China’s fast developing space programme is set to take another significant step forward next month with the launch of a craft that will undertake the country’s first space docking with a space lab module that was launched in September.
Shenzhou-8 and its carrier rocket were reportedly transferred Wednesday morning on a railway to the launch pad. ‘Technicians completed testing on the assembling of Shenzhou-8 and the rocket after they were delivered to the launch centre at the end of August, said Lu Jinrong, the launch centre’s chief engineer,’ the official Xinhua News Agency reported. ‘In the next few days, the launch centre will continue testing the spacecraft and the rocket, and inject propellant before the final launch in early November, Lu said.’
How significant is this?
‘The Shenzhou 8 unmanned mission to dock with Tiangong-1 is part of step two of their long ago announced plans for human spaceflight,’ Joan Johnson-Freese, a professor of national security affairs at the US Naval War College, told me.
‘Step 1 is to demonstrate manned spaceflight, and they completed that with Shenzhou 6,’ she said. ‘Step 2 is to demonstrate advanced capabilities required for an eventual space station. Tiangong and Shenzhou 8 are part of that, as Shenzhou 8, 9, 10 over the next two years will be to test docking, manoeuvring and later – missions 9 and 10 – long duration life support systems.’
‘This is a big but not unexpected step as part of their incremental but ambitious programme. They are now where the US was with Gemini, for comparative purposes,’ she added, in reference to the project in the mid-1960s.
The launch of the Tiangong module last month was widely seen as a major stepping stone in China’s quest for its own space station. But as Johnson-Freesenoted, China’s ‘step 3’ plan for a larger space station is dependent on successfully meeting the challenges outlined for step 2, and the development of the Long March 5 heavy lift vehicle.
‘That is currently underway, but behind schedule. It will likely be available for use – and it’s highly likely China will launch its space station – around 2020-2022,’ she said.
As the Washington Post noted this week, China launched its own space station programme after being rebuffed in its effort to join the International Space Station, mostly because of objections from the United States, which the Post notes is wary of the ‘Chinese programme’s military links and the sharing of technology with its chief economic and political competitor.’
Indeed, the US Congress was so concerned about China that a provision was included in NASA’s budget prohibiting NASA and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy from spending funds to ‘develop, design, plan, promulgate, implement, or execute a bilateral policy, program, order, or contract of any kind to participate, collaborate, or coordinate bilaterally in any way with China or any Chinese-owned company.’
But Johnson-Freese questioned the effectiveness of such an approach.
‘The US restrictions on cooperating with China have, in my opinion, served little useful purpose and have perhaps even been counterproductive in pushing China to work faster and with more dedication on its own programme,’ she said.
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Frank
Indians will be envy about this.
Bờm
You are funny! I can tell, every non-Chinese will be envy about this.
a_canadian_observer
If it benefits the earth and all the living things on it, then, good. But I have doubt about the CCP chinese. If people can walk pass a dying 2-yr-old child without doing anything to help. What would the world expect from this regime?
John Chan
@a_Canadian_observer,
On Oct 26, 2011 a 48-year-old Canadian ran down a 78-year-old pedestrian, then hided the body in his blue Chevrolet Tornado pickup under a blue tarp and left the scene. He was caught when he sped past a police patrol, but he claimed he was going to drive the corpse to a hospital.
What does it say about the morality of the so-called democratic free world? Bigotry, narrow mindedness, and all human pitfalls are in full display in your comment.
Mike Wang
Mr. Chan, I’m a Chinese American who gets excited every time I see China makes a progress. However, the 2-year-old toddler incident has destroyed my sense of pride about China. The in-actions of the passerbys are simply indefensible. It’s a reflection on the entire Chinese population. I’ve seen similar news from all parts of Chinese. My mother-in-law once fell and with face down on the street of Tianjin for 30 minutes with no help came to help. With such moral decay happening in the Chinese society makes me wonder if this new super power would bring disaster to the world. So please, stop defending the Chinese immorality, because it’s all true. I really wish the CCP government would go back to brainwash the kids with the legends of LeiFeng.
a_canadian_observer
@John Chan:
1. Can you send me the link about the news you mentioned?
2. Canada is among the best, but not perfect. There are always some bad individuals. But the question is, if the run-down man was left there, would 18 people pass by and will offer no help? Impossible. and that’s the difference, my friend.
John Chan
@Mike Wong,
Nobody defends those bad things in China, some will be even worse; the apparent immorality is the result of a long process in the making; the examples given by ozivan were common in China, Taiwan, and in fact all around the world. Those bad things need to be changed; effort to improve definitely is not enough.
The issue here is the insidious intent of anti-China clique like a_Canadian_observer, they use every opportunity to slander and portray China in the bad light, even those incidences occurring daily in the western world. I did not defend the bad behaviour of passerbys in that incident, I merely point out the hypocrisy of a_Canadian_observer.
John Chan
@a_Canadian_observer,
Canadian claimed they are peace lovers, but every war you can see them in the field bombing and killing since WWII, holding up the imperialism banner for the USA.
You need a link to know that bad news in Canada, are you sure you are a Canadian? Don’t you read their local newspapers?
There are always some bad apples in China, just like everywhere else in the world. In that incident, somebody did help, didn’t it? China exposed that bad behaviour by itself, didn’t it? Was China in uproar and demanded actions to deal that kind of bad apples, wasn’t it? Will a nation without moral and conscience be that angry as you implied?
This article is about China’s space program progress, what does it have to do with a traffic incident in China? And why do you always use every opportunity, regardless the significance of an incident, to paint China the whole nation with a broad stroke in black? This is the question.
ozivan
It is indeed sad and unforgiving for those 18 persons who passed by without giving help to the poor child.
It was first publicised by the Chinese authorities and the news picked up by western media worldwide. So it is good that such widespread publicity were given in China in the hope that its citizens be more empathetic.
The CCP/Regime is responsible to educate the people more, but should not be blamed as if they condone such incidents.
Let me recall a common advice that all new Malaysian drivers were given many, many years ago before highways were built between Northern Malaysia to Southern Malaysia (about 1000km long). Motor travelling had to pass through many winding country towns and rural homes known as “kampungs”. Motorist were commonly warned not to stop to check, whenever you hit any pedestrian (and even farm chickens or animals) because one would be seriously assaulted by the rural residents. In the case of farm chickens or animals killed on the roads, one would be extorted for exorbitant compensation by the rural folks. Instead, motorists were advised to proceed driving till they reach the next closest police station (which maybe 40 to 50 kms away) to make a report.
Another sad recall, when I newly arrived in Australia as a new migrant, I was advised by some new Australian friends that if I ocassion to meet someone injured in an accident, I am warned NOT to physically handle the injured person (unless I am a qualified medical person) because if that victim be paralysed by my handling, then the victim might turn back and sue me for financial compensation till eternity. I can only telephone for immediate assistance for the victim, without risking myself.
Fortunately, I have not face such incident; but should it happen in the future, such fear would be in the backdrop of my mind.
Mike Wong
Mr. Chan, I understand there’s a group of people that makes a habit of slamming China every chance they get. These people have an extreme viewpoint that sees the world in pure black and white. Most of their insults are unfair and I have supported your replies wholeheartedly. But this time it really hurts me, not because of a kid gets into an accident that happens a thousand times a day around the world, not because the video makes us Chinese look bad; I’m hurting because this and other similar incidents in China reflected how mentally primative this population is. If you have ever had a chance to watch the Animal Planet, there are some four-legged mammals that have more empathy. 18 is a number that is statistically hard to dismiss as a fluke. Citing cases in other countries won’t change anything. Our Chinese culture is long and rich, saving face is something we can do without, while harsh self-critiquing is what we need to refine ourselves. The government must take this incident seriously as a wakeup call. They need to take advantage of their monopoly over the media to re-ignite the humanity in Chinese people. China is destined to achieve greatness. It may even win the race to Mars; but how will the Martians record the behavior of their first human subject?
John Chan
@Mike Wong,
I am not sure why are you accusing me in an attempt of “saving face” for China when I tried to clear smear painted on China unwarrantedly? Didn’t I say the incident is inexcusable? Didn’t I say there is a lot that China needs to do to improve its citizenry and civility?
The issue here is preventing the smearing, demonizing and slandering by the anti-China clique becoming de factor facts.
Bờm
This is a good news. Chinese space stations can add more surveillance on earth and outer space for good, besides, they will perform some none-gravity experiments for new bio-technologies.
Hopefully, Chinese people will handsomely feed us all (i.e, the human race) the knowledge they could collect thru big investment fund that the US can never dream of. This is a healthy competition because we can not place our hope and trust on one and only technology leader, especially when it is under occupy by “occupation movements”.
Chinese model is far more optimized than U.S’s – I mean in both human and resource control and discipline.
John Chan
Two things can help human being reach further out in the space and develop more advance technology cooperatively; that are
1. Send all US Congressmen to a class of free trade and free market, so they would know the benefits of free flow of knowledge between people on this globe. This would open their narrow and close minds.
2. If USA can rein in their paranoid about their China Threat and those greedy guys in MIC, then all human being can develop space science and technology more efficiently to benefit all human beings on the earth.
Peace
@Chan,
Instead of ‘Send all US Congressmen to a class of free trade and free market, so they would know the benefits of free flow of knowledge between people on this globe. This would open their narrow and close minds’, I think we better send all CCP Politburo & cadres into space to attend a special class on how to do business honestly in an Open Market, rather than practicing ‘beggar-thy-neigbor’ to impoverish all other countries in the world!
John Chan
@Peace,
The article points out the roadblocks put up by the USA Congress to deter the cooperation between USA and China in space science. Therefore I suggested something to solve the problem. How can the CCP and commerce come into this discussion? Why do you slander China with baseless accusations? Don’t you have any meaningful contribution to make for improving the cooperation between USA and China in science and technology, so that human being can advance itself further in Peace and Prosperity?
Peace
You only talk about Open Free Trade when it benefits you, and disregard and contravene even the basic principles of Free trade when it is not beneficial to your side . Who will be doing business with China? The US’s working with Russia, Japan, EU etc., in the area of space exploration, but not with China! How come? I think you ‘ve already known the answer!
John Chan
@Peace,
There are WTO and courts to sort out the commerce and business disputes and unfair practices, putting yourself above those institutions is nothing but self-opinionated with bigotry.
Indeed if doing business with China is as bad as you claimed, nobody will do business with China, but the trade figures proved otherwise, it proves your accusation is nothing but fabrication with bad faith.
Didn’t you read the article? Didn’t it give the reasons why USA was not cooperating with China in space exploration, and point out the big loss in science due to the USA Congress block headedness?
ozivan
@John Chan. This would open their narrow and close minds.
I am a classic example of a person ( and an overseas Chinese too ) who lives in a democratic country, and who have been brainwashed since childhood about the evil and demonized China by Western mass media. The invention of internet had drastically reduced the monopolies of dissemination of information.
Now that I see the China of today…through news and actual visits to China, especially since opening by Deng Xiao Peng, I am filled with regrets of my past views, yet happy now to say I have since been converted into a staunch China-sympathetic overseas Chinese.
a_canadian_observer
@peace: I agree with you, although I don’t believe it will work.
@ozivan: “The invention of internet had drastically reduced the monopolies of dissemination of information.” Wasn’t the internet invented in the west, US to be exact? Why did they invent a tool to ” reduced the monopolies of dissemination of information”? you’ve contradicted yourself.
The_Observer
If the Chinese government manages to build the Long March-5 rocket launchers with the same reliability as the predecessor ones then that would put them on par with the European Space Agency launchers and a little behind the Russians for heavy launch vehicles. It will also means that the Chinese will be indpendent of Russia for launching deep space missions. At the same time China’s space program includes further development of satellite technology, manned space flight and orbital laboratories and stations. It’s a slow but steady program but more importantly China is training up the next generation of space scientists, engineers and space cadets. Not bad for a country that didn’t have many scientists before the McCarthyrite attacks on Chinese in the USA led to the persecution and eventual deportation of the brilliant scientist, Qian Xuesen, to China in 1955.
Harry Tang
China’s achievement in the space technology is great, but is still so far behind NASA, Russia, Japan and ESA. Just wished the CCP & PLA did not showing off too much of their military ambitions around the World, especially during China’s early stage of modernization and development. Due to the PLA’s agressive mode in SCS and ECS and strong nationalism movement in China, those have deterred the US and other Western countries from sharing their advanced space technology with China.
What we have seen today in China’s space frontier achievements is the results of gaining and obtaining knowledge from NASA, ESP, etc. during the last over 15 years, or so. Unfortunately, most of those doors of opportunity have been closed. The question is, where does China get the advanced knowledge and technology from in the future? It took NASA and ESP lots of financial, efforts, times and sacrifies to get them to where they are today. We all know to control the space, planning and execution tasks for controlling the land and sea are much easier.
Another example of the PLA’s aggressive actions could expose other China’s advanced technology firms, such as Huawei into a potential of bankrupcy. In less than 25 years, Huawei came from nowhere to a number 2 in the World as an advanced telecom equipments provider. During those years, Huawei has given a chance to mingle with and working with the best telecom operators in the World. Huawei learned and gaining so much knowledge from other telecoms vendors and operators around the World. Then, with all the aggressive behaviours of the PLA, the PLAN in ECS, SCS and then, the West was quickly identified the link between Huawei and PLA. That’s it! As they say “game over”. Huawei will have the same faith as China’s space technology and all should be thanked to the CCP and PLA. Shall we say “the current weather is cloudy with a chance of rain”?
a_canadian_observer
@Harry Tang: You’ve said is well. Without honesty, they can only go so far.
Chenenko
China’s PLA space program and others of its activities under the names of advanced telecom technologies companies like Huawei, ZTE, etc are “wolves in sheep’s clothing”. More than likely, lots of data have been collected via UK’s British Telecoms and Australian’s Optus data network. Refer to article “Chinese telecom firm tied to spy ministry”, weblink: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/oct/11/chinese-telecom-firm-tied-to-spy-ministry/?page=all
Most of the current China’s space technology came from NASA and European Space Agency (ESA) by one source or another. As the PLA has shown its military threats to the US operations in the Pacific, all accesses to those space agencies have been restricted. Words have been spreading out that the main current objective of China’s space program will be used for supporting China’s DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) project.
a_canadian_observer
@Chenenko: You’ve said it well. The West opened up their arms to china but received dishonesty instead. Now everyone is aware, which is good.
Anees Ebrahem
Let me say that the terrible incident in China where a young child was run over and un helped by passerby’s is tragic. But not restricted to China. Many times in countries across the world, including developed Western nations (USA, Canada, W. Europe) have people been mugged/attacked/shot and left there. As a resident of Toronto I recently heard a news story where an elderly man was mugged and killed on a subway compartment with 15 others (no one intervened). People every where are like this sadly. The only reason this became so popular is because the video went viral.
John Chan
A Chinese supermarket owner in Toronto detained a white shoplifter who ripped off the store repeatedly. The police (white as well) arrived, instead of arresting the shoplifter, the police charged the storeowner unlawful containment, at the same time the police let the shoplifter go with loots.
The Chinese community has to raise money to help the storeowner’s legal fee, and asked the politicians to interfere. What a “Canada is among the best.”
a_canadian_observer
@John Chan: If you don’t know the details. Don’t say it – it’s embarassing.
1. Did you know that the police that arrived at the chinese store was a mix of chinese and whites?
2. The is a by-law that doesn’t allow the owner to detain the shoplifter 100m from his store. It was created in part to protect the owner as well (i.e., not to try and get hurt). The police just acting according to the law.
3. Canada is still among the best. Why? because the legal fee for the owner was absorbed by the government; The law is being revised. And, best of all, he could turn to the politicians (MPs) for help. I challenge china to try and beat that.
4. Despite all your badmouthing, people from china are still flocking to Canada. It’s simply still among the best, or people from china are just being drawn to Canada’s “brutality”. Pick one.
John Chan
The offender was held in an ally beside the store and you claimed it was 100m away from the store surely showed you have funny way to measure distance.
Citing details to justify the discrimination and abuse of law by the authority surely is a funny way to support the claim that Canada is the best.
At least Chinese did not try to white wash that bad incident, yet you are trying every trick to white wash the bad behaviour in Canada, I just wonder who is more immoral.
a_canadian_observer
@John Chan: You nee to provide proofs to back your statements.
The_Observer
The Chinese have successfully launched Shenzhou-8. Next task is the docking procedure. As I say, slow and steady. The destination may be important but so is the journey.
ashleyhk
I notice John Chan has not given the links (he never does do so)to back up his assertions about the incident in Canada he refers to.
Also, watching the launch today on CCTV it was all military personnel , PLA, giving speeches etc. Not exactly NASA or the ESA :)
As the article says , this is equivalent to the Gemini programme (1960’s). Well done PRC.Very soon you may be able to invent the Internet or even word processing.Long way to go.
Move along people-nothing to see here.
jim1980
ashleyhk, how about learning to use google or yahoo or any other internet search engine? I am sure anybody who is older than five can do that.
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/10/07/kelly-mcparland-david-chen-learns-the-canadian-word-for-justice/
Mike
NASA may be slowing their pace but the Defence department is not letting up theirs with the help of Lockeed and Boeing.