China Launched First Lunar Probe

Wot??? Dogs in space again???? (Edit: I guess that'll be down to Del again)

This looks seriously like state propaganda fed intravenously into CR4 to me.

I'm happy for you China but there are much more worthy causes to direct energy and $$$$s at down here right now.

I think you go too far, sir, behave yourself, the CR4 is a place for discussion, not for insult!!!

And just take a second thought, there are tens million of Americans are below the poverty line, why the US goverment shell out so many dollars on aerospace research rather than distribute it to the poor, the beggar, the homeless, the disabled?

I am very confused according to your logic.

Smart Young Lady!

Take no nonsense from anybody-any time.

I love China-Everything! China is a civilized nation.

Let there be Celebrations

Hi Engineeringship, I'm really glad the post was made by an individual even though it sounds much more like a statement issued direct from a press office. Amid the flippance I was flogging one of my pet hobby-horses, namely that we should forget the universe and what it might offer us, it's a big distraction form the need to work on saving this exquisite planet.

You're right, poverty is pretty much everywhere. I don't see any conflict with my earlier statement. I'm from the UK. The European Space Agency should stop it, NASA should stop it, the Russians should definitely stop it and so should everyone else.

Maybe I should start a campaign entitled 'Let's Keep Our Feet on the Ground'!

Interesting idea, but you may not want to live in that utopia world. Hmm, Utopia, that was written by an Englishman if you recall.

Consider much of the technology you take for granted today. NASA and other endeavors that so many feel are pointless were and continue to be the drivers for technologies that make our world a much better place (even for the poor). Simple things like pacemakers and computers owe more to space exploration than any other form of investment. I just don't have time to research every little thing and perform a cost benefit analysis for you, but there is much more than you think.

Unfortunately, not much gets done on planet Earth unless there is a compelling reason. Pushing technological limits to their extremes has so many spin off benefits that people loose sight of what they are and how we got it.

It is easy to say that we ought to spend all that money on the poor, but it is also very myopic as well.

I'd join the campaign. There is so much poverty all over the world and people busting their chops just to survive that it seems ludicrous to spend billions on competing space programs. Unite and all work for the good of humanity on a space program, or forget it and spend the money to feed the planets inhabitants. Of course, if it werent for military objectives there would never have been a space race. Maybe we just need to eliminate the military faction everywhere.

"distribute it to the poor, the beggar, the homeless, the disabled?"

like share the wealth, sounds like a socialist government, While we do have programs, may not be where we like it to be.

Back to the subject, with the expense that is involved, And the discoveries that will follow, it is too bad that country's can't conbined resources. guess the trust just isn't there yet.

Or will it ever be?

The U.S. as well as other country's does strive on competition, so it may be a good thing. (sounds capitalistic doesnt it)

Many of these missions have dual purpose (i.e., science and military). That is just the case with this launch, it is a dual purpose launch.

That simply won't work sharing state secrets with multiple countries. So, it's a DIY event.

Hello Anonymous Hero,

Thanks for the comment, having worked in the defense industry, I am aware of that though.

I had some discussions to the effect of advancements that resulted though exploration and military endeavours. It is the easist way to justify it, other than the suggestion that amounts to nothing more than wealth distribution.

Closes we got was the apollo/suyuz link up and space station

I agree with your post #6

Yet, the data that came and is coming from these can be applied to national security.

And I see the competition between the US and China that it can be a healthy one, or the final one.

phoenix911

I may have asked this of you before, or maybe it was someone else, but what does the 911 stand for in your "name"?

often misunderstood and not what people think, My profile explains that pretty good.

And how it came to be is a story in it's self.

Deleted.

No, I usaully only join when I can see a real benefit, other than been just a member.

I have a tendency to baby it, (babying it does not mean driving it to church on Sundays)

When I first started driving it, Porsche Owners of America had a day at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. As much as this sounds ridiculous, I do not care for the high profile.

I seriously doubt it would be a final one. Neither side is so ignorant to do that. What saber rattling you do hear is simply for public consumption and to provide and protect an image (saving face). Chinese values put a lot of importance on this and it is an important part of the diplomatic game for both sides.

China is doing its best to become a world player both technologically and economically. Militarily, it is one of the five major world powers to have nuclear weapons, but the arsenal only consists of perhaps two dozen nuclear ICBMs (they have an estimated 150 to 200 nuclear bombs). Contrast that to the USA with something over 2,000 and you can understand China's nervousness when it comes to security.

While China's road to technological and economic power is a rocky one, they do have one ace up their sleeves; public consumption. China has the second largest population (barely trumped by India) and represents a huge consumer pool for the rest of the world to tap into. The trick for China is to use this advantage without disturbing their own culture (political, economic, and social), which is a fine line and the Chinese government is taking a conservative approach as much as they can while attempting to do this quickly. Obviously, this represents a lot of challenges and problems as they make the transition, but they are good students of history.

The real game is economic and it is closely intertwined with the rest of the world.

This country been through this before, last time it was the U.S.S.R., now we cross that out and insert China.

And noone is foolishn enough to start anything intentional, but with todays technological age, here something to think about, look at this.

Blog Entry; Close Shaves in History

(sometimes I throw things out there)

Not in my view, the real trick is to do it so that future generations of every specie get's the means to exist.

Hands up who believes that most of us woudn't be sititng at computers today if there had never been any space programmes??

So, we should redistribute the wealth spent on the space programs and military to the poor and homeless so that they will invent the technology of tomorrow?

Sounds like a sound investment to me.

My mind isn't on wealth, who has it or how it's distributed. I'm talking about where I feel the human race's collective intellect and energy ought to be focussing at the present time. I'd love to hear of ways we could use to steer the capitalist machine to a place where it could address some more of the worlds problems - which it most certainly could.