Is It a Start of The New Space Race

SwordFish_13

Active member
Hi,

In October 2003, air force lieutenant colonel Yang Liwei became the first Chinese citizen to orbit the planet. Less than a year later, India launched Edusat, a satellite intended to drench the subcontinent in science and technical education.

Americans might wonder why developing countries like India and China would spend precious resources in space. But those countries have good reasons - more compelling ones than the US has. Consider the weather, which can be lethal throughout Asia. With satellites, it's possible to see typhoons, floods, and dust storms coming and shout a warning to the victims-to-be. Monitor the weather and you can manage agricultural productivity so that massive populations don't starve. Track hordes of insects and you have a fighting chance to protect your crops. Watch your restive population in places like Kashmir and Tibet and you just might keep your far-flung nation from falling apart at the seams.

Of course, the US is the undisputed space leader. Driven by fear of the Soviet Union's early successes, the government funded gaudy efforts like Apollo and Skylab, programs of undeniable technical machismo but little practical payoff. But America - democratic and market driven - has always found it difficult to swallow the gargantuan cost. Thus, public support blows hot and cold. The Ansari X Prize suggests that the country's future in space is in the hands of entrepreneurs with their eyes focused on quarterly reports.

India and China have played the tortoise to America's hare. The keynote for their style of space-racing is patience, plus self-reliance and practicality: Eschew shiny techno-delusions. Avoid budget-busting spectaculars. Stick with goals that improve the lives of ordinary people. Arrange canny tech-transfer deals with Europeans, Soviets, Americans - anybody who will pay. Then wrap it all up in a Nehru jacket of selfless socialist service.

India's space agency, the Indian Space Research Organization, has managed to keep engineers in charge and thus restrain the nation's notorious bureaucracy from looting the enterprise. The upshot: Sturdy, homegrown satellite launchers and sturdy, homegrown nuclear missiles. Last January, prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee urged his countrymen to work toward a manned moon landing.

Similarly, China's space program is a geek stronghold within a turbulent, ideological society. The People's Republic launched its first satellite in 1970, and today it boasts enough nuclear-tipped ICBMs to roast the American seaboards. In 2003, Chinese officials reportedly announced plans for their own manned moon landing in 2010, although they later denied it.

It's clear that India and China have the means, motive, and opportunity to become the technical leaders of a new era. But what would they do with such an exalted position?

Most likely they would do things the same way they always have: slowly and pragmatically. China's leaders have talked about establishing a city on the moon, but this is paper tiger hype: A lunar Beijing would be useless. Yet China's rapidly industrializing economy has developed an unquenchable thirst for energy. Given the country's passion for outsize civil engineering projects, the Chinese would do well to build a giant orbiting solar power station. The cost would be roughly equal to that of Three Gorges Dam, and there's nothing wrong with the physics.

While China has been on an industrial binge, India has built an information economy dependent on satellites. The need to loft them efficiently and the country's position near the equator, where the Earth's gravity is evenly distributed, gives India a special incentive to consider building a geosynchronous space elevator. Ribbons of carbon nanotube some 24,000 miles long could fling cheap Indian hardware hither and yon, turning the land of Gandhi into the world's data back office. Want to know where you parked your car? Ask an Indian.

And what about Americans? What would be their role in the Great Upshoring? They could pull up stakes and go live there. That's one feature of the American experience that no other great power can match. The territory is still wide open - but not for long.

Source

Cheers
-=SF_13=-
 
Post a link for that quote and be careful of the "my country's better than yours" sentiment. It's not allowed.
 
Hey Hey ,

Now what with that .................I have Posted the Source

and "My Country is better that Yours" the whole Article is form Wired news .................it's a constructive analysis of both countries Space capabilities ......i am at loss here what you are trying to say .

You are jumping onto Conclusions too soon ?

-=SF_13=-
 
Damn those little links. I've missed them more than once, my bad :oops:
Just don't want another flame war to get started.
"And what about Americans? What would be their role in the Great Upshoring? They could pull up stakes and go live there."
That's what caught my eye. They're obviously not your words. I am asking that you don't let this thread turn in the wrong direction. OK SwordFish?
 
Hi,

Actually they could have done without those last lines................it was a Comparison about india And China Space Capabalities .............they have Dragged USA into it unecceraly ........In the End i think they are being sarcastic ......

"turning the land of Gandhi into the world's data back office."

:D

Cheers
-=SF_13=-
 
Oh I understood what the author was saying. I agree that his phraseology leaves something to be desired.
 
In terms of space race.. America isn't really bothered at this point. The Chinese are doing what the Americans did back in the 60's... and not quite hit 1969 yet.
 
Hi,

America isn't really bothered at this point. The Chinese are doing what the Americans did back in the 60's... and not quite hit 1969 yet.


A Space Race between India and China ;) ...................not USA

Peace
-=SF_13=-
 
There was quite a mention of the US feeling pressure so thought I'd pop that in.
Anyways... I think because China is just looking better in all arenas at this point, China will be ahead of India in the space race.
 
Hi,

I think because China is just looking better in all arenas at this point, China will be ahead of India in the space race.

Yes........But Should they go into a Space race like the Soviets and USA...................Is there enough Insentive in it that Developing Countries would spend precious resources( $ Money $) in space??.........Receently in a Speach By the India President A.P.J Abdul Kalam ........who is a World Renound Scientist Talked about Using Moon for Mining for presious recources etc .............now things like that are they even feasible ?

-=SF-13=-
 
Depends on how serious India is.
China is very serious and I believe they have a mission to the moon in the books... but probably are raising money for it and designing it at this point.
 
Hi,

2007 is the date For the First Indian un-manned Mission to Moon .................and the Government is on the Streets trying to Sway Public Openion for a Moon Misssion .............Well Democracy they have to first Convience the Public..........they have to first convence people that they are not wasting the taxpayers money in some wossy Bussy Roket thingy :lol: ................Earlier The prime Minister Vajpaye urged the people to Work for it work collectively for a man'ed Mission to moon ...............pretty serious i think ?

The Mission is even named and in progress The Chandrayan-1 mission, Chandrayan means Moon Ship :)..............it's sceheduled to take of around 2005 to 2007 ........followed by a manned mission by 2015 at the latest. Source


Some Countries even have shown Interest i the Mission and have requested possible participation in an Indian moon mission. Source
Canada and India have signed a memorandum of understanding reaffirming their pursuit of international space co-operation for peaceful purposes, including Canada's possible participation in an Indian moon mission.

The Chandrayan-2 mission, I think will be a Manned mission

Related Topic Read
 
The Chinese should be so proud...doing what America did in 69.

You people are forgettiong that America still has a Space program. Thier are plans to replace the Shuttle fleet, wich only America has, they are creating the fastest jets in the world.


O and lets not forget that when the Chinese are on the Moon America will be on Mars. Also lets not forget the talks of a Moon base in 2029.
 
Hi,

Lets not Compare Chinese Space program with USA they are incomparable .................China has just Started .

O and lets not forget that when the Chinese are on the Moon America will be on Mars. Also lets not forget the talks of a Moon base in 2029.

That you have brought up this i would like to make one coment .................One estimate Shows that if NASA has worked on the same pace and Funding that it got During the Space Race .......Humans would have been on Mars long time back.................after the Fall of Soviet Union the Will has been dampened a bit so has the Funding for the Space program .......the Congress has been on a defenceive towards the taxpayers glaring eyes on why it should spend those huge amounts on Space ? ....

A reminder the Topic is why are Developing Countries Like India and China investing this much money in space............is their enough incentive in it ? .......Does the Space pays you back enough to support itself or is it just the inflated Egos that drive people into Space? :D


Peace
-=SF_13=-
 
Hi,

Hum, China just have a start in this area

I meant if we compare it to the Soviet or USA standard China and India are in their Infancy stages.

Quite a few Countries have shown their interese in the Chandrayaan-I’ mission

Israel Keen On Joint Moon Mission ‘Chandrayaan-I’

US eyes India's unmanned moon mission

BANGLORE: US has offered to place its scientific instruments on Indian spacecraft that will undertake an unmanned mission to the Moon in 2007, Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman G Madhavan Nair said.

"There is wide response from Canada, US, Europe even Indian scientists, some of them are there (who have submitted proposals to place scientific instruments)," Nair told PTI .


ISRO has been getting requests form various countries for experiments during the Chandrayaan-I ................Among form all these Indian Space Research Organisation has shorlists six foreign projects for moon mission

ISRO had received about 30 proposals from foreign countries in this regard and six of these had been shortlisted...........The shortlisted Countries are Britain, Germany,Sweden, US, France and Bulgaria

The shortlisted proposals are: a low energy X-ray spectrometer for Chandrayaan from Britain; near infra-red spectrometer from Germany; Sub Kev atom reflecting analyser from Sweden; radiation dose monitor experiment from Bulgaria; mini synthetic aperture radar from the US; and planetary energetic photons spectrometer from France.
Source




But This was going to happen............ ISRO to Rethink on manned Mission to Moon ................this was bound to happen in a developing countries ...........people will reason with the government on why do they think they should not spend this money on removig poverty rather than spend on a Manned mision which apperantly no monatary valus?

ISRO Cheif have asked Government to hold a Nation wide debate and ask the people .................if there is a Consensious among the people in the country we will go ahead with the misssion

"Before we embark on such a mission, a national debate and consensus is required. If it is decided, we (ISRO) do not want to lag behind in our preparation, though such a program is going to be very, very expensive for the country," Nair stated.

"We are not in competition with other countries in this field. Though we have the capability, we have to first decide how far such a manned mission is beneficial and whether we can afford to remain without it.

Only a national debate can throw up answers for a consensus to go for a manned mission," Nair added.

http://www.sunnetwork.org/news/science/science.asp?id=5528
 
Shenzou 5 was a big leap for China, but barely makes a dent in the space industry of today. Even if it did, America still would'nt be interested in another space race right now. Right now, NASA is simply interested in getting Atlantis prepped for return to flight after the Columbia accident and having it ready for hopefully this march, so they can get the International Space Station back on schedule.
 
Back
Top