fast moving object near the surface,
the chinese will have to fight with the locals on the moon.
Posted on 05/18/2002 9:45:03 PM PDT by RightWhale
China plans base on the moon to exploit mineral resources: report
BEIJING (AFP) May 19, 2002
China, which is pushing ahead with a fledgling space program, plans to establish a base on the moon in order to exploit its mineral resources, state media reported Sunday.
"Our long-term goal is to set up a base on the moon and mine its riches for the benefit of humanity," the Beijing Morning Post said, citing Ouyang Ziyuan, an official with the Chinese space program.
The paper said China has adopted a three-step plan that will eventually make it possible to fly to the moon.
China first wants to put an astronaut in space, then establish a space laboratory, and eventually set up a space station, the paper said.
The paper quoted Wang Zhuangyin, a leading space-program engineer, as saying China would probably be able to achieve manned space flight by 2005.
This is more pessimistic than reports in the Chinese media earlier this year which suggested it would be possible within the next two years.
Wang told the paper that China currently has 12 trained astronauts "awaiting orders."
If successful, China will become the third country after the former Soviet Union and the United States to put a human into space.
China earlier this year launched its third successful unmanned test flight.
The Shenzhou III, or "Divine Vessel III," traveled 108 times around the earth on a flight that ended April 1.
Western diplomats in Beijing say China's space efforts are mainly symbolic and aimed at raising awareness of science and technology among its 1.3 billion citizens, while invoking nationalistic pride.
But the program also offers significant scientific and technological advances to Chinese scientists. In addition, it provides the military -- the main administrator of the space program -- with a range of space-based applications, they said.
Space excitement is building in China. If they are not geared up for some of the mamufacturing as yet, they might indeed go out of house for some things.
Having just finished business school, I can say that they already have.
29 posts and no one's used the classic:
"All your base are belong to us now"
Well, wasn't the first Mars touchdown by a Soviet craft? I guess the old legal argument could be made that Russia didn't officially take over the status of the Soviet Union but.... :)
If they are just looking to exploit space resources that alone would suffice to deny the rest of us an easy progression into outer space. There are plums in space, juicy targets relatively easy to get to. The targets remaining if the Chinese get the easy ones first will be much more difficult. Space is huge and endless and full of resources, but economics dictate the order of development. We could be shut out. Those who are earth-centered are looking near-term, those who look to the rest of the solar system are planning for the long-term.
Could America, which has succeeded by exploiting natural resources on earth so well, find itself at a dead-end eventually by not carrying the pioneer spirit off-planet? The Chinese don't need to be up to anything else, this will do.
Chinese history is obviously not my forte.
That was Viking in 1976. Russia landed a Venera on Venus.
Since when has China's concern for humanity extended beyond it's desire to oppress humans?
This is a joke right?
Chinese humanity anyway.
Set up a solar powered mass driver and it will be cheap as heck .... the capital investment will be high and take decades to pay off but the actual launches will fall to pennies.
Of course something like that can always become VERY powerful artillery as well.
I was thinking of "Mars 2" and "Mars 3" (1971). I guess 'crash landing' would be more appropiate than 'touchdown' in that case.
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