Report: China Plans to Launch Moon Probe

AP/Yahoo.com ^ | November 2, 2003 | AP

[Cincinatus' Wife]

BEIJING - China plans within five years to launch a probe to orbit the moon, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Saturday, citing a space program official.

The announcement came as China's first astronaut, Yang Liwei, was in Hong Kong making his first public appearances since orbiting the Earth last month.

Since the success of Yang's nearly 22-hour flight inside a Shenzhou 5 capsule, there has been a stream of disclosures about the ambitions of the once-secret space program.

"China is to launch its first moon-probing satellite in the next three to five years," Xinhua said, citing an interview with Zhang Qingwei, deputy head of Yang's delegation in Hong Kong.

Plans call eventually for landing a robot probe on the moon and retrieving samples of the surface, Xinhua said. It did not say when that would happen.

China's space program is a key prestige project for the communist government, which launched its first satellite in 1970.

After satellites and manned space flight, a moon probe would be the "third milestone" of China's space program, Zhang said, according to Xinhua. The moon probe would be launched aboard one of China's Long March III A rockets, he said.

Officials say the country plans to launch another Shenzhou capsule within two years and eventually wants to send up a permanently manned space station.

Hong Kong's Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, left, applauds as China's first man in space, astronaut Yang Liwei completes signing an autograph on a poster of an Exhibition on China's first manned space mission at the exhibition opening ceremony in Hong Kong's Science Museum, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2003. Beijing gave Hong Kong the opportunity to host Yang's first public appearance since he orbited Earth 14 times, hoping the instant superstar's visit will infuse locals with a bit of the patriotism that's been missing since the 1997 handover from British sovereignty. (AP Photo/Anat Givon)

[GeronL]

The US needs to start approving those private space licenses very quickly

[Simmy2.5]

While China goes to the Moon, we should will be on Mars. Hopefully.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Next, Go Back to the Moon

[Cincinatus' Wife]

We won't get to Mars until we get back to the Moon.

[GeronL]

bump

[sourcery]

With the right investments in nanotechnology, artificial intelligence and biotech (the latter will be needed in order to overcome the medical issues pertaining to long space missions,) we can leave the rest of the world in the dust. Those technologies would enable the construction of relatively inexpensive spacecraft that are as far advanced over what we have now, as a Ferrari is over a tricycle. All it takes is the will to succeed. Unfortunately, we may no longer have it as a nation.

[GeronL]

It will take private industry

[Cincinatus' Wife]

NASA needs to get us back to the Moon. It needs to explore and learn how to work and live off Earth. Once they do that, NASA will be back and ready to move on to Mars. And that's when the business of Lunar/space enterprise will be turned over to the private sector.

[clee1]

The US needs to start approving those private space licenses very quickly

Since when does the US Gov't own space? And why should anyone have to apply to the holy Federal Bureaucracy for "permission" to explore it?

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Think about China on the Moon. Do you think they'll play nice and work with us?

[Pro-Bush]

They better not plant a Chinesse flag. I know it is only a probe, but they might want to mark their accomplishment.

[clee1]

Of course they won't.

The problem is that Space flight is prohibitively expensive. Only the largest economies can support it.

China is a revolution waiting to happen. The "Old Guard" hardline Communists are dying off. Once they are gone, and as the reins loosen, capitalism will flourish. Before a democratic China can spend trillions on space travel, they will have to take care of their infrastructure needs and feed their massive population. If The Chinese Gov't insists on this foolishness, it will bankrupt itself and collapse; a la the USSR.

In order for businesses to take up space flight, there must be a profit in it.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

We're stuck in the starting gate. Bush needs to announce the goal of a lunar return to learn how to live and work in space. The Moon is a natural lab, a national defense objective and an economic gold mine. Once we've opened the frontier, business will follow. We must challenge ourselves and keep the technical edge.

[Pro-Bush]

bttt

[Consort]

[Cincinatus' Wife]

What's stopping private enterprise? Primitive technology? Investors?

By giving NASA the green light to go back to the Moon, Bush can jump-start national security, scientific discoveries, engineering prowess, educational excellence, national pride and economic expansion.

Once we're back in the business of exploration, not the search for life, we will be serious players in this unstable world.

"Great nations which fail to meet their responsibilities are consigned to the dust bin of history. - Ronald Reagan 1978

[GeronL]

don't ask me. Maybe they will need to program their SAM's not to attack them

[clee1]

What's stopping private enterprise?

Governmental interference and the lack of profit.

jump-start national security, scientific discoveries,etc.

Agreed, but at what price? How much must taxes jump to support an expanded space program?

We are already the MOST serious player in this unstable world.

[clee1]

Good point!

Hey, I'm just going to take a quick trip to the Moon - I'm not launching an ICBM, I promise!