Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by martyb on Sunday April 23 2017, @04:51PM   Printer-friendly
from the in-space-nobody-hears-your-tantrum?? dept.

The Guardian reports on the Tianzhou-1's, China's first automated cargo spacecraft, first mission to the station:

China's first cargo spacecraft docked successfully with the Tiangong-2 space lab on Saturday, the official Xinhua news agency reported, marking a major step towards Beijing's goal of establishing a permanently manned space station by 2022. ...

The Tianzhou-1 cargo resupply spacecraft made the automated docking process with the orbiting space lab after it had taken off on Thursday evening from the Wenchang satellite launch centre in the southern island province of Hainan....

The cargo spacecraft mission provides an "important technological basis" to build a Chinese space station, state media have said. It can reportedly carry six tonnes of goods, two tonnes of fuel and can fly unmanned for three months.

Seems like Cold War era again:

President Xi Jinping has prioritised advancing China's space programme to strengthen national security.,,,

The US Defense Department has highlighted China's increasing space capabilities, saying it was pursuing activities aimed at preventing other nations from using space-based assets in a crisis.

China insists it has only peaceful ambitions in space, but has tested anti-satellite missiles.

2007 - Chinese anti-satellite missile test
1985 - American anti-satellite missile test
Chinese exclusion policy of NASA

Related: China Launched its Second "Heavenly Palace" Thursday Morning [Updated]
China's Shenzhou 11 Docks at Tiangong 2 Space Station
Space Race 2.0: China May Already be Testing an EmDrive in Orbit


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 2) by bob_super on Monday April 24 2017, @10:41PM

    by bob_super (1357) on Monday April 24 2017, @10:41PM (#499081)

    > is willing to spend it on science and engineering rather than useless entitlements

    And water infrastructure
    And clean power
    And rail infrastructure
    And manufacturing efficiencies
    And road infrastructure
    And Infrastructure in Africa to bring goods to ports, headed for China
    And spaceships/nukes/rockets/carrier-killers/strategic islands/stealth fighters/...
    And urban infrastructure
    And Useless Entitlements, like any good commie-ish country
    And a competitor to the World Bank
    And ...

    Holly shit! It as if China was investing in its future, despite having more entitled people than the US. Maybe after 5000 years they know something about taxation and priorities which the US doesn't?

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   2