China Works to Put Astronauts in Orbit

[cstaylor]

China Works to Put Astronauts in Orbit

China intends to reach the moon by 2010. Some here belittle the American moon landing in 1969, proclaiming they will do more than "plant a red flag and pick up rocks," as one space planner put it.

It is also unclear how much of China's space program represents a scientific breakthrough. The Shenzhou is a knockoff of the Russian Soyuz. Like the Soyuz, it has three sections: a propulsion module, a pressurized re-entry capsule, and a forward module used as work space in orbit.

Chinese astronauts have been instructed at Russia's training center, Star City. Chinese scientists acknowledge that they bought life support systems from Russia.

More pointedly, the State Department says two leading American companies, Hughes Electronics and Boeing, helped China improve the guidance, telemetry and aerodynamics of the Long March rockets in the late 1990's.

[Buraku]

[Buraku]

2007 Moon Rocket Production Kicks Off
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/2007_Moon_Rocket_Production_Kicks_Off.html
Manufacturing of the carrier rocket and satellite for China's first lunar expedition has kicked off, according to the State Commission of Space, Technology and Industry for National Defence.
Related facilities, including the launch and ground application systems, have begun testing, said spokesman Jin Zhuanglong at a recent press briefing.

Beware the military agenda behind Shenzhou
http://www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org
The successful launch of the Shenzhou V will inevitably lead to calls for greater American and European cooperation with China in space. This would be unwise, as any space cooperation with China is bound to assist its considerable military-space ambitions, which are already being fed by Russian and European technology.
Let there be no doubt: China's ambitious manned space program is at least as tied to military-space warfare goals as is the case in the United States. Perhaps even more so. After all, the U.S. National Air and Space Administration is a civilian organization, led by a civilian, though its activities are intertwined with American military-space programs. China's manned-space program, on the other hand, is led by the director of General Armament Department of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), who also sits on the Central Military Commission of the Chinese Communist Party. The first PLA General to be identified as director of China's manned space program was Cao Gangchuan, who is now Minister of Defense.

China jails top rocket designer for life for corruption
http://news.monstersandcritics.com/asiapacific
Beijing - China has sentenced a top rocket designer to life in prison after convicting him of corruption and embezzling 160 million yuan (19.9 million dollars) from public funds, state media said on Wednesday.


China's Manned Space Program: Trajectory and Motivations
http://cns.miis.edu/pubs/week/031006.htm
Some analysts argue that the Shenzhou, along with the rest of the space program, is intrinsically linked to China's attempts to modernize its military and gain an advantage on U.S. forces and space assets. It is true that the division between civilian and military space programs in China is nonexistent, with much of the control of the civilian program in the hands of the military. The Shenzhou program itself is overseen by the PLA's General Armament Department. The Chinese have admitted that the Shenzhou has reconnaissance capabilities and many analysts point out technological gains from the manned program could be used for military space programs, such as development of anti-satellite weapons. However, military goals are not the driving force for such a costly and time consuming program. If military development were the prime motivation, a manned space program would be an inefficient and expensive method to meet these goals.

China To Boost Science Tech Spending To Two And A Half Percent Of GDP
http://www.sinodaily.com/
China announced plans Thursday to dramatically boost spending on research and development in a quest to make the transition from the world's top manufacturer to one of its most important innovators.
The State Council, or cabinet, said 2.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) would be allocated to spending on research and development over the next 15 years.

China: Military Programs
http://cns.miis.edu/research/space/china/mil.htm
The link between China's manned space program, "Project 921," initiated in 1992, and its development of advanced military technology is a subject of debate