Given that only two nations have had aggressive space programs in the past, and one of them used the shore-based launch site while the other used a land-locked site with its own rocket factory, I think comparisons with the US space program are inevitable regardless of where and how the Chinese came up with the idea. And the Chinese have a reputation for blatantly copying the technology of other nations. But it's quite possible that, as you point out, this was either something that they realized on their own, or a nice side benefit of a location that they selected for the aforementioned safety reasons.
Any information on why the Chinese weren't allowed to participate in the ISS? In any case, putting a station in orbit would be yet another way for the Chinese to push their own prestige in addition to scientific benefits. The Americans couldn't do it successfully (how many Americans alive these days have never even HEARD of Skylab?), and the Russians couldn't afford to keep theirs' going. Look at the wonderful Chinese and their amazing technological prowess!
I am, of course, glad to hear that the Japanese are getting in on the new space race. But I'm somewhat concerned about the ability of India to pay for their own space program.
junior
---------[ Received Mail Content ]----------
Subject : Re: [gundam] [OT] China's Space Program
Date : Fri, 2 Nov 2007 16:44:00 -0400
From : "Dr. Core" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To : [email protected]
Joseph Riggs wrote:
>
> In summary, the primary focus of the article is on the effect that a new
> spaceport will have on the Chinese space program. In particular, the fact
> that it's close enough to a port to allow for shipping rocket parts by sea
> from other factories will be useful as it means that the width of the
> rockets that China designs and launches won't be restricted by the width of
> China's railroad tunnels.
>
That's kind of a bit too esoteric for me (and I am pretty surprised MSNBC
picked it up). I read about China moving their main space port to Hainan
island after the launch of Chang-e 1 8 days ago in a Chinese paper. During
the launch, debris from stage 1 and 2 separation touched down on the
mainland, a very undesirable situation. Moving to Hainan island will remove
the possibility of hitting someone or even farm animals during launches. As
for moving large constructions too big for highway or railroad, ehh... that
idea is over a thousand years old. It's not that convincing that Chinese
pinched the idea off Americans.
Something that I haven't seen on the scant English coverage of the Chang-e 1
mission but I read off the Chinese press and Chinese wikipedia page: that
China is "scouting out real estate" for a possible space station. China,
reportedly, had long been trying to participate in ISS, but (supposedly)
roundly rejected. Now it seems the Chang-e 1 trajectory isn't the taking the
shortest, fastest or most economic route (e.g. by copying from the Apollo
mission). Instead it's taken three "pitstops" at the 16-, 24-, and 48-hours
orbits (significantly higher than the 1.5-hour orbit taken by ISS) before
entering the Earth-Moon transfer trajectory.
Perhaps the cost for taking these pitstops is pretty minimal anyway (perhaps
-Z- can answer that). But still the rumor was raised that China may at some
point decide to build their own low-cost space station.
Of course the bigger story is that Japan's Kaguya (much better name than
Selene) had already arrived at the Moon a month ago and India will launch
its Moon probe next year. All three Asian missions are searching for He-3
using remote sensing, another Gundam connection. Now we need only a fusion
reactor to use all the He-3 bounty on the Moon.
--
Dr. Core
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