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It's been almost two years since Shenzhou 5 made China the world's third spacefaring nation. I haven't seen much recent press coverage about the followup, Shenzhou 6, but I'd expect it to launch within the next two months.
Perhaps the media blackout is associated with delays in the mission. I wouldn't expect China's government to publicize the program's shortcomings if this scenario is true.
Delays or not, it's still taking a long time between Shenzhou launches. China's manned spaceflight program is comparable to where Russia's was in the mid-late 1960's. However, the slow pace of missions makes it hard to tell what the program's goals are. Will China go for the moon? Does it still want a space station to commemorate the 2008 Olympics?
At this stage, Shenzhou looks like little more than a way of displaying China's national pride and technological prowess. They need to toss some serious money and emphasis at this program, or it will resemble a flash in the pan.
Who needs Michael Griffin when you can have Peter Griffin? Catch "Family Guy" Sunday nights on FOX.
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While success is a fleeting moment it is however in the right direction. Now only if they would buzz the ISS and show that they can do more launches safely. Then others will take more notice of there abilities.
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They may launch sooner than you think. Launch later--and it spurs us. Launch now--while we are cleaning muck out of NO--and we can't do tit for tat and say we need to match them--due to clean-up.
Brilliant :evil:
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At this stage, Shenzhou looks like little more than a way of displaying China's national pride and technological prowess. They need to toss some serious money and emphasis at this program, or it will resemble a flash in the pan.
If the Chinese were just interested in grandstanding they would have put someone in orbit a decade or so ago using a much simpler spacecraft. Shenzhou is overkill for this purpose, a highly capable spacecraft with an innovative design and lots of potential. Just because they work to a different timetable to what you expect (and I want) does not mean they are not serious in human spaceflight.
Jon
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They're not in a race, so why go fast and risk a lot, if you can take your time to take every flown Shenzhou apart and look what was good, what was not... Test stuff on the ground 'till it breaks... Test some more... Then, when you feel you're ready, launch.
Oh, they probably have deadlines to meet, but the Chinese government is rather pragmatic, and probably recogns a successfull launch every odd year is better than 50% success every 6 months...
As Jon said, already they have a capable, modular piece of equipment, I bet they're mainly fine-tuning life-support and in-orbit manoeuving now. Once that's out of the way, they only have to launch two Shenzhous to build a mini-station. Impressive.
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Flight after 'october holiday'
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050911/sc … 0911070516
Not official, but if this is true, quite impressive: two crew launch, lasting 119 hours or five days!
If they really do this, in only their second manned flight, wow. Would show a lot of confidence in the hardware.
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