Chinese Astronaut Says Space Food Tastes 'Great'

Reuters ^ | 10-15-03

[dfwgator]

I wonder if the American Flag that was placed on the moon is still there? Those Chinese better not F with it, if it is.

[oyez]

Bwhaahaa! (Spitting "Nutty-Buddy" all over the desk and console) You had to be just waiting for that.

[KevinDavis]

There is a lot for humans to explore in space pal.

[DoctorMichael]

......Comrade Clin Toon......

FYI: Thats pronounced "Krin-ton" in Chinese.

[1Old Pro]

Leave it to Reuters to make this a touchy feely story, as the guy releases a satellite designed specifically to navigate nuclear warheads aimed at the United States. SHEESH.

[Eternal_Bear]

Krinton is japanese. Chinese can pronounce L's.

[Kirkwood]

I'm speaking as a professional astronomer on this topic. Space exploration is best done with machines. Near earth orbit offers some opportunities for low-G research where direct human interaction might be desired, but most scientists disagree. Intelligent machines are much better at exploration and can be made to last for many generations with the appropriate fuel source. Everything outside of our solar system is inaccessable to humans because of distance and the danger of space environment. Sorry to break that news to you, but Star Trek is pure science fiction and we will never travel outside of our own solar system. Within the solar system, exploration of Mars would be interesting from the point of understanding how the geology evolved, but in terms of a Mars colony, it is not practical. Mars cannot maintain an atmospheric pressure suitable for human life because the atmosphere would outgas into space. If China did decide to try to colonize Mars, they would be essentially wasting their time. It would be a remarkable feat, but that is all. There is no logical reason to colonize the moon either when a space station is far more practical and flexible. The dangers of solar radiation are very real and US astronauts were very fortunate to have explored during quiescent periods of solar activity, and thereby survive.

[KevinDavis]

We have a choice. Do we just sit on our ass and let the chicoms take the lead in human space exploration or do we go for a human Mars exploration. I say go with humans to Mars!

Space Ping! This is the space ping list! Let me know if you want on or off this list!

[KevinDavis]

Well guess what there are dangers here on Earth. We will overcome the dangers of Human space travel. I think people who supports robots only are either wimps or rats.

[RightWhale]

We know all that, having been subjected to Sagan for years. Nevertheless, we are not in space for science. We intend to utilize the resources of outer space for the expansion of civilization into the solar system. Of course, robots have their use in exploration.

[Paulie]

It suprises me to see so many posters here are 'poo-pooing' this whole thing. First of all, it's an extraordinarily complex thing to pull off. Sure, we did it several decades ago, but at what rate are we progressing now? At what rate are the Chinese progressing? At warp speed it seems.

This is the ol' tortise and hare story, and if we're not careful we'll find they have much more up their sleeve than most of us imagined. And it has nothing to do with them being Asian. It's the power of the human will.

I'm not being hysterical, just realistic. You know what happens when people put on the blinders and go full steam ahead? They usually accomplish what others think is impossible.

[KevinDavis]

Sad but true, China has the will to send humans to space. We don't and it is sad.

[bonesmccoy]

"not many can."

Yes, as a matter of fact, the Chinese are currently AHEAD of the US because we can't put a man in space unless we BUY the ticket on a Russian vehicle.

At this point, the Chinese have demonstrated the ability to put a man in space and we can't!

[bonesmccoy]

With all due respect, NASA can't launch a man into LEO at this point.

The Chinese are NOT 42 years behind us because Clinton x42 GAVE the Chinese PLA OUR technology from Loral.

[bonesmccoy]

We can't send humans to Mars. They would probably die in transit. The duration of flight is too long at present.

I would be satisfied having the US back in deep space (e.g. GEO or Lunar ops).

[hunter112]

And we can again, if we rightly recognize China for the threat that it is.

I agree, people are laughing now, but this may be the century that China overtakes the rest of the world. And all off the money we send them for cheap crap.

I'm hoping that a future Republican president will have the guts to stand up to China, but I don't think his last name will be Bush.

[Bryan24]

No, NASA is paralyzed by bureacratic infighting and politcization of the agency. We can do just about anything we want. The problem is that everyone at the upper levels is fighting over what we're gonna do, so basically nothing gets done.

[Frank_Discussion]

You're right, but you're wrong. Yes, the (high-level) bureacratic garbage is strangling prospects for real accomplishment, no doubt about it. I've been working in the JSC environment for nigh on a decade now, and I've seen some crap filter through in that time.

"We can do just about anything we want."

Yes, but what we want to do we can do in about 5 to 10 years from today, if our institutional hangover cleared.

China did it yesterday.

It does not matter what we did 42 years ago - It matters what we can do now, and what we can do in the future. All other perspectives are, as it has been said, Whistling Past The Graveyard.

[Bryan24]

Well, from a "snapshot in time" perspective, you're right. They're flying and we're not.

I've been at MSFC for 4 years. I have previously spent 15 years in the commercial, high-tech sector. The bureacracy in NASA is simply unbelievble.

[Frank_Discussion]

Well, given the institutional lethargy we've both acknowledged, that "snapshot" is all we have. We have no approved vision beyond that. We need our vision back.

China will not be a "one-shot wonder", simply because they have a vision.