Living in the Heavenly Palace
What is will be like to live in China’s first orbiting space station.
What is will be like to live in China’s first orbiting space station.
Tag: China
Living in the Heavenly Palace
Five myths about China’s space effort
Five myths about China’s space effort. Key recommendation:
Recognize the significance of space as a field of competition. Beijing is not engaged in a space race with Washington. But China is engaged in a great power competition with the U.S. in which space is one arena. American decision makers should come to terms with this duality. In this regard, the Chinese are unlikely to be manipulated by American proposals on “codes of conduct” or meetings with the head of NASA. As long as Beijing and Washington are in competition, space will be one of the major venues.
And competition is not a bad thing. It is going to be the fuel that gets the human race into space.
Five myths about China’s space effort. Key recommendation:
Recognize the significance of space as a field of competition. Beijing is not engaged in a space race with Washington. But China is engaged in a great power competition with the U.S. in which space is one arena. American decision makers should come to terms with this duality. In this regard, the Chinese are unlikely to be manipulated by American proposals on “codes of conduct” or meetings with the head of NASA. As long as Beijing and Washington are in competition, space will be one of the major venues.
And competition is not a bad thing. It is going to be the fuel that gets the human race into space.
American scientist trapped in China
An American scientist trapped in China.
An American scientist trapped in China.
China uses “America the Beautiful” as background music for animation of Tiangong 1 launch
Catch this quick before they take it down: China used “America the Beautiful” as its background music for an animation shown during Tiangong 1’s launch yesterday.
Catch this quick before they take it down: China used “America the Beautiful” as its background music for an animation shown during Tiangong 1’s launch yesterday.
Tiangong 1 reaches orbit
Tiangong 1 has successfully reached orbit.
Tiangong 1 has successfully reached orbit.
China’s first space lab module Tiangong-1 blasts off
China’s first space lab module Tiangong-1 has been launched. No word yet on whether it has safely reached orbit.
China’s first space lab module Tiangong-1 has been launched. No word yet on whether it has safely reached orbit.
Fueling has begun for today’s launch of China’s first space station module
Fueling has begun for today’s launch of China’s first space station module.
Fueling has begun for today’s launch of China’s first space station module.
China’s second moon orbiter Chang’e-2 sends data from a million miles away
China’s second moon orbiter Chang’e-2 sends data from a million miles away.
China’s second moon orbiter Chang’e-2 sends data from a million miles away.
China to launch unmanned space module Sept. 27-30
China has announced a launch window, September 27-30, for its first unmanned space station module Tiangong 1.
China has announced a launch window, September 27-30, for its first unmanned space station module Tiangong 1.
China launches communications satellite
China has resumed rocket launches after an August failure, putting a communications satellite into orbit.
This bodes well for the pending launch of the country’s first space station module, Tiangong 1.
China has resumed rocket launches after an August failure, putting a communications satellite into orbit.
This bodes well for the pending launch of the country’s first space station module, Tiangong 1.
China’s space station will launch in late September
The launch of China’s first space station module has now been scheduled to late September.
The launch of China’s first space station module has now been scheduled to late September.
Chang’e 2 has reached L2 almost a million miles from Earth
China’s lunar probe, Chang’e 2, has reached the L2 point in space, almost a million miles from Earth.
China’s lunar probe, Chang’e 2, has reached the L2 point in space, almost a million miles from Earth.
China delays launch of its first space station
China has delayed the launch of its first space station due to the failure of an earlier rocket launch.
China has delayed the launch of its first space station due to the failure of an earlier rocket launch.
Capturing an asteroid into Earth orbit
Want to mine an asteroid? Rather than travel to it with all their mining equipment, three Chinese scientists have proposed a better way. In a paper published today on the Los Alamos astro-ph preprint website, they have calculated the energy required to shift the orbits of the six thousand near-Earth asteroids and place them in Earth orbit for later mining. Of these, they found 46 asteroids that had the potential for such an operation, and two likely candidates for a space mission. One 30-foot-wide asteroid, 2008EA9, will actually be in the right place for this technique in 2049. As they write,
It can be seen that the velocity increment of the 2008EA9 is relatively small (-1.00km/s) and it will very close approach [approximately 645,000 miles] to the Earth in [February] 2049. Moreover the size of the NEO 2008EA9 is very small so that the capturing of it is relatively easy.
The real problem, of course, is adding that small “velocity increment” to the asteroid.
» Read more
A Chinese launch failure today
Another rocket launch failure today, this time by the Chinese.
Another rocket launch failure today, this time by the Chinese.
Nebraska rare earth mineral discovery to challenge China’s monopoly
A discovery in Nebraska of rare earth minerals appears set to challenge China’s monopoly.
To me these were the key quotes from this article:
The U.S. used to produce rare earths through the Mountain Pass Mine in California, but it was shut down in 2002, primarily because of environmental concerns, including the spillage of hundreds of thousands of gallons of water carrying radioactive waste into a nearby lake.
and
Although studies have shown the U.S. has 13 million metric tons of rare-earth minerals, National Mining Association spokeswoman Carol Raulston said it does not mine any of it – partly as a result of the difficulty of obtaining permits. “One of the key problems that investors tell us about is that the permitting regime in this country is so complicated and time-consuming that it has hurt investments here in the United States,” Ms. Raulston said.
A discovery in Nebraska of rare earth minerals appears set to challenge China’s monopoly.
To me these were the key quotes from this article:
The U.S. used to produce rare earths through the Mountain Pass Mine in California, but it was shut down in 2002, primarily because of environmental concerns, including the spillage of hundreds of thousands of gallons of water carrying radioactive waste into a nearby lake.
and
Although studies have shown the U.S. has 13 million metric tons of rare-earth minerals, National Mining Association spokeswoman Carol Raulston said it does not mine any of it – partly as a result of the difficulty of obtaining permits. “One of the key problems that investors tell us about is that the permitting regime in this country is so complicated and time-consuming that it has hurt investments here in the United States,” Ms. Raulston said.
Tiangong-1 is not a space station hub
Tiangong-1 is not a space station hub.
Tiangong-1 is not a space station hub.
A look at the Chinese space program
A look at the Chinese space program.
A look at the Chinese space program.
China readies its first space station
China’s first space station module, Tiangong-1, has been shipped to the launchpad for final checkout, in preparation for its launch later this year.
China’s first space station module, Tiangong-1, has been shipped to the launchpad for final checkout, in preparation for its launch later this year.
A massive meteorite found in China
Why Hasn’t The Earth Warmed In Nearly 15 Years?
China launched second data relay satellite, expanding space communications network before first docking attempt
On Monday China successfully launched its second data relay satellite, expanding its space communications network in preparation for before its first unmanned rendezvous and docking attempt later this year.
On Monday China successfully launched its second data relay satellite, expanding its space communications network in preparation for before its first unmanned rendezvous and docking attempt later this year.
The launch of China’s first space station module is set for September
The launch of China’s first space station module is now set for September.
The launch of China’s first space station module is now set for September.
Questions raised about the safety of China’s new bridge
Questions have been raised about the safety of China’s new bridge.
[China Central Television] said that workers were tightening bolts that could easily have been loosened by hand on the bridge, which has seen nearly 18,000 cars cross it every day since it was officially opened on June 30, on the eve of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China.
Why does this remind me of the two shuttle accidents, where managers ignored engineering issues in order to satisfy political concerns?
Questions have been raised about the safety of China’s new bridge.
[China Central Television] said that workers were tightening bolts that could easily have been loosened by hand on the bridge, which has seen nearly 18,000 cars cross it every day since it was officially opened on June 30, on the eve of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China.
Why does this remind me of the two shuttle accidents, where managers ignored engineering issues in order to satisfy political concerns?
Global warming scientists blame coal use increase in China for recent cooling
Global warming scientists have come up with an explanation for the cooling seen in the past decade: The increase of coal burning in China.
In other words, fossil fuels can cause global warming and global cooling!
Or to put it another way, climate scientists really have no clear understanding yet of the climate, and are merely guessing when they try to predict what’s happening.
Global warming scientists have come up with an explanation for the cooling seen in the past decade: The increase of coal burning in China.
In other words, fossil fuels can cause global warming and global cooling!
Or to put it another way, climate scientists really have no clear understanding yet of the climate, and are merely guessing when they try to predict what’s happening.
Getting rare-earth elements from ocean floor mud
Getting rare-earth elements, needed for electronics, from ocean floor mud?
Getting rare-earth elements, needed for electronics, from ocean floor mud?
World’s longest sea bridge opens in China
The world’s longest sea bridge opened in China yesterday. With some cool images.
The world’s longest sea bridge opened in China yesterday. With some cool images.
China buys three Earth observations satellites from UK firm
Capitalism in space: China has purchased a three Earth observation satellite constellation from a United Kingdom firm.
Capitalism in space: China has purchased a three Earth observation satellite constellation from a United Kingdom firm.
The cost of rare earth metals has soared as China limits supplies
The cost of rare earth metals used in electronics has soared to record levels in the past two weeks as China clamps down on illegal mining and limits supplies.
The cost of rare earth metals used in electronics has soared to record levels in the past two weeks as China clamps down on illegal mining and limits supplies.
China’s lunar probe leaves lunar orbit
China’s second lunar probe, Chang’e 2, has been boosted out of lunar orbit and beyond.
China’s second lunar probe, Chang’e 2, has been boosted out of lunar orbit and beyond.