China's Own Space Shuttle in 15 Years(picture)

Chosun Ilbo ^ | 12/01/06

[struwwelpeter]

I saw the Soviet shuttle "Buran" (blizzard) sitting rusty in what used to be called Gorky Park, now "Park of Culture and Recreation". I didn't go inside, but I heard that it was a restaurant that served cosmonaut food - dehydrated Tang kind of stuff I guess.

That was in '98, but I read somewhere that Buran was moved to an aviation museum somewhere (Tushino?)

Even better was the museum of cosmonautics near the VNDK ("exhibition of the achievements of the people"), which had Soviet moon suits, Yuri Gagarin's commie party card (actually, a booklet), and the EKG from Laika the first dog in space.

Wish they'd let me photograph THERE.

[JerseyJohn61]

Bumpers

[Moonman62]

Now we know the Chinese have developed the technology to draw really simple pictures of spacecraft.

[Captain Rhino]

Well, if they go with this design, at least they won't have to deal with the foam shedding problem that killed the Columbia crew and is hanging like the sword of Damocles over every remaining US space shuttle flight.

That said, the proportion of the booster package to the flight vehicle looks off (needs more booster). Just an early concept graphic for sure.

One thing is for sure, they won't be stealing the design package for this from us. Our return to the Moon and trip to Mars Crew Excursion Vehicles are strictly conventional capsules - larger but similar in shape to the Apollo.

[Unmarked Package]

"When will our next-generation space shuttle be operational?"

The first launch of the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (see CEV below) with humans onboard is scheduled for September, 2014 for a mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The first flight of Orion to the moon is planned for no later than 2020. Orion will have 2.5 times the interior volume of the three-man Apollo capsules used for prior lunar missions. It will be able to carry four astronauts to the moon and support missions of up to six months.

The Space Shuttle fleet will be retired no later than 2010 after completion of construction of the ISS.

[fat city]

Where's the fuse?

[ThomasThomas]

Where is the Hello Kitty logo?

[Dont Mention the War]

What did they draw that with, an Apple //c?

[billbears]

Why is that? If the Chinese want to get involved in wasteful spending on a reusable government funded shoddily built space bus like the money pit that soaks up billions of tax dollars we have then they should.

[Jeff Gordon]

This design avoids the fatal flaw of the the US Space Shuttle. The craft is on top of the booster stack rather than side-by-side with it.

[Candor7]

Not to worry, by the time the Red Army coaxes their Hu Flung Dung Shartul into a deteriorating orbit, we will have used the ARES 5 system to build a space assembly factory and we will have built one of these:

[Wormwood]

No Chinese "shuttle" must ever be allowed to leave the Earth.

Okay, I'll bite. Why not?

[Eyes Unclouded]

Yea it turns out that you can't really design all that well when all you have is pirated autoCAD running on pirated windows on knock off hardware... go figure.

I think people need to realize China is a paper tiger (dragon?) for the most part and aren't even close to US in space or military concerns, Jeff Head's outstanding books notwithstanding, and only really have our balls in a vice in the world of finance.

[diesel00]

I think people need to realize China is a paper tiger (dragon?) for the most part and aren't even close to US in space or military concerns, Jeff Head's outstanding books notwithstanding, and only really have our balls in a vice in the world of finance.

i don't think they would be willing to show you or anybody just yet actual autocad drawings of their space shuttle. (assuming that they actually have the shuttle concepts already.)

that artist rendering of the concept shuttle is for a daily newspaper figure (and a small figure at that). how many newspaper figures you've seen have detailed autocad diagrams?

lots of things can happen between now and 2020. they might just find that a shuttle is useless for them. or they could come out with some killer technology. it's all speculation right now. but judging china's "paper tiger" status based on a hong kong newspaper figure is pretty specious.

[diesel00]

Chinese shuttle if cost efficient and safe would pose an image problem for the United States, because the US will be abandoning the shuttle in favor of capsule technology for the coming decades.

There is really no point in having a space shuttle now. But it looks a heck lot cooler than a rice-cooker capsule on landing though.

Of course if we get to Mars with our capsule, then we still rule the space and all bragging rights.

[Silly]

Pretty! All it needs is a Hello Kitty logo, and it it'll be a hit at Christmas.

[Eyes Unclouded]

Oh im sure they have some nifty toys but my money is (actually owed to China) on USA keeping our edge as long as we can keep attracting the best and brightest from the world over our boys will innovate.

I blame the late night drunk posting but something just seems so funny about me opening up the NYT tomorow and detailed CAD layouts of our new subs right there in the middle... till I realize it could happen... then i realize it probably will happen... then i have to go see my friends jim bean and jack danielz

[Silly]

No Chinese "shuttle" must ever be allowed to leave the Earth.

Not even if it seats one billion?

[Colorado Doug]

Cancel our debt. We'll send you the plans.

They already have the plans.

[Moonman62]

Even in finance I would still pick US over them. They may have a trillion in currency but they'll need it if they are ever going to clean up their banking system. And they almost certainly have other major problems they've hidden over the years. Being a world economic power requires transparency and a cleaning of house every now and then.

The Europeans who hate us still price their Airbus aircraft in dollars. The OPEC nations who hate us still price their oil in dollars. I saw a story yesterday about Argentina selling government bonds priced in dollars. How many countries price bonds in Chinese currency?