Posted on 06/18/2012 5:23:53 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Chinese astronauts carried out a manned docking with an experimental spacemodule on Monday, the latest milestone in China's ambitious campaign to build a space station.
The Shenzhou 9 and its three-person crew, which includes China's first woman in space Liu Yang, linked with the Tiangong (Heavenly Palace) 1 module, with state television showing the pictures live.
Almost three hours later, the blue jumpsuit-wearing mission commander, Jing Haipeng, entered the module followed by colleague Liu Wang and Liu Yang, the first time China has been able to transfer astronauts between two orbiting craft.
Rendezvous and docking exercises between the two vessels are an important hurdle in China's efforts to acquire the technological and logistical skills to run a full space lab that can house astronauts for long periods.
During the 13-day mission, the astronauts will work and sleep aboard Tiangong 1, a trial module that includes an exercise bike and a video telephone booth, according to media.
The mission has been accompanied by a blaze of national pride and has been given blanket coverage by state media, down to discussion on how flying a space ship is a bit like driving a car and how the astronauts will be able to spice up their food with chilli sauce.
China is still far from catching up with the established space superpowers, the United States and Russia. The Tiangong 1 is a trial module, not the building block of a space station.
But the docking mission is the latest show of China's growing prowess in space and comes while budget restraints and shifting priorities have held back U.S. manned space launches.
This is China's fourth manned space mission since 2003 when astronaut Yang Liwei became the country's first person in orbit.
(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...
In the meantime we hitch rides on 1970s-era Soviet trash cans.
Way to go, obozo (and your democrat friends).
Ping.
The space station reminds me of Salyut station.
The NASA budget for 2012 is greater than all the other space agencies budgets combined.
NASA = $17.7 Billion
ESA = $5.4 Billion
ROSCOSMOS = $3.8 Billion
CNES = $2.8 Billion
JAXA = $2.5 Billion
DLR = $2 Billion
ISRO = $1.3 Billion
CNSA = $1.3 Billion
ASI = $1 Billion
Yeah, but it's all pissed away on global warming junk science nonsense in support of big brother. They need to change their name GWBSA or something, and take "Space" out of it. From all recent indications, the new U.S. leader in space, to the extent that there is one, is the Air Force.
But what is America getting for it?
Nothing but kiss muslim ass "outreach".
A replacement vehicle should have been developed and built before the Space Shuttle was retired. And a lunar exploration/base program should be instituted as quickly as possible.
Wouldn’t it be ironic if that lost NASA tool bag suddenly appeared coming in on a collision course at 50,000 mph? I’d laugh... but I was never a fan of the chicoms.
Here is the full NASA budget.
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/659660main_NASA_FY13_Budget_Estimates-508-rev.pdf
Gemini 8 and Agena Target Vehicle, 1966
Cosmos 186 and 188, 1967
Apollo-Soyuz, 1975
Looks more like an on-suite toilet or closet.
Besides, this is a welcome to the late 60s or early 70s moment.
Big deal.
I do however think we’re royally screwed right now. If you would have told me our shuttle system would wither and die, and we still wouldn’t have replaced it with something/anything else before it was gone, I’d have said you were crazy.
It’s amazing how low we have sunk to.
Why bother faking it when you can just steal US technology and do the real thing?
Space boink question: What is the over/under on a possible Wang’n’Yang bang? Sorry.
ten bucks says they carry out another form of manned docking experiment while they are up there tooo...
Aren’t the Chinese vehicles all slightly modified Soyuz?
The Chinese spacecraft are based on those trash cans. In the meantime we have private corporations doing space flights that most nations have never done.
prove that it is all pissed away on the globull warming scam
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