subcontractors return to the US corporations. The US still reaps the wealth, and this wealth is critical in maintaining our technological advanced military. The "62 million dollar" question is what jobs are being created to replace the lost jobs in the US? When is too much offshore jobs going to undermind the social fiber of the US (i.e the benefits being diminished by the bad side affects)? These are good questions. Unfortunately government and corporate America have not done an analysis of this new economical and social paradigm created by globalism and trade. What good is wealth, if the wealthy and their families must travel in armored limosines and bodyguards to go out and eat or shop? I am still waiting for a smart politician to make this a campaign issue, because I think this is a very good issue to raise. So any Freepers plan to run for office, this would be a good issue to run with.

[JohnSmithee]

"China has always been the world power of record..."

Sure, after ingoring the Greeks, the Romans, the Babylonians, the Egyptians, the Byzantines, the Arabs, ....

[snopercod]

The Chinese have virtually no innovation in any of their efforts and are only good at copying others.

...just as the American space program originally copied the German program.

We did later do something new by creating the Space Shuttle.

[RightWhale]

China can launch their spaceship on a circumlunar mission next year. NASA is 10 years from being able to do that, if they start right now.

[TexasGunLover]

That's right, I forgot the Germans went to space. /sarcasm off

[snopercod]

You need to read the history of the space program. America would not have made it into space for decades had it not been for the German scientists we comandeered after the war. They taught us how to build and launch rockets. Werner von Braun taught us how to get to the moon.

[Semper Paratus]

One half degree off and you're toast

"The East is Red"
And so will be the astronaut.

[camas]

did you know that the US could have beat the ussr into space???

but pres kennedy wanted the ussr to be first so he could go to congress an ask for lots of money to "catch up" he got the money and away we went.

[King Prout]

but they are really, REALLY good at copying, and have the luxury of copying only those things that actually get the job done.

[RightWhale]

pres kennedy wanted the ussr to be first so he could go to congress an ask for lots of money

That is BS. However, China is about 10 years ahead of the US in space hardware right now.

[strela]

I don't know why, but that link keeps crashing my browser.

[camas]

someone sent a general to the cape from the pentagon to make sure there was not a satellite on a rocket that was setting on the launch. the general even climbed up on the rocket to make sure. sorry to long ago can't remember the names of the players

[TexasGunLover]

I don't need to read it. I've studied it extensively... the fact remains, while German scientist contributed significantly, it was the American work ethic that got us into space. Germany never put a manned spacecraft into space.

[Darksheare]

Had heard somethign liek that.
Wrote it off to rumor mongering at the time.

[Darksheare]

somethign liek = something like

Typing and listening at the same time doesn't work so well.

[RightWhale]

Oct 4 1957

The IGY was in full swing, and the Vanguard [Navy} was supposed to launch an IGY satellite. What an embarrassment. Anyway, that was Eisenhower.