China's Space Program News Thread

[Preux]

Re:

Yeah, and the Wright Brothers built the first plane in a bicycle shop. Now let's try to build a F-22 in the garage!

Anyway, I concur heartily with PakistaniDragon. This thread is on China's Space Program. You can always start a thread in the club room if you absolutely must talk about Innovation in DNA, BIG BAD GUBMINT and other unrelated topics.

 

[vesicles]

Re:

@vesicles

Answer: Lets start with this innovator / inventor. There is no better example

Robert Hutchings Goddard (October 5, 1882 – August 10, 1945) was an American professor, physicist and inventor who is credited with creating and building the world's first liquid-fueled rocket,] which he successfully launched on March 16, 1926. Goddard and his team launched 34 rockets[3] between 1926 and 1941, achieving altitudes as high as 2.6 km (1.6 mi) and speeds as high as 885 km/h (550 mph).

Goddard's work as both theorist and engineer anticipated many of the developments that were to make spaceflight possible.[5] Two of Goddard's 214 patents — one for a multi-stage rocket design (1914), and another for a liquid-fuel rocket design (1914) — are regarded as important milestones[6] toward spaceflight. His 1919 monograph A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes is considered one of the classic texts of 20th-century rocket science. Goddard successfully applied three-axis control, gyroscopes and steerable thrust to rockets, all of which allow them to be controlled effectively in flight.

Goddard received little public support for his research during his lifetime. Although his work in the field was revolutionary, he was sometimes ridiculed in the press for his theories concerning spaceflight. As a result, he became protective of his privacy and his work. Years after his death, at the dawn of the Space Age, he came to be recognized as one of the founding fathers of modern rocketry. He was the first not only to recognize the scientific potential of missiles and space travel but also to bring about the design and construction of the rockets needed to implement those ideas.

LOL. Goddard is actually a perfect example of how govn't support is critical to aerospace engineering. Note that he was a professor who was paid and supported by the university. He was hired by the Clark University precisely because of his interest in rocket propulsion. Most of his early work (before 1916) was supported by the Clark University where he was a faculty. His more mature theoretical work on rocket propulsion was actually mainly funded by the Smithsonian Institute from 1916 to 1920. It was clear that this funding was absolutely critical to his ability to continue his research on rocket propulsion. In 1923, he was then appointed the director of the Physics lab, which provided him necessary tools and space to continue his investigation. Note that the lab belonged to the university, which was, again, govn't-funded. Then in 1927, he obtained funding from the Smithsonian and Danial and Florence Guggenheim Foundation. These foundations act pretty much like govn't agencies, in terms of providing grants to university researchers. All in all, govn't funding was absolutely essential to Goddard's ability to initiate, continue and finally finish his theories and his engineering work on rocket propulsion. Note that the key word here is essential, meaning it would NOT have happened without these govn't funding.

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As indicated by this article, he got very little public attention for his work. He was actually ridiculed. Again, his work would have been impossible without govn't support. This is exactly my point. Without any potential to make a profit, private companies would not work on something like what Goddard was doing. Yet, his work was absolutely essential to build a rocket or launch a satellite. So govn't funded research is absolutely essential to aerospace. Thank you very much for proving my point!!

---------- Post added at 01:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:22 PM ----------

Yeah, and the Wright Brothers built the first plane in a bicycle shop. Now let's try to build a F-22 in the garage!

Anyway, I concur heartily with PakistaniDragon. This thread is on China's Space Program. You can always start a thread in the club room if you absolutely must talk about Innovation in DNA, BIG BAD GUBMINT and other unrelated topics.

I think what we discuss here also relate to the Chinese space program since we discuss the potential contribution of the private sector to any, including Chinese, space program. And we are also discussing some very important history of aerospace research, on which the Chinese space program also depend.

 

[no_name]

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On the other hand look at what Germany achieved with their V-2s not long after Goddard's progress. They borrowed a lot from the man, but see what government can make a difference between their weapons of terror and Goddard's midget (in comparison) rockets.

The highest Goddard's rocket ever got to was a bit less than 3Km up. Imagine what he could do if the Allied government had shown interest in his work.

 

[AssassinsMace]

Re:

John Connor must send a Terminator to kill Mr. Woo.

[video=youtube;Hk69NCCbVgY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk69NCCbVgY[/video]

Builds robots in his backyard plus this journalist declared Skynet was created by China.

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Must kill Mr. Woo. I bet he created the Cylons too.

 

[NikeX]

Re:

I think what we discuss here also relate to the Chinese space program since we discuss the potential contribution of the private sector to any, including Chinese, space program. And we are also discussing some very important history of aerospace research, on which the Chinese space program also depend.

I agree with your analysis. And regarding the Chinese space program I think it can be safely said that a private sector space start up could not be a reality in China for the foreseeable future. China always tries to play it safe when it comes to technology development. A private space start up would be verboten in China.

---------- Post added at 06:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:50 PM ----------

On the other hand look at what Germany achieved with their V-2s not long after Goddard's progress. They borrowed a lot from the man, but see what government can make a difference between their weapons of terror and Goddard's midget (in comparison) rockets.

The highest Goddard's rocket ever got to was a bit less than 3Km up. Imagine what he could do if the Allied government had shown interest in his work.

Germany was interested in using rocketry as a weapon of war. Goddard was about the peaceful use of rocketry. Those two very different motivations had much to do with how money was allotted in the respective programs. There has always been money available for innovative methods to blow people up

 

[vesicles]

Re:

John Connor must send a Terminator to kill Mr. Woo.

Builds robots in his backyard plus this journalist declared Skynet was created by China.

Must kill Mr. Woo. I bet he created the Cylons too.

If john Connor can send a Terminator and succeed in killing Woo, Skynet would not be built and there would be no Terminator for John Connor to send back. If that's true, with no Terminator, Woo would live on and successfully create the Skynet. It's a vicious cycle that, no matter what, would not change anything.

---------- Post added at 11:34 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:19 AM ----------

I agree with your analysis. And regarding the Chinese space program I think it can be safely said that a private sector space start up could not be a reality in China for the foreseeable future. China always tries to play it safe when it comes to technology development. A private space start up would be verboten in China.

thank you. I agree that private sector is also critical. Govn't-funded research tend to focus more on the basic research and the stuff that will benefit the govn't more than average people. Without the private sector, we would have excellent understanding on how the physical world works, which satisfies our curiosity, all the awesome high tech weapons and things, but we the average people would not have benefited from any of this. The private companies would take these technologies and come up with everyday products, like cell phones, microwaves, satellite TV and fiber optics, which we cannot live without.

 

[escobar]

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SZ-9 moving to the launchpad

 

[escobar]

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Recent photos of Wenchang Satellite Launch Center construction site:

 

[bd popeye]

Re: china manned space - news and views

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BEIJING (AP) — China will launch three astronauts this month to dock with an orbiting experimental module, and the crew might include its first female space traveler, a government news agency said Saturday.

A rocket carrying the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft was moved to a launch pad in China's desert northwest on Saturday for the mid-June flight, the Xinhua News Agency said, citing an space program spokesman.

The three-member crew will dock with and live in the Tiangong 1 orbital module launched last year, Xinhua said. The government has not said how long the mission will last.

Xinhua cited Niu Hongguang, deputy commander in chief of the manned space program, as saying the crew "might include female astronauts."

The government said in 2010 that two female air force pilots had joined the astronaut program but has disclosed no other details.

China's space program has made steady progress since a 2003 launch that made it only the third nation to put a man in space on its own. Two more manned missions have followed, one including a space walk.

China completed its first space rendezvous in November when the unmanned Shenzhou 8 docked with the Tiangong 1 by remote control. Tiangong 1 was launched on Sept. 29.

Over the next few days, scientists will test the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft, the Long March 2F rocket and ground systems, Xinhua said, citing the spokesman.

During the flight, one crew member will remain aboard the Shenzhou 9 "as a precautionary measure in case of emergency" while the others enter Tiangong 1, Xinhua said.

China has scheduled two space docking missions for this year and plans to complete a manned space station around 2020 to replace Tiangong 1. At about 60 tons, the Chinese station will be considerably smaller than the 16-nation International Space Station.

Beijing launched its independent space station program after being turned away from the International Space Station, largely due to U.S. objections. Washington is wary of the Chinese program's military links and of sharing technology with an economic and political rival.

 

[siegecrossbow]

Re: china manned space - news and views

I think the decision to include a female taikonaut has already been formalized.