Comments on: Straight to the Moon: What if China gets there first? http://www.chrisamico.com/2007/10/04/straight-to-the-moon-what-if-china-gets-there-first/ Dispatches from somewhere far away Sat, 17 May 2008 06:25:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: chriswaugh_bj http://www.chrisamico.com/2007/10/04/straight-to-the-moon-what-if-china-gets-there-first/#comment-607 chriswaugh_bj Wed, 10 Oct 2007 10:56:26 +0000 http://www.chrisamico.com/2007/10/04/straight-to-the-moon-what-if-china-gets-there-first/#comment-607 "American astronauts will have to bum rides with Russia (and you know how they drive)" Um, yeah. NASA aimed Skylab at the big empty patch of the Indian Ocean between Australia and Madagascar and hit Australia. Russia aimed Mir at the big empty patch of Pacific Ocean between Chile and my homeland and hit exactly the right target. Those Russkies may be crazy-arse vodka-fueled nutjobs, but personally I feel safer with them driving. "Off to the races, then? Not so fast. “The U.S. has to get over this feeling that it has to be a competition,” White House science adviser John Marburger told The AP." Give the Marburger a White House-sized soap box, 'cos he's on to the right idea. At least, based on that comment, he seems to be. If he's the current White House science advisor, then I have my doubts. At least give this comment of his a White House-sized soap box. @davesgonechina: "Somehow I think dealing with things like revaluing the RMB, growing inequality, and a lack of potable water might end up taking up resources that would otherwise go to a lunar base or anything else huge." Amen. “American astronauts will have to bum rides with Russia (and you know how they drive)”

Um, yeah. NASA aimed Skylab at the big empty patch of the Indian Ocean between Australia and Madagascar and hit Australia. Russia aimed Mir at the big empty patch of Pacific Ocean between Chile and my homeland and hit exactly the right target. Those Russkies may be crazy-arse vodka-fueled nutjobs, but personally I feel safer with them driving.

“Off to the races, then? Not so fast. “The U.S. has to get over this feeling that it has to be a competition,” White House science adviser John Marburger told The AP.”

Give the Marburger a White House-sized soap box, ‘cos he’s on to the right idea. At least, based on that comment, he seems to be. If he’s the current White House science advisor, then I have my doubts. At least give this comment of his a White House-sized soap box.

@davesgonechina: “Somehow I think dealing with things like revaluing the RMB, growing inequality, and a lack of potable water might end up taking up resources that would otherwise go to a lunar base or anything else huge.”

Amen.

]]> By: Rick http://www.chrisamico.com/2007/10/04/straight-to-the-moon-what-if-china-gets-there-first/#comment-600 Rick Thu, 04 Oct 2007 18:16:23 +0000 http://www.chrisamico.com/2007/10/04/straight-to-the-moon-what-if-china-gets-there-first/#comment-600 @Yay yo I doubt the Japanese will bother. As they likely don't care about the face to be gained by a pointless 3rd place trip to the moon. @Yay yo

I doubt the Japanese will bother.

As they likely don’t care about the face to be gained by a pointless 3rd place trip to the moon.

]]> By: YayYo http://www.chrisamico.com/2007/10/04/straight-to-the-moon-what-if-china-gets-there-first/#comment-599 YayYo Thu, 04 Oct 2007 17:25:29 +0000 http://www.chrisamico.com/2007/10/04/straight-to-the-moon-what-if-china-gets-there-first/#comment-599 Hmm, U.S has already been to the moon, so wouldn't that be Chinese arrived on the moon 38 years too late. U.S space tech is way ahead of Chinese's tech. But with that said, we know many of the technologies we see today are the direct result of the massive research efforts begun with the space race. Kids today are just not that into science. A new space race could in theory jump start another spurt of technology growth! Which I think is a great idea. The U.S needs a shot in the arms, they really need to get the kids interested in science, to become scientists and engineers. On the Chinese side I dunno, they may do this, but they still got many problems. But leave no doubt they will get something out of the whole space thing. It's not a wasted effort. The Japanese may there first before the Chinese. They're at least 10 years ahead of the Chinese. Hmm, U.S has already been to the moon, so wouldn’t that be Chinese arrived on the moon 38 years too late. U.S space tech is way ahead of Chinese’s tech.

But with that said, we know many of the technologies we see today are the direct result of the massive research efforts begun with the space race. Kids today are just not that into science. A new space race could in theory jump start another spurt of technology growth! Which I think is a great idea.

The U.S needs a shot in the arms, they really need to get the kids interested in science, to become scientists and engineers.

On the Chinese side I dunno, they may do this, but they still got many problems. But leave no doubt they will get something out of the whole space thing. It’s not a wasted effort.

The Japanese may there first before the Chinese. They’re at least 10 years ahead of the Chinese.

]]> By: davesgonechina http://www.chrisamico.com/2007/10/04/straight-to-the-moon-what-if-china-gets-there-first/#comment-598 davesgonechina Thu, 04 Oct 2007 16:23:49 +0000 http://www.chrisamico.com/2007/10/04/straight-to-the-moon-what-if-china-gets-there-first/#comment-598 Oh, and they've launched about <a href="http://www.spacetoday.org/China/ChinaSatellites.html" rel="nofollow">50 satellites since that first one</a>. Oh, and they’ve launched about 50 satellites since that first one.

]]> By: davesgonechina http://www.chrisamico.com/2007/10/04/straight-to-the-moon-what-if-china-gets-there-first/#comment-597 davesgonechina Thu, 04 Oct 2007 16:15:00 +0000 http://www.chrisamico.com/2007/10/04/straight-to-the-moon-what-if-china-gets-there-first/#comment-597 The thing is China hasn't been in space for only four years. They put their first satellite in orbit in 1970, and have had some level of ballistic missile technology for about as long. The thing is that between dealing with all the other problems in China, and not getting alot of help from either the US or the Soviets for the most part, they've progressed a bit slower. But they've been steadily moving on it. Consider that their nuclear ballistic missile program (nukes, after all, being the real fear of Sputnik) has <a href="http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/china/nuke/index.html" rel="nofollow">stepped it up roughly every 10 years</a>. The thing about China's grand space ambitions is that it assumes that what slowed down their program before (lack of international technical assistance, political upheaval) isn't going to happen in the future. Somehow I think dealing with things like revaluing the RMB, growing inequality, and a lack of potable water might end up taking up resources that would otherwise go to a lunar base or anything else huge. The thing is China hasn’t been in space for only four years. They put their first satellite in orbit in 1970, and have had some level of ballistic missile technology for about as long. The thing is that between dealing with all the other problems in China, and not getting alot of help from either the US or the Soviets for the most part, they’ve progressed a bit slower. But they’ve been steadily moving on it. Consider that their nuclear ballistic missile program (nukes, after all, being the real fear of Sputnik) has stepped it up roughly every 10 years.

The thing about China’s grand space ambitions is that it assumes that what slowed down their program before (lack of international technical assistance, political upheaval) isn’t going to happen in the future. Somehow I think dealing with things like revaluing the RMB, growing inequality, and a lack of potable water might end up taking up resources that would otherwise go to a lunar base or anything else huge.

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