Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Gopher]

Just saw it on CNN. This is excellent news.

Several nations are now willing and able to do this. Mith: correct me if my data is inaccurate, but I believe that the U.S., Russia, Europe, and now China can consistently participate in space exploration.

All the eggs are not in one basket. Someone will break this wide open sooner or later and then we'll really take off.

[mithridates]

Europe hasn't sent a person up on their own power but they're still a big force in space exploration. IMO human spaceflight is a waste of money unless it's effective enough to get people interested. Most of that depends on the astronaut though. No one ever picks an astronaut for their rhetorical skill and that's too bad because after the flight is over they have to go around and do interviews and some of them can make it sound pretty boring.
One person who is good at them is Chris Hadfield. I remember him describing takeoff as lying down, then having a 700-pound gorilla start jumping up and down on your chest for a few minutes whereupon you're thrown right into the middle of the air with absolutely nothing to hold you down.

[Gopher]

OK, people need to be interested.

But the problem, the danger, was that only one or two nations could do it, and, like China's seapower in the fifteenth century, one or two decision-makers could shut the whole thing down.

Now, if China is to be a player in space exploration, there are several different cultural groups in this. Even if one or two give it up, one of the others might continue. That is, it's unlikely that all of them will give it up and more probable that at least one will break out.

That's my hope anyway.

[mithridates]

Actually I think it's good that China is doing manned space exploration because they have the ability to do it, they aren't fazed about paying to borrow technology from Russia, and it might start another space race. I would be really against Korea trying to start up a program like that though. That would be a waste of funds.

The discovery of 160+ extrasolar planets + private companies finally making inroads + China getting involved is extremely good. I don't know if anyone noticed but the third space 'tourist' just got back yesterday. I'm glad that NASA isn't doing it alone. Did you see their plans to go back o the moon in 13 years? I love NASA and they make amazing probes but that's a joke. We'll have private companies sending people up to circle the moon for fun before that.

[JacktheCat]

Europe and Japan have the capacity and technology to make it a go, but not the drive or the desire. Though that could change in Japan with a Chinese spaceship now whizzing around over their heads.

Brazil has a rudimentary government rocket program and is starting to make noises about doing manned launches. And Korea just opened that rocket research center down in Jeollanamdo.

At the moment the only other non-American/Russia power that isn't China with a serious space program is India. They're a little late to the game, but they are putting a lot of resources and brainpower into it, and should be sending a man into space within a few years.

Going to get crowded up there.

[JacktheCat]

If you want to know how China is so advanced in rocket technology, google the name Tsien Hsue-shen (sometimes spelled Qian Xuesen)

What the US government did to him was shameful and disgraceful and one of the great human rights abuses of the 20th century.

[Ya-ta Boy]