China to attempt first space rendezvous
China will attempt its first space docking between two unmanned vehicles this year, the first step in efforts to build a Chinese space station, a senior official said Friday. Yang Liwei, pictured here in 2003, detailed the next stages of China's human spaceflight programme during a press visit to Space City in Beijing, a research and training centre normally closed to the public.
China will attempt its first space docking between two unmanned vehicles this year, the first step in efforts to build a Chinese space station, a senior official said Friday.
Yang Liwei detailed the next stages of China's human spaceflight programme during a press visit to Space City in Beijing, a research and training centre normally closed to the public.
"Our next goal is to realise a space docking of two vehicles during the second half of 2011," said Yang, whose journey into space in 2003 made him the first Chinese astronaut.
The manoeuvre will involve the Tiangong 1 module and the Shenzhou 8 rocket, said Yang, confirming an announcement made last October.
Tiangong means "Celestial Palace" and the eight-tonne orbiter is on a two-year mission that will see it rendezvous in 2012 with the Shenzhou 9 and 10 rockets, both of which will have astronauts on board.
Before 2016, China will launch a space laboratory and, Yang said, "around 2020, we plan to realise the construction of a space station in orbit for long-term stays in space".
China's space station will be made up of a core module, two laboratories, a cargo ship and a manned rocket, with a total weight of 60 tonnes, compared with 137 tonnes for the Russian station Mir and 419 tonnes for the International Space Station (ISS), the China Daily reported this week.
"China would like to cooperate with other countries" on the peaceful use of space, said Yang, who holds the rank of major general in the Chinese army, which runs the country's manned space flight programme.
Asked about Chinese plans to send men to the moon, he said: "The Chinese have no specific lunar mission now," but added that such a project was under consideration.
"I really experienced the prestige that space can bring to a country," he said.
(c) 2011 AFP
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Apr 29, 2011
Rank: 1 / 5 (2)
Go China go!
Apr 29, 2011
Rank: 1 / 5 (3)
In reality, China makes most of our computer components, own our government's debts, and will probably shortly over-take our space program.
Just wait till they get Tomahawks and High Energy Lasers like us...
Apr 29, 2011
Rank: not rated yet
You are correct about manufacturing, but that is where most of the jobs are in China right now. I'm not too worried about them technologically, as a lot of the things they are pushing to do, have been done by several nations in the past several decades. Though they will probably own most the world soon enough since they are buying up debt all over the place.
Apr 30, 2011
Rank: not rated yet
May 02, 2011
Rank: 5 / 5 (1)
True enough, I don't really care either way as long as people start striving for scientific discovery and happiness, instead of fighting each other.