Rocket launches Chinese space lab

[dipsydoodle]

Source: BBC News 29 September 2011 Last updated at 14:16

A rocket carrying China's first space laboratory, Tiangong-1, has launched from the north of the country.

The Long March vehicle lifted clear from the Jiuquan spaceport in the Gobi Desert at 21:16 local time (13:16 GMT).

It will be a few hours before controllers can confirm that the lab has been put in its correct orbit.

The 10.5m-long, cylindrical module will be unmanned for the time being, but the country's astronauts, or yuhangyuans, are expected to visit it next year.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15112760

[ixion]

1. The Chinese are launching space labs, and we're mothballing our manned space program

that sucks. :(

[vminfla]

5. Yes...but

We are keeping up with the Kardashians :)

[unkachuck]

15. at least we're keeping up with somebody....n/t

[Capt. America]

2. The Chinese Century.

[Capt. America]

3. The Chinese Century.

[GliderGuider]

4. Not likely

There isn't enough oil left, their food supply is going to hell in a breadbasket, their water supply is in awful shape for both quantity and quality, soil and air pollution are ravaging the country. And on top of it all their international customers are busily going broke.

China is going to rate a *missed it by that much! footnote in any history books that get written later.

[ironrooster]

11. I'm with you Glider - people do not realize how much of the Chinese

"miracle" had cost the environment - the most damage occuring in their backyard. Both India
and China will fall under the "if only" category. The Britain, US and Russia got to the table first - ate up all
the shit - and left a few drumsticks (burp).

[Initech]

6. We're playing a game of Civilization right now - and the Chinese are winning.

[ironrooster]

13. nope - the last people with food and water "win" the game of civilization/nt

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

7. Why launch from northern china? Isn't it more economical to launch closer to the equator? n/t

[blackbart99]

10. To launch from southern china would risk

the highly populated areas of the coastal regions. We launch from Florida because when the parts fall back to earth they land in the ocean. China's coastline is highly populated. Russia launches from Baikonur which is in the middle of nowhere geographically. Europe has it better by launching from
French Guiana in south America. Good question!!!

[daleo]

14. They choose to do it not because it's easy

But because it's hard.

I remember when...

[Hoosier Daddy]

8. I hate to quote the Great Hack Tom Friedman, but.....

...that used to be us. :(

[Plucketeer]

9. That's nuthin'!

We's launchin' Charter Skools so's our young-un's is better equippd ta flip burgers and cleen manshun toylets!

[tawadi]

12. China’s ‘heavenly palace’ rises to skies

Source: rt.com

China’s ‘heavenly palace’ rises to skies

29 September, 2011, 17:30

China has successfully launched experimental module Tiangong-1 into space, marking the first ambitious step to building the country's very own space station.

The space laboratory’s carrier rocket Long March-2FT1 blasted off into orbit at 13:16 GMT on Thursday from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China.

The module is designed to test docking technology with the country's Shenzhou spacecraft.

Read more: http://rt.com/news/space-china-module-launch-693/

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Gotta love that title. lol

Anybody who thinks China is not intent on establishing a military dominance in space is naive.