Miscellaneous News

gelgoog

Lieutenant General
Registered Member
um there's a reason why rocket science is a metaphor for something being hard: because it's actually hard. South Korea's rocket was developed in conjunction with Russia. more accurately, they outright bought a Russian Angara first stage. The Angara first stage worked, their parts didn't.

ICBMs also use totally different tech (solid fuels or hypergolics) than most commercial launchers which use either LOX/LH2 or LOX/kerosene engines. So there's really no excuse.
Yes but the latest South Korean satellite launch was made with a rocket which uses 100% indigenous tech. At least as indigenous as you get in modern market economy. And to be honest, other than needing the industrial capability to manufacture the fuel (which isn't easy either), there isn't that much difference in technology terms between making a LOX/Kerosene or a hypergolic. In fact the hypergolic engine is easier to make. It is just that making the fuel is a pain.
 

FairAndUnbiased

Brigadier
Registered Member
Yes but the latest South Korean satellite launch was made with a rocket which uses 100% indigenous tech. At least as indigenous as you get in modern market economy. And to be honest, other than needing the industrial capability to manufacture the fuel (which isn't easy either), there isn't that much different in technology terms between making a LOX/Kerosene or a hypergolic. In fact the hypergolic engine is easier to make. It is just that making the fuel is a pain.
South Korea is making a good start. But it's still quite late compared to China and Japan who almost simultaneously launched satellites in 1970. its inaccurate to characterize the process of a space program as "easy".

hypergolic engine is indeed easier as it doesn't need an igniter or cryogenics. but that's not the point. the fuel manufacturing, purification, handling, storage, etc. is different and difficult.
 

gelgoog

Lieutenant General
Registered Member
South Korea is making a good start. But it's still quite late compared to China and Japan who almost simultaneously launched satellites in 1970. its inaccurate to characterize the process of a space program as "easy".

hypergolic engine is indeed easier as it doesn't need an igniter or cryogenics. but that's not the point. the fuel manufacturing, purification, handling, storage, etc. is different and difficult.
I agree. There is nothing easy about making your own space program. And South Korea is one of the most advanced economies in the world. It might not be the largest but they have similar technological level to Germany. I would actually say their technological level at this time is way ahead of Germany. Germany cannot manufacture a lot of high-tech products which the South Koreans have no issue in building. If anything I think Germany's technology base regressed since the end of the Cold War. Germany cannot build a nuclear reactor to save their life if they wanted to and South Korea builds them. And most high tech products made by German industry are even more dependent on collaboration with other nations than South Korea's. The semiconductor industry, there is just no comparison possible.

You are correct that fuel handling and storage are also big issues with hypergolics. It is quite finicky. And the hypergolic fuel that North Korea recently managed to produce for their latest ICBMs, UDMH, only a handful of countries have historically produced it.
 

Bellum_Romanum

Brigadier
Registered Member
I agree. There is nothing easy about making your own space program. And South Korea is one of the most advanced economies in the world. It might not be the largest but they have similar technological level to Germany. I would actually say their technological level at this time is way ahead of Germany. Germany cannot manufacture a lot of high-tech products which the South Koreans have no issue in building. If anything I think Germany's technology base regressed since the end of the Cold War. Germany cannot build a nuclear reactor to save their life if they wanted to and South Korea builds them. And most high tech products made by German industry are even more dependent on collaboration with other nations than South Korea's. The semiconductor industry, there is just no comparison possible.

You are correct that fuel handling and storage are also big issues with hypergolics. It is quite finicky. And the hypergolic fuel that North Korea recently managed to produce for their latest ICBMs, UDMH, only a handful of countries have historically produced it.
Oh oh, you're severely underestimating "GERMANIC ENGINEERING" prepare for a very stern rebuttal from our good friend here buddy.
 

Overbom

Brigadier
Registered Member
To be fair Iran has 1+ trillion USD economy while Saudi doesn't (yet, projected to get there by end of this year). So it has more economic weight in an economic group. All of the NG8 are 1+ trillion USD economies... Or were, until Turkish Lira devaluated so much it fell below $1 trillion.

But then the political meaning is questionable. if US treaty allies like Turkey and Mexico can be invited then what is the point? Or hostile states like India for that matter?

If it's just "collection of strong economies outside G8" then might as well invite South Korea.
Iran's economy is (nominal) about $200 billion. At PPP figures it is $1 trillion.

Saudi Arabia's (nominal) is $700 billion.
At PPP figures it is $1.74 trillion. Also don't forget that half the world depends on its oil.

As you can see, this isn't about economics but about Russia's attempts for a power play in the region. If it was truly about economics, either Iran + Saudi Arabia are invited or only Saudi Arabia.

This isn't me about being a SA fanboy but on China's diplomatic priorities and commitments to the region. As for SCO, I don't rate that highly Iran's inclusion in it. In my opinion Iran is merely the first step before getting (possibly in this decade) the real prize, Saudi Arabia + other Gulf States.

As for Mexico and Turkey, I am ok with them. Not everyone can be China friendly and the group would need to demonstrate acceptance of different countries in order to prove that it is a true global south multilateral grouping. If not, you might as well as call it Russia's + China's friends group and move on..


That's probably how Chinese officials will evaluate this new idea from Russia and then promptly move to shut it down. As it stands, imo this proposal isn't in China's interests.
 

AssassinsMace

Lieutenant General

That's the contradiction of the West. They say they want to include everyone yet in practice they exclude mostly everyone else. In reality they want as much support as possible but mostly everyone else won't see a return. It's an elitist mentality of Western culture that liberals themselves can't escape. In San Francisco they saw it with District Attorney recall, the school board recall, and every other instant where the Democratic liberal establishment disregarded Asian voter concerns on thing that affected Asians.

When Republicans say they aren't racist and accept minorities into the party, that's only if minorities don't bring in their issues that concern them and instead only care about the general Republican agenda which are only white Republicans concerns that they care about. Recently someone objected in this forum to my warning for Asians not to so easily jump in and join the anti-woke crowd in the US. Yeah they want support but guess what? They not going to support you as much as they expect you for them. The US Congress supposedly has a bill to rebuke China over LGBQT rights. It'll probably pass if it hasn't already because it will be supported by the anti-woke crowd in Congress. Do you think it's because Republicans care about their rights in China. No. They want China destroyed by the very thing they think is destroying the US. It's very American that they want support from people they aren't willing to support themselves. That includes the Republican perspective how they want support from LBGQT in their anti-China legislation.

That's what's wrong with the US. They say they care about things when they really don't. That's why Roe v. Wade was overturned. People like Senator Susan Collins was upset that the now supreme court justice Brett Kavanaugh told her he wouldn't vote to overturn Roe v. Wade but then he did. The romanticism of Americans that you can trust them with their word when it's as simple as just lying that makes them so naïve about reality. Just like believing Americans want to include everyone when their culture works to exclude as many as they can because then what the have isn't so special if everyone has it.
 

pmc

Major
Registered Member
Oh oh, you're severely underestimating "GERMANIC ENGINEERING" prepare for a very stern rebuttal from our good friend here buddy.
The purpose of German engineering is working through collaboration to unite various countries but take bigger share just below the top to have more control in German hands to influence inside those countries. Thats why you see CERN in Europe, Europe horizon programme, various custom unions. it is not meant to sell only German brands.
 
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