The New Red Scare — Avoiding a Space Race With China

The New Red Scare — Avoiding a Space Race With China
Sep 12, 2008 03:16
FRANKENSTEIN Points: Join Date: Nov 29, 2004 Status: offline	China is planning to conduct its first spacewalk in October from a Shenzhou VII spacecraft. The mission will carry three crew members, two of whom will move into the newly created EVA (extra-vehicular activity) airlock at the top of the Soyuz-like vehicle. American Wire news published an article titled The New Red Scare — Avoiding a Space Race With China. The article says it’s another show-off of China’s power after the display of greatness during Beijing Olympics. Here are some excerpts and resume： In the wake of the pageantry and sheer enormity of the Beijing Olympics, China is getting ready for its next beautifully scripted display of power and prestige: Its first space walk will be televised live by mid-October. One of these crew members will wear a newly designed Chinese EVA space suit, of which the country is very proud. The suit has been tested in a vacuum chamber and on weightless parabolic flights, but in case it fails, the second EVA crew member will remain safely in the airlock in a Russian suit, ready to rescue him. If China does have trouble with the suit, they won't be the first. Both the United States and Russia had trouble with their early EVA suits, and the first space shuttle EVA was scrubbed when both spacesuits failed in the airlock on STS-5. A slightly snarky look at prevailing attitudes toward China's up-and-coming space program: "Many have dismissed the Chinese human space program as relying on outdated technology borrowed from the Russians, while others have latched onto the young program hoping to galvanize the United States into a 1960s-style space fervor through fear. Sometimes the idea of a new space race seems exciting. After all, you get all the drama and excitement of the United States spending an extra percent or two of the U.S. Treasury on flashy and intimidating space missions, of everyone rising up to the challenge of beating a common enemy and of the final crushing victory when we land the first woman on the moon. But don't get caught up in the hype." Do you think the western media overrate China’s power?

Sep 12, 2008 03:16

FRANKENSTEIN
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Join Date: Nov 29, 2004
Status: offline

China is planning to conduct its first spacewalk in October from a Shenzhou VII spacecraft. The mission will carry three crew members, two of whom will move into the newly created EVA (extra-vehicular activity) airlock at the top of the Soyuz-like vehicle.

American Wire news published an article titled The New Red Scare — Avoiding a Space Race With China. The article says it’s another show-off of China’s power after the display of greatness during Beijing Olympics.

Here are some excerpts and resume：
In the wake of the pageantry and sheer enormity of the Beijing Olympics, China is getting ready for its next beautifully scripted display of power and prestige: Its first space walk will be televised live by mid-October.

One of these crew members will wear a newly designed Chinese EVA space suit, of which the country is very proud. The suit has been tested in a vacuum chamber and on weightless parabolic flights, but in case it fails, the second EVA crew member will remain safely in the airlock in a Russian suit, ready to rescue him.
If China does have trouble with the suit, they won't be the first. Both the United States and Russia had trouble with their early EVA suits, and the first space shuttle EVA was scrubbed when both spacesuits failed in the airlock on STS-5.

A slightly snarky look at prevailing attitudes toward China's up-and-coming space program:

"Many have dismissed the Chinese human space program as relying on outdated technology borrowed from the Russians, while others have latched onto the young program hoping to galvanize the United States into a 1960s-style space fervor through fear.

Sometimes the idea of a new space race seems exciting. After all, you get all the drama and excitement of the United States spending an extra percent or two of the U.S. Treasury on flashy and intimidating space missions, of everyone rising up to the challenge of beating a common enemy and of the final crushing victory when we land the first woman on the moon.
But don't get caught up in the hype."

Do you think the western media overrate China’s power?

Sep 12, 2008 18:38	#1
YINDUFFY Points: Join Date: Aug 8, 2007 Status: Offline	If China develops a reliable space program, they will have many private companies inquiring about using their systems to put objects into orbit. If the Chinese can do it cheaper that ESA or NASA they will be very busy!

Sep 12, 2008 19:31	#2
WCTMAN Points: Join Date: Dec 17, 2005 Status: Offline	I suppose the expression from the West would be " been there, done that ". How much money is being spent on launches, space walks ( which have been done many times by others ), moon orbits ( again, done ) and moon landings ( once again, done )? IMHO, the Chinese are spending all kinds of money to prove...nothing. Send someone to Mars, now that would be be something.

Sep 13, 2008 20:07

MARRIE
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Join Date: Jan 7, 2008
Status: Offline

A weak country is beated up always. A famous slogan from former national defense leader,"we have to save the costs on pants for nuke tech." That's why Chinese have never been given up high-tech research even during the days when central planning economy and left extremist politics get china into big economic trouble. Although nuke tech.and space tech cannot bring bread and cheese, it is symbol indicating a strong nation's comprehensive power. China is still poor per capita and if this launching is just a show, it's better to give it up; if it brings economic benefits, why not try. The fact is Chinese rockets with equivelant (even better)capacity is much cheaper in the business of commercial satelite launching.

Sep 15, 2008 23:12	#4
GUEST2627	How can they link the Beijing Olympics to the Spacewalk program? Olympics may be a showoff of China's greatness. The spacewalk will be far from a show-off. The spacewalk is of military significance.

Sep 29, 2008 01:54	#5
GUEST31140	No need to care about them. Old technology. Nothing new.

Sep 29, 2008 13:55	#6
GRIZ326 Points: Join Date: Jun 12, 2006 Status: Offline	...a space walk is the first step to a flight to the moon and then beyond. The naysayers will be surprised in a few years when China sends people to Mars or develops the next generation of space technology before the USA

Sep 29, 2008 20:27	#7
YINDUFFY Points: Join Date: Aug 8, 2007 Status: Offline	The U.S. scientific community will be glad to promote a "space race" in the hopes of getting government funding for their pet projects. They should work with the Chinese scientists but probably won't .

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