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Science International Space Updates, September 2008
Michael Barkoviak - September 17, 2008 2:15 PM
Print E-mail del.icio.us 9 comment(s) - last by AssBall.. on Sep 18 at 10:21 AM
NASA and University of Colorado at Boulder are ready to work together on a Mars mission; NASA still recovering from hurricane Ike; and China announces its first space walker

The University of Colorado at Boulder has been selected to take part in a $485 million Mars mission that was delayed for nine months due to a conflict of interest during selection.  It is not known who caused the conflict of interest, but the two finalists re-submitted their proposals, and everything was good to go.  More than 200 people will be involved in the project, which will be monitored closely by CU-Boulder undergraduate and graduate students.

The Mars probe will have a mission of one year, which has been cut in half due to the delay it has taken for the university to be officially chosen.  The mission is expected to launch in 2013, and will analyze the Martian atmosphere, how it has changed over the years, and how it lost moisture.

The 2008 hurricane season has caused NASA a headache as the U.S. space agency looks forward to two manned shuttle launches before the end of the year.  While shuttle Endeavour will be moved to launch pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center later this week, NASA officials are urging those employees who have had their lives disrupted by hurricane Ike to take care of family business first.

Johnson Space Center avoided major damage from the hurricane, but the area will remained closed only to recovery crews who are helping salvage the area.

NASA does not believe it will be forced to delay either launch because of the hurricanes.

The Chinese government has announced that Zhai Zhigang, 42, a fighter pilot and colonel of the People's Liberation Army, will be the first Chinese astronaut to walk in space.  The nation's third manned space mission will launch on Sept. 25, when the crew launches into orbit aboard a Shenzhou VII spacecraft.  

Zhigang will be joined by Jing Haipeng and Liu Borning, who also are PLA fighter pilots, have several different science experiments to conduct while in orbit.  Chinese space officials have completed inspections of the spacecraft and its rocket, and deemed it ready to fly from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

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By therealnickdanger on 9/17/2008 2:45:39 PM , Rating: 2
USA and Russia really pioneered everything we know about space exploration over decades of trial and error. Enormous successes and tragic errors that built knowledge and experience that can only be learned. China, on the other hand, is coming onto the scene with kinda all the hard work done already. I'm not trying to discount the bravery of their astronauts or the skill of their technicians, but I just want to point out that they have such an advantage at this stage in the game.

Essentially the Chinese just have to spend money to get into space - the majority of the work has been done for them by preceding missions by other nations. I'm probably not articulating my point well enough.... It's just amusing to see China catch up so quickly. We better get to Mars soon. Moonbase?




By Gzus666 on 9/17/2008 2:50:23 PM , Rating: 2
Isn't this how a large part of the Asian world works? They tend to take other things that are pioneered by someone else, and just make them better, or streamline the process in some way?


By therealnickdanger on 9/17/2008 4:37:30 PM , Rating: 2
Hmm, there are plenty of significant inventions from the asian market, but there's no doubt that innovation is a massive strength as well. Not sure that's where I was going with my thought train... it's been derailed.


By Don Tonino on 9/17/2008 4:41:27 PM , Rating: 2
I wonder how much of that knowledge and experience is or has been actually shared, or can be legally accessible. Would I be able to buy the schematics of the Apollo, or of Ariane and thus build myself one without having to sweat out all the details? of course I realize that just the knowledge that something can be done could be a really huge boost - what I can't easily assess is how many years of development the legally available information can save.


By grath on 9/17/2008 9:22:05 PM , Rating: 2
Ariane, being a launch vehicle, would fall under proliferation of ballistic missile technology and as such would be regarded as sensitive information.

Apollo, being a manned spacecraft, is not an inherently dangerous technology to proliferate. So much publicity, collaboration, and documentation has occured over the years that basically no part of the program can still be considered secret. The same is true for manned spaceflight in general. What cannot be obtained publically and legally can likely be gained through simple industrial espionage.

As for how big a boost it is, I would say that it saves about 10 to 15 years. From the beginning of the Mercury through to the Skylab program is how long it took the US to figure out how to put humans in space, keep them alive, and provide a reasonably capable facility to work in. That foundation of knowledge is readily available and easily built upon.

One could also argue that even more time would be saved by not wasting 40 years bogged down in low Earth orbit by the Shuttle and the ISS. The Shuttle, while impressive and sufficiently capable, proved that a multi-role heavy-lift spaceplane is not suitable for truly advancing a human spaceflight program. The International Space Station, while a fascinating exercise in international political, industrial, and economic bureaucracy, also has yet to significantly advance our spaceflight capability.

So perhaps the most important lesson is to not get bogged down in low Earth orbit building space stations. The real action is on the lunar surface where there are material resources to be exploited. The first to get back to the Moon and establish a mining and manufacturing capability will be in a position to control the next step of human presence in space.

The Chinese know this, and I dare say they are in a much better position to take advantage of it than the US is. What I find surprising is how patient they are being at developing their program. One flight every couple years is almost laughable when you think about what China is truly capable of. It seems like they are deliberately taking it slow, keeping their program running and warmed up, ready to kick it into full blown space race mobilization at any moment. The US says that Project Constellation wont get back to the Moon until 2020 or after. If China flipped the switch today I bet they could do it by 2015 or sooner if they wanted to.


By Ringold on 9/18/2008 4:09:47 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
One flight every couple years is almost laughable when you think about what China is truly capable of. It seems like they are deliberately taking it slow, keeping their program running and warmed up, ready to kick it into full blown space race mobilization at any moment.


You nailed it in the first part of that same paragraph. Why rush as if there is a race? There is no race, unless it's with themselves. They can save money by slow-boating it and still come out ahead.


By masher2 (blog) on 9/17/2008 6:19:03 PM , Rating: 3
> "Isn't this how a large part of the Asian world works?"

It's how any underdog works-- copy the leader, then try to exceed them. Russia and the US both initially got their start in space by copying German missile technology, after all.


By Clauzii on 9/17/2008 3:00:07 PM , Rating: 2
The Chinese did it with the "Shenzhou-5":

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-01/03/conte...

According to the article, they just love to blow it up :D




half a billion!!!?
By AssBall on 9/18/2008 10:21:41 AM , Rating: 2
This is gonna be just another half ass probe mission... I wish the US would fork it out and send some people there already.

Lets build a real SPACE ship goddamnit! I know we can; I'd like to see it my lifetime though.




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