Comments on: China in Space

By: Tacking Toward the Moon | Spudis Lunar Resources Blog

Tacking Toward the Moon | Spudis Lunar Resources Blog — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 19:32:31 +0000

[…] the sole aim of achieving parity with past American and Russian accomplishments. I have argued here and elsewhere that something much more profound is likely to be their primary […]

By: Appearance on The Space Show, January 26, 2014 | Spudis Lunar Resources Blog

Tue, 28 Jan 2014 08:59:40 +0000

[…] topics on which I have previously posted here and at The Once and Future Moon blog, including China in space, the Clementine mission and a few other topics. Readers might find our conversation interesting; […]

By: A Decade of the Vision for Space Exploration: An Alternative Retrospective | Spudis Lunar Resources Blog

Thu, 26 Dec 2013 09:15:16 +0000

[…] the abrupt arrival of China as a major space-faring power in this area, most observers now recognize that an American presence ensures that a market-based […]

By: Joe

Joe — Sun, 15 Dec 2013 15:08:55 +0000

The Chang’e-3 has deployed the rover.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2013-12/15/c_132968360.htm

The rover is called Yutu.

By: Joe

Joe — Sat, 14 Dec 2013 14:42:49 +0000

The Chang’e-3 has landed on the Moon.

http://news.yahoo.com/china-safely-soft-lands-rover-moon-132013796.html

By: JohnG

JohnG — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 21:00:02 +0000

“The first lunar explorers will probably be mainly interested in the mineral resources of their new world, and upon these its future will very largely depend. If we are to set up permanent colonies, it is essential to discover oxygen, water, and materials from which food may be obtained.” . . . Arthur C. Clarke, 1951, ‘The Exploration of Space’

It will be interesting to see how quickly the Chinese shift their emphasis away from Sinus Iridum towards the lunar poles. The Russians (if they really do what they say they are going to do) already have the poles and the polar resources in their sights for their robotic missions beginning in 2017 or 2018.

It’s interesting that Clarke used “new world” to describe the Moon. The Europeans referred to the Americas as the “New World”. It turns out that the Moon’s surface area is about 90% of the surface area of North and South America combined. New World indeed. However, the Moon is mostly a desert really, no lush vegetation there. The lunar poles are the Oases for life, but the locations of enhanced sunlight on the polar crater rims or hills are few and far between. Those that get there first will have a tremendous advantage over the others.

By: JohnG

JohnG — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 19:55:46 +0000

Gee, that sounds a lot like the Von Braun/Clarke approach from the 1950s. Maybe the Chinese are reading those classics. Clearly the US is not.

By: Joe

Joe — Sat, 07 Dec 2013 14:24:12 +0000

The Chang’e-3 has entered Lunar Orbit.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2013-12/06/c_132947629.htm

By: Chris Castro

Chris Castro — Sat, 07 Dec 2013 09:57:57 +0000

The Tiangong space platform appears to be much more of an orbital target vehicle, rather than a full-up space station. The Tiangong structure, to me, resembles the Agena target vehicle, which was used during the Gemini program, in the 1960’s. Sure, it has some expanded characteristics, making it akin to a second docking spacecraft——-but this would make great sense, from the idea of developing the capability of linking up trans-lunar vehicles in a parking orbit.
Project Constellation had in its flight-plan, an earth-orbit-rendezvous phase, of the docking together of the main cis-lunar/lunar-orbit craft with the specialized lunar landing craft (which was in turn, linked up with an earth escape stage). If China simply skips over the whole pointless imitation-of-the-ISS exercise, and limits its LEO activity to just a basic, intermittently-occupied, Skylab-like-but-perhaps-smaller station, then it could move on to the point where its Shenzou craft could rehearse a linkage with a near-viable cislunar-bound spacecraft. Hence, an Apollo 9-like mission. Then the Chinese would be ready for a manned circumlunar flight——-either a flyby or an orbital mission to the Moon.

By: Marcel Williams

Marcel Williams — Sat, 07 Dec 2013 02:34:01 +0000

Its against international law (Outer Space Treaty) to put weapons of mass destruction on the lunar surface. Of course, since libertarians here in the states often talk about the US pulling out of the treaty– I guess China could too if it served their national interest.

But I wouldn’t be too surprised if nuclear missiles do end up on the lunar surface a few decades from now– under international control– since it would be easier and probably safer to launch a nuclear missile to deflect a potentially dangerous asteroid from the lunar surface than from the Earth.

Marcel