China Puts Man in Space

[RichieB16]

October 14, 2003, will forever be remembered as a day in space history.  Tonight, at about 9pm EDT-they launched Shenzhou-5 which sent takionaut Yang Liwei into space.  This makes China the third nation to successifully put a man in space.

http://www.spaceref.com/redirecth.ref?id=0&url=http://www.spaceref.com/focuson/china/

[ozzy72]

Now if they can just get him back in one piece everything will be v.cool.

Ozzy

[BFMF]

What a surprise, didn't see that one coming

[Polynomial]

i agree, a miricale if he comes back . . . . . .

[Smoke2much]

i agree, a miricale if he comes back . . . . . .

Why a Miracle?  I'm sure that the level of technology in China in 2003 is higher than in the US and Russia in the 1960's.  Well done China.

Will

[fido]

Why, if their technology is so advanced,  did they use a copy of an old Russian capsule, instead of a newer design of their own?  I do wish their Takionaut well, but believe this is more of a publicity stunt, then science.

                            Fido

[Smoke2much]

I never said it was great, just better than the US and Russian technology that first put men in space four decades ago.  I agree it is publicity or politically motivated.  China is saying that it is a super power plain and simple.

Will

[fido]

Sorry Will,  Didn't mean to impune your judgement. Reread your post, you're right, but at least we created the tech in the 60's, not copyed it.  True, there are more of them than us, but does that entitle Chima to super power status. I believe that is yet to be decided.
Listen to me, "them" - "us", I sound like a cold war nut.  Damn, I'm old.  I will wait till they truely enter the 21st century to decide if I think they are a super power, or just super power wantabes.

                     Fido

[SaVas]

China is a super power, just in an understated over populated way

And congrats China!

[Smoke2much]

LOL Fido, no offence taken.  I was born in '74 so my memories of the Cold war are really of just the end.  And from what I've read most of China's military hardware is cheap copies of the Russian stuff.  What concerns me about the Chinese situation are the cities where they allow competition and provate ownership etc and give them a free hand in the development of useful technology.  Do we want the most populated comunist nation on the planet catching up with western technology or am I just as much of a dinosaur as you?

Will

[fido]

China is a super power, just in an understated over populated way

SaVas  Nice one

Do we want the most populated comunist nation on the planet catching up with western technology or am I just as much of a dinosaur as you?

Will   Good point.  I'm too old to learn Chinese, I think I'll just practice my "Duck and Cover" drills and try to forget.

             ________
              l  Fido  l

[ATI_7500]

go,china,go!  :D

[Scottler]

Was anyone else a little nervous about this?  There had been so much talk recently about China possibly having nuclear weapons, and then to find out that the Chinese government prohibited the broadcast of the launch (a last minute change, btw)....kinda made me a little worried.  lol

[fido]

Hyperion   you have a point.  What if the "Cold War"  is not really over, maybe it just changed it's address.    There is nothing about the Chinese that would surprise me.  Wonder why they only sent one takionaut in a capsule made for three?  ???

                    Fido

[Scottler]

Wonder why they only sent one takionaut in a capsule made for three?

If I had to guess, I'd say it probably had something to do with not wanting to kill three people in the first launch, should the unthinkable happen.