Former House Science Committee chairman believes China is headed to the Moon. (1 Viewer)

[Jack Briggs]

Though we keep hearing optimistic pronouncements about China's goals for its manned spaceflight program, this is certainly the most interesting. Former House Science Committee chairman Robert S. Walker writes in The Washington Times that China appears headed to the Moon. What strikes me as possibly fanciful is the timetable: within a decade.

Remember, Shenzhou 5, the first manned Chinese space mission, is scheduled for a fall 2003 launch (probably in October). Given China's economy, an ambitious program to launch manned missions beyond low-Earth orbit seems a bit optimistic, especially when one factors in the country's plans to loft a rudimentary manned space station into orbit.

It would be great, but one wonders.

http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20030...2308-4284r.htm

 

[Craig S]

This would be great, if only because a little competition might finally get the US program kicked into high gear again.

 

[Ray B.]

Yup, I agree with Craig (a fellow League City resident).

Lacking the resources to build a base or mine the minerals there in a cost-effective manner, this'll be nothing more than a dog and pony show. Still, I hope they do it.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Heck just tell George Bush that China wants to establish a military/terrorist base on the Moon. Then NASA will get some funding in a hurry.....

 

[Ashley Seymour]

Heck just tell George Bush that China wants to establish a military/terrorist base on the Moon. Then NASA will get some funding in a hurry.....

That's pretty much how we got to the moon.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

I told you so. It worked the last time.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Man, you guys beat me to it

I'm sure that if China actually lands, we'll go back at least once. After all, the commies might take down those US flags! (which in all honestly are probably white sheets by now )

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

So the moon is made of tritium, not green cheese.

 

[Ashley Seymour]

I'm sure that if China actually lands, we'll go back at least once. After all, the commies might take down those US flags! (which in all honestly are probably white sheets by now )

They will have to pry them from the cold dead fingers of Charton Heston.

Shouldn't have ordered those flags from France.

 

[Julie K]

Too bad they aren't headed to Mars.

 

[Jack Briggs]

Ah, but the first of two robotic rover proxies is headed that way come June, which certainly has you excited (hell, we're all excited about that). And, of course, there's a Japanese mission and a European mission getting revved up. Mars will be taking centerstage first of the year, if all goes well. (Please remind everybody to agree to a measurements standard this time around, Ms. K.)

If the Chinese economy were more robust I'd be more optimistic about all this Moon talk.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

agree to a measurements standard this time around

MKS or CGS or SI?

 

[Paul McElligott]

The whole country?

Nice to know that when I finally get to the moon, I'll be able to get some good sweet-and-sour pork.

The problem with sending a Chinese guy to the moon? Five minutes later, you want to send another one.

 

[Blu]

Are we positive that China is destined to make a moon landing? Perhaps they are building a studio of a moonscape so that they can fake the pictures like we did!

I can just smell the conspiracy theory brewing now!!!

 

[Jeff Kleist]

I'm excited about the Japanese missions which will photograph the moon landing sites.

 

[Francois Caron]

Ah, but the first of two robotic rover proxies is headed that way come June, which certainly has you excited (hell, we're all excited about that). And, of course, there's a Japanese mission and a European mission getting revved up.

I can see it now. "Rovers from competing countries involved in a head-on collision on the moon. Initial reports indicate this was no accident. Is this the first case of 'Moon Rage'?"

 

[Julie K]

Please remind everybody to agree to a measurements standard this time around

It is impossible to get everyone to agree. Everything will be fine as long as everyone states their standard and sticks with it.

 

[Max Leung]

They should use the old Imperial system!

How many stones of fuel is needed to lift 30 pounds of payload into orbit 50,000 leagues above the earth, given that the efficiency of the fuel is 80,000 candles of energy per fluid ounce?

I can see the mission control computer programmers will have a great time debugging the software that makes the calculation!

It'll be cool to see a red flag on the moon. Although, China isn't really communist anymore. Hmmm, I'm having flashbacks to David Wingrove's futuristic China saga...

 

[BrianW]

My daughter has a classmate (third grade) who claims that she went to the Moon. She doesn't have any pictures, though, because she forgot to take a camera.

Darn the bad luck.

 

[Julie K]

She doesn't have any pictures, though, because she forgot to take a camera.

I know just how she feels. I went to Pluto once and when I got back discovered that I didn't have any film in my camera. Bummer.