Deuce 1 #1 October 10, 2003 Interesting short article: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=570&ncid=753&e=1&u=/nm/20031010/sc_nm/space_china_dc One of the biggest problems in orbital launches for any enterprise seems to be accountability and quality control. I'm wondering how willing any engineer on this project is to tell this boss that something isn't right or ready. It'll be interesting to see how the other space industries respond. Can't wait until Rutan's gig gets moving... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deuce 1 #2 October 10, 2003 Rutan's gig: http://www.scaled.com/projects/tierone/index.htm Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diverdriver 7 #3 October 10, 2003 QuoteRutan's gig: http://www.scaled.com/projects/tierone/index.htm Space Carrot One?? Anyone remember that story? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deuce 1 #4 October 11, 2003 Another article. http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A8081-2003Oct10?language=printer Seriously. You got a gig on the Chinese astronaught program, and you also have family members who have starved to death. You discover a leaky valve that will scrub the mission. You gonna tell? Yeah, yeah, we got problems at home, manned space craft vs. remote, yada-yada, but the biggest health problem for the poor in the US is obesity, not starvation. Been a long time since the US had a famine. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #5 October 11, 2003 I haven't been following the Chinese space program lately, but I know they've had some successes wrt unmanned boosters and satellites, and were planning to do some manned flights with an eye to going to the moon (wtf for?! - heh )... Obviously, manned spaceflight is an order of magnitude more difficult, even after all the headaches have been worked out... A great analogy is balancing the sharpened end of a pencil on your finger while simultaneously pushing it upwards. Gotta keep all that sloshing cryogenic fuel balaced under the machine, dig it? US astronaut Michael Collins described it graphically in his book "Carrying The Fire", when he and John Young rode a Titan II on the Gemini X mission in July of 1966. Collins described it as the engine gimbals doing a kind of jitterbug as they constantly compensated for the shifting of fuel while siultaneously accelerating the spacecraft to 17,500 mph (orbital velocity). That's just basic rocket science. Look at wtf has happened to US! We've lost 17 crewmembers since we started, and that number is SMALL, just because we've been careful, and LUCKY. In short, making knockoff car parts is one thing - manned spaceflight is the BIG LEAGUES. I hope the Chinese are up to it, but I kinda doubt it."The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lawrocket 3 #6 October 15, 2003 Well, the Chinese apparently got the thing up! http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=4&u=/ap/20031015/ap_on_sc/china_space_031014154828 My wife is hotter than your wife. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,589 #7 October 15, 2003 Quote Well, the Chinese apparently got the thing up! Good for them. Hopefully each of the countries with space programs will learn to cooperate, instead of competing against and badmouthnig each other. Wendy W.There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #8 October 15, 2003 QuoteWell, the Chinese apparently got the thing up! http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=4&u=/ap/20031015/ap_on_sc/china_space_031014154828 A noteworthy achievement. Will they be bringing takeout to the ISS? "The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Erroll 80 #9 October 15, 2003 We've had the first Cosmonaut (Gagarin), first Astronaut (Shepard), first Afronaut (Shuttleworth), and now the first Easternaut(Wee)? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,150 #10 October 15, 2003 "Pigs in Space" - or at least, pork. Apparently pork is one of the meals aboard the Chinese spacecraft. Congratulations and good wishes for a safe return.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,119 #11 October 15, 2003 Some interesting info on the Shenzhou spacecraft: -It is similar to the Soyuz three-part construction (service module, reentry module and orbital module) but is a little larger. -It has a 'universal' docking port that will allow the spacecraft to dock with the ISS or allow two Shenzhou's to dock -The orbital module is left in orbit, and has its own propulsion, power and navigation systems; several linked together could be used as a space station. -The solar panels are much larger; the panels should provide about 1300 watts average for the spacecraft. -It uses a rocket-based soft landing system in combination with the usual drouge/parachute system. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
