Posted on 03/25/2002 8:11:24 AM PST by RightWhale
China launches third unmanned space vehicle
BEIJING (AFP) Mar 25, 2002
China has successfully launched its third unmanned space vehicle, the country's official newsagency reported late Monday.
According to Xinhua reports, the "Shenzhou III" blasted off Monday night at 2200 local time (1400 GMT) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gansu Province.
Scientists at the Beijing Aerospace Directing and Controlling Center told Xinhua the launch went ahead according to plan and that the vehicle had arrived at a preset orbit.
Chinese President Jiang Zemin observed the aunch of the Long March II F rocket which reportedly entered into orbit about ten minutes after blast-off.
The first experimental "Shenzhou" spacecraft was launched from the same centre on November 20, 1999, and returned to earth in Mongolia the next day.
On January 10, 2001, China launched a second unmanned spaceship -- the "Shenzhou II" -- which was basically identical to a manned craft.
Xinhua said Chinese scientists had designed life sciences, materials, astronomy and physics experiments which will be performed during the craft's journey, but did not mention when re-entry was expected.
They can afford to take their time and do it right. The program is open-ended and they are under no pressure, certainly not from the West. Of course they wish to establish a manned presence in space as soon as reasonably possible, so they will press on. No doubt their funding will be increased as a result of their continued success.
No, that would be a tactical error.
That might be.
We could also blame NASA for not doing enough, but that would be misplaced blame. It is Congress that lacks vision and can't see what to do until the wolf is at the door. Some blame goes to the White House, since they can propose and suggest, but Congress gets most of it.
The Apollo moon landing program came from Congress, not from the White House --in spite of the Big Speech.
In any case we should not look back on how this came about, but look at the situation and rectify the situation. Water under the bridge or something like that. The sooner Congress gets the space program in gear, the sooner America can meet this challenge from China and the better America will be able to hold its own.
And I mean hold its own, because China will get a piece of the pie no matter what, and to let them pick off the easy to reach plums that could have been America's would be a betrayal of trust in Congress. As if . . .
There are people inside China opposing the manned space project. THey think the defense budget should be the first priority. BTW what did the US gain from the Moon landing?
I would like a piece of land on the earth instead of on the moon.
ROCKS :0)
[laughs] There are benefits to living in a non-democracy! Once the people in charge figure out what they think is the right thing to do, they can Just Do It.
What did we get from our space program? How about the ability to tell which brand of watch is on bin Laden's wrist from orbit? The military "payback" is obvious. And, once someone establishes a serious presence in orbit, say at L5, the real economic returns may become, so to speak, astronomical -- don't forget, it costs almost nothing to ship goods down to Earth... (If resources could be gathered, say, from the Moon or from passing asteroids, rather than shipped up from Earthside...)
Mark W.
What goods are you expecting?
Remember that our money goes to their nuclear program when you go to Walmart.
I unloaded some Huffy bikes today that used to say "Made in America",they now say,"Made in China"
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