back to article Chinese 'nauts blast off for month-long space station scouting mission

China has successfully sent two astronauts into space today to conduct a series of experiments to prepare for the launch of its own space station in 2023. The Long March-2F rocket blasted from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch centre in the Gobi desert, on the border from Northern China, at 7:30am (11:30pm GMT). China’s space …

  1. MAF

    It's a significant achievement

    "China to 'deeply and broadly' go where some have gone before"

    A tad condescending aren't we? Not doubt you're comparing their efforts to the UK launched and manned space station - thought so....

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: It's a significant achievement

      Seeing as IP theft is China's #1 business, a sly dig from El Reg is probably deserved.

      Still it's an achievement and shows how much money they probably will spend to be the first "Commies from Mars".

      Not surprised Obama banned them from all NASA sites.

      1. MAF

        Re: It's a significant achievement

        I think the US had the prior IP-theft sometime around the end of WW2 (Nazi scientists and all that).

        Stones & glass houses and all that.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: It's a significant achievement

          They had a choice of going to the Soviet Union or USA. Most, for obvious reason, chose the latter. Many chose it even before the war - because some of them didn't like Nazis too much, nor liked the Soviets - which looked very much alike, after all.

          1. MAF
            Mushroom

            Re: It's a significant achievement

            I have to agree that the OSS operation Paperclip that nabbed 1500 scientists & engineers was better than Operation Osoaviakhim which took >2000 at gunpoint to the Soviet Union.

            Some didn't like the Nazis but some were members of the Nazi Party and the SS like von Braun.

            Pretty much Hobsons choice for them all - pick a side or pick your firing squad. :-(

            Fireball icon for outcome of early launches.

    2. Gene Cash Silver badge

      Re: It's a significant achievement

      Or all the current American launchers. As much as I'm cheering 'em on, the Boeing & SpaceX COTS efforts don't count until there's a bloke actually in orbit.

  2. Paul Woodhouse
    Pint

    Good stuff China... I'm sure beer/whisky/GaoLiang will be enjoyed...

  3. Your alien overlord - fear me
    Alien

    Does Obama know what the 'I' in 'ISS' stands for?

    Suppose he's one of those American's who think people from the 'Far East' come from east of the Mississippi.

    Where's an ISS icon when you need one?

    1. phuzz Silver badge
      Boffin

      The US Congress banned NASA from co-operating with China. As far as I can tell that happened after Obama had already been asked to ban it himself, but he didn't bother.

      (Do I have to mention it was put forward by a Republican politician? From Texas? Nah, we'd all already assumed that right?)

      So, thanks Obama! for not actually doing the thing, but still getting blamed for doing the thing.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Can't help thinking that banning the Chinese from the ISS and thus spurring them to build their own space station may produce results contrary to that which the US would prefer. :-}

    That aside, I wonder whether it'll be India or Denmark is the next to get a manned ship into space? And either way, I find it as amusing as it is annoying that Demark is liable to beat us in the UK in that particular space race, with a purely amateur effort!

    1. 's water music

      Can't help thinking that banning the Chinese from the ISS and thus spurring them to build their own space station may produce results contrary to that which the US would prefer

      Perhaps the US felt that slowing the Chinese down a little was the best they were able to do. To be fair, I also hate it when a new kid turns up and it starts to become clear that in the long term he will clearly be the boss of me.

    2. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken
    3. AdamT

      @esme - well official UK government policy is that our space programme is strictly an unmanned one. So we're just not in that race at all (rightly or wrongly - discuss!)

      1. Mark Dempster

        UK

        >@esme - well official UK government policy is that our space programme is strictly an unmanned one. So we're just not in that race at all (rightly or wrongly - discuss!)<

        That used to be the case, but the UK actually paid for Tim Peake - so he became the first Brit who didn't need to change nationality to go into space

        1. phuzz Silver badge
          FAIL

          Re: UK

          " [Tim Peake] became the first Brit who didn't need to change nationality to go into space"

          Er, Dr Helen Sharman would like a word...

      2. DiViDeD

        @ AdamT Re: UK is not in that particular race

        Well, the Soviets were never part of the 'race' to land a man on the moon as a flag waving exercise.

        Doesn't stop merkins crowing about how they 'won' that race, does it?

        1. Driver's Door

          Well, the Soviets were never part of the 'race' to land a man on the moon as a flag waving exercise.

          Forgive me, but it was all/only about flag waving on both sides. While NASA might have been interested in doing a bit of science, it was all flag waving by both governments that coughed up the funds. Cold war and all.

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: @ AdamT UK is not in that particular race

          N-1

  5. CraPo

    Aren't they referred to as...

    taikonauts?

    1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

      Re: taikonauts?

      Since that's a coined word partially in Mandarin, then yes, you can. But the nearest English translation would probably be spacenauts, or maybe astronauts.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    Next launch: Foxconn iPhone factory orbital facility

    Employees who don't like the work schedule and targets will be shown the door...

  7. Andus McCoatover
    Windows

    ....China has had to go the extra mile ....

    I guess that's why the rocket is called "Long march"

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