USAFHummer From United States of America, joined May 2000, 10685 posts, RR: 54 Posted (9 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 13 hours ago) and read 1392 times:
China has just put a man into space...its now official
Cfalk From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 1, posted (9 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 1372 times:
Statement from NASA: "As citizens of the world, we congratulate or Chinese colleagues on their success, and wish them good fortune on their stated desire to reach the moon within 10 years. However, as proud Americans, we would like to add, "Been there, done that.""
707cmf From France, joined Mar 2002, 4885 posts, RR: 32 Reply 2, posted (9 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 1365 times:
lol Charles .
However, adding to your comment, being somehow proud of my Russian descent, I would like to add what we said to Alan Shepard back then : "Been there, done that"
Congrats to the tychonaut (spelling ? That's a new word for me) on his first solo !
KROC From United States of America, joined May 2000, 19737 posts, RR: 76 Reply 4, posted (9 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 1342 times:
Couldn't have said it better myself Alpha 1. Although I may have left out the crack on them not being a Super Power.
"Never tell anybody outside the family what you're thinking again"
Pacificjourney From New Zealand, joined Jul 2001, 2698 posts, RR: 9 Reply 5, posted (9 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 1334 times:
Let's be fair shall we. You can't compare what was done today to what was essentially a cannon ball with controls 40 years ago. Sheppard didn't even take a camera !
China is way behind, but not 40 years worth. Dare I mention we are all only as good as our last game/investment/operation or space flight.
Teahan From Belgium, joined Nov 1999, 5264 posts, RR: 63 Reply 6, posted (9 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 1334 times:
@Alpha 1: That’s true, however look at the recent scientific/technological/economic progress in China and compare it to that in the US/Europe. The country is catching up quickly.
Just a few years ago, no one would have imagined China would one day send a man into space.
[Edited 2003-10-15 14:29:23]
Goodbye SR-LX MD-11 / 6th of March 1991 to the 31st of October 2004
Lehpron From United States of America, joined Jul 2001, 7028 posts, RR: 22 Reply 7, posted (9 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 1332 times:
Uh...how can you judge the efforts of one country by another? That doesn't make any sense at all. It is a very big deal sinply because China has never done it before. If that doesn't sway you, then you are simply arrogant.
That's like if a neighbor's kid walks for the first time and I say, "big deal, i did that two decades ago" -- what does that have to do with anything? IMO it is stupid for assuming the US's efforts are the baseline for all achievements done elsewhere.
The meaning of life is curiosity; we were put on this planet to explore opportunities.
Alpha 1 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 8, posted (9 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 1324 times:
Why the hell are you guys so defensive over China? I don't care if it was a "cannonball" as was stupidly said, that went up 40 years ago. The truth is China did what we and the Russians did 40 years ago, and, catching up or not, it tells me they're still, in many ways, ions behind the U.S.
Pacificjourney From New Zealand, joined Jul 2001, 2698 posts, RR: 9 Reply 9, posted (9 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 1323 times:
We could just as easily ask why you are so threatened that you have to belittle thier achievement today.
Sheppard was up about 24 minutes and basically took a piss and made a phone call. This guy today will be up 25 hours, carry out experiments and prepare the satellite the craft includes for deployment before returning to earth. Today should NOT be compared to 40 years ago, that is incorrect, that's all.
Alpha 1 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 11, posted (9 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 1307 times:
Pacificjourney, as usual you're way off mark. I'm not threatened by anything. But it's no big deal 40 years after man first went into space. So it's no BHFD. Maybe to someone like you it is, but it's nothing. It's been done already.
Tbar220 From United States of America, joined Feb 2000, 7011 posts, RR: 28 Reply 12, posted (9 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 1297 times:
I disagree with you Alpha 1.
Progress in science by any country at any time is always a good thing, and an important thing. Just because the U.S. did this 40 years ago does not belittle the sucess of this for China. Also, when more countries contribute to space research, the world contributes more from an increase in this data and information.
Also, if you want to use the U.S. achievements and the U.S. space program as the basis for judging the "quality of sucess" of the Chinese space program, you should mention the recent failures of the U.S. space program.
Mt99 From United States of America, joined May 1999, 6354 posts, RR: 7 Reply 14, posted (9 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 1286 times:
I think its a matter of country pride and the fact that now they have a credible space program (unlike Brasil for example.. Booom!) which can now they can sell to put stuff in orbit. It becomes a marketing thing.
Alessandro From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 15, posted (9 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 6 hours ago) and read 1266 times:
Congrats to the Chinese, hard to compare, I think USA/USSR took more of a gamble (how many satelites hasn´t China put in orbit, before they launched,
compared with USA/USSR first manned launch?).
A bit difference between 3 (USA) and 14 orbits as well.
Now
Israel, India, Japan and ESA (European space agency) has put satelites into orbit but not any manned space launches (yet?).
My guess is that India is the next nation to send a human into space, Japan
and ESA seem to lack the will to do it, Israel don´t have the money.
Indianguy From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 18, posted (9 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 1247 times:
My guess is that India is the next nation to send a human into space, Japan
and ESA seem to lack the will to do it, Israel don´t have the money.
I seriously hope that India does NOT get into a madcap race to send man into space. The Indian space programme has been unique in that it has been PURELY application driven:Remote Sensing and Communications, and maybe thats why it has been so successful. Sending man into space is utter waste of resources that could better be used elsewhere.
Theoretically, an uprated version of the GSLV could launch a Russian inspired capsule, but whats the point? We have already sent an Indian into space on a Russian launcher 3 decades ago and that was enough. I'd rather the Indian Govt concentrates on even more advanced Remote Sensing satellites which would have enormous military benefits as well. Seen in that context, The Unmanned Lunar capsule to be launched in 2006 on a PSLV launcher is also a collosal waste of money.
BarfBag From India, joined Mar 2001, 2050 posts, RR: 6 Reply 19, posted (9 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 1240 times:
My guess is that India is the next nation to send a human into space
Very likely, but don't hold your breath on that. Its not going to happen this decade. The Indian space program is more on the lines of ESA than NASA or the Russian/Chinese programs. Just as with the case of the ESA, could we send a man up if we wanted to ? There'll be the usual technical hurdles, time and money, but yes we can. Is it worth it right now ? I don't think so. In any case, there is a democratic system in India through which the ruling dispensation can maintain or lose legitimacy.
777236ER From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 20, posted (9 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 1236 times:
We did it 40 years ago. Big deal. Shows you that, in some ways, China is still a long way from being a "superpower".
Putting someone in space doesn't define a country as a "superpower".
Having 1 billion (!) citizens and a nuclear programme does.
As for putting a man up in space 40 years ago, big whoop. The USSR did it before the US did. The US managed to get to the moon using a computer with 2.048 MHz (the computer you're using now probably has more than 2 GHz). It has 2k of RAM.
The glory days of the American space programme were fantastic, the whole world was in awe of Apollo and to be honest, in awe of America. Now the US doesn't have any right to comment on other space programmes, given the state of NASA right now. A delapidated shuttle programme, reduced funding and no desire for, or progress towards, another manned programme.
Lehpron From United States of America, joined Jul 2001, 7028 posts, RR: 22 Reply 21, posted (9 years 7 months 1 week 4 days 22 hours ago) and read 1185 times:
I think China has the advantage of time, that it may well do as much as the US/USSR did in less time simply because of the technology that exists. Perhaps they will succed the USA in going to Mars Currently we aren't funding NASA that much, everything is going into the war on terror, iraq, wherever, etc.
Note I did not specify a date of when.
The meaning of life is curiosity; we were put on this planet to explore opportunities.
USAFHummer From United States of America, joined May 2000, 10685 posts, RR: 54 Reply 23, posted (9 years 7 months 1 week 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 1151 times:
He's back down...my congrats to the Chinese for a successful mission...
Positive rate From Australia, joined Sep 2001, 2143 posts, RR: 1 Reply 24, posted (9 years 7 months 1 week 4 days 18 hours ago) and read 1121 times:
I agree with Alpha 1. Although it is a major accomplishment for China, it's been done. And don't forget the Chinese have the benefit of hindsight, they have 40 years worth of data and experience to back them up. When the Russians and the Americans did it in 1961 it was the first time and they had to take the gamble, they had to develop the technology from scratch. And the only reason the first 2 American manned flights(Shepard and Grissom) were sub-orbital was because the Atlas booster was not yet ready, so they had to go with the Redstone which meant sub-orbital. This Chinese flight didn't break any new ground- they are using capsules which are a 40 year old design.
25 DFWLandingPath: Congrats to the Chinese and I can't wait to see what their next step is. Perhaps a reuseable orbiter? Space is a great accomplishment, but shouldn't t
26 L-188: John Gleen did exactly what this guy did 40 years earlier. No offense to China or Mr. LIwie, but "Godspeed John Glenn" sings better.
27 VonRichtofen: "I saw on TV (everyone's favourite, the BBC) that a NASA 'bod seems to think that the Chinese have a "sixth generation" spacecraft. Anyone like to exp
28 Pacificjourney: "John Gleen did exactly what this guy did 40 years earlier." Glenn didn't even get out of his chair, get your facts straight.
29 Cfalk: All kidding aside, if the Chinese do make it back to the moon, 40 years after the last visitors, it would be interesting to see the contribution (or l
30 727LOVER: I still think, 40 years after man started to do this, it's no big deal. It's news because China is only the 3rd country to lauch a man into space.
31 Alpha 1: Pacificjourney, Glenn went into space 40 years ago. The only reason he didn't get "out of his chair" was the technology wasn't that far along, was it.
32 Pacificjourney: Thanks for confirming what I was saying all along. Both men sat on top of a big cracker and were shot into space, there the similarities end. That's a
34 GDB: It is perhaps worth noting that China has had on/off plans to do a manned launch for some 30 years, each time political infighting has stopped any pro
35 Cfalk: ...Saturn 1B, which NASA used for early Apollo tests, as a ferry to Skylab... Just a small correction - The Skylab was launched by a version of Saturn
36 FDXmech: >>>Just a small correction - The Skylab was launched by a version of Saturn V, which was capable of putting a monsterous 130 tons into orbit, far more
37 Commander_rabb: Launching a man into space and safely returning him to earth is a major feat. You must acknowledge that. Only three countries have done it. The former
38 Alessandro: I always thought the Energija was the biggest rocket successfully launched?
39 Bobrayner: I always thought the Energija was the biggest rocket successfully launched? There were different variants. A more powerful one existed on paper, but w
40 Positive rate: Does China posses a rocket powerful enough to put a space staion into LEO? That's probably their next goal judging by the media reports. But even then
42 GDB: Skylab was launched (unmanned) on a Saturn V, but the 3 crews each used a Saturn 1B to reach the Skylab.
43 Cfalk: Greatest feat of engineering ever? And the sad thing is that we can never build one again - some idiot threw out all the blueprints at the end of the
44 Positive rate: Greatest feat of engineering ever? Amen. The Saturn V was a thing of beauty. When one of those babies lifted off everyone stopped to watch. I only wis
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