back to article Chinese orbital docking starts long march to space station

China has successfully launched an unmanned capsule into orbit and is beginning to maneuver it into place for the nation’s first orbital docking. State media reports that a Shenzhou-8 capsule successfully blasted off from China’s launch platform in the Gobi desert atop an upgraded Long March-2F rocket, watched by Chinese vice …

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  1. peter_dtm
    FAIL

    and we send AID to China ?

    Cameron please explain

    1. ravenviz Silver badge
      WTF?

      We send aid everywhere.

      1. Spoonguard
        Devil

        AIDS AIDS AIDS AIDS

  2. Kharkov

    Something to watch

    People comment that China's vehicles are 'simplistic' but they're doing what the UK, France and most of the other big countries in the world aren't doing.

    They may be coming from behind but they're coming and may well take the lead in above-LEO activities by the end of this decade.

    That said, there's a lot we don't know. For instance, the Tiangong-2 module is scheduled to launch in 2013 and will weigh 20,000kg. According to wikipedia, China doesn't have a Long-March rocket capable of carrying that much and won't until 2014 (the Long March Type 5).

    So how are they going to get that up there?

  3. Matthew 17

    What's happening with the ISS?

    They binned the silly Shuttle, then Russia binned their Soyuz rockets, 3 of the astronauts bailed from the ISS and no-one has been back, surely it can't be long before the remaining 3 people leave and the station is left empty.

    I think that once it reaches that stage then the likelihood of anyone going back full time would be remote. Bound to quickly become a deathtrap.

    Even though it could never do anything other than employ NASA and the ESA will be a shame to see it go the same way as MIR.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    'It wasn’t until 1970 that China even got a satellite into orbit'

    In the process beating Britain by a year.

    And unlike us, they didn't give up.

    1. Tom Cooke

      Prospero - British satellite program

      Thought there was something about this at RAF Cosford (went there a year or so back) but can't immediately find it on the Web site.

  5. chris lively
    Thumb Up

    Great Job China!

    I, for one, am very happy that China has continued to succesfully march forward with their vision.

    My guess is that about the time they start launching for the moon, the US, and potentially several other countries, will finally get off their collective asses and put a real person on mars.

    It's utterly reprehensible how the Space Race of the '60s and 70s essentially floundered.

    So, here's hoping for a new space race that will see us putting people on other planets.

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