Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




DRAGON SPACE
Is China Going to Blast Past America in Space?
by Launchspace Staff
Bethesda MD (SPX) Aug 21, 2012


File image.

In recent weeks China has appeared prominently in the international media. To the layman it would seem that the Asian superpower is advancing its space technology and exploration program at warp speed and may overtake the American space program very soon. Most recently its Shenzhou-9 spacecraft successfully docked with the orbiting Tiangong-1 space lab.

This was the country's first space flight with a female astronaut and its first docking in orbit.

The Shenzhou-9 spacecraft lifted off on June 16, 2012 and returned to Earth on June 29, 2012. When the docking took place on June 18, China was heralded as a new technological leader in the space race.

While it is true that China is now one of three countries that have sent women into space and docked two spacecraft in orbit, there appears to be some question as to how much of a space leader this country really is. For example, the Soviet Union launched pairs of satellites as early as 1962, i.e., Vostok 3 and 4.

However, technology for docking was not quite ready. In 1963, a young USAF major submitted his MIT doctoral thesis titled, Line-Of-Sight Guidance Techniques for Manned Orbital Rendezvous.

The author was Major Edwin Eugene Aldrin, Jr., better known today as Buzz Aldrin. Later, as a NASA astronaut, Buzz applied his theory to actual space flight operations, leading to the first US attempted rendezvous in 1965 by astronaut Jim McDivitt.

Jim tried to maneuver his Gemini 4 to meet with its spent Titan II upper stage, but was unable to get close enough to achieve stationkeeping. NASA engineers had not yet understood the orbital dynamics of the rendezvous and docking.

However, NASA engineers got smart and the first successful rendezvous was accomplished by US astronaut Wally Schirra on December 15, 1965. Schirra maneuvered the Gemini 6 spacecraft within 30 cm of its sister craft Gemini 7. The two spacecraft were not equipped with docking mechanisms, but stationkeeping was maintained for more than 20 minutes.

Finally, the first docking of two spacecraft was achieved on March 16, 1966 when Neil Armstrong guided Gemini 8 to a docking with an unmanned Agena Target Vehicle.

Thus, it would appear that China's space program still has a long way to go to catch up with the U.S. In fact, China has yet to build a reusable launch system, send astronauts beyond low earth orbit, walk on the moon or land a robotic spacecraft on an asteroid.

Let's check China's space progress again in about 50 years.

.


Related Links
Launchspace
The Chinese Space Program - News, Policy and Technology
China News from SinoDaily.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








DRAGON SPACE
Hong Kong people share joy of China's manned space program
Hong Kong (XNA) Aug 13, 2012
Hong Kong Chief Executive CY Leung said Friday that Hong Kong people shared the joy of the nation's remarkable achievements in its manned space mission, which has made all Chinese people proud. At the welcoming dinner for the 40-member space delegation, Leung said the 13-day Tiangong-1/Shenzhou-9 space mission was the longest in China's aerospace history, and the crew succeeded in the first manu ... read more


DRAGON SPACE
LRO Spectrometer Detects Helium in Moon's Atmosphere

NASA's 'Mighty Eagle' Robotic Prototype Lander Flies Again at Marshall

Roscosmos Announces Tender for Moon Rocket Design

US flags still on the moon, except one: NASA

DRAGON SPACE
Curiosity rover set for first test drive

Rover's Laser Instrument Zaps First Martian Rock

Fantastic Phobos

New NASA Mission to Take First Look Deep Inside Mars

DRAGON SPACE
For US students, plane tickets, TVs are relics

Voyager at 35: Break on Through to the Other Side

XCOR Becomes Corporate Sponsor of Uwingu, a Space Apps Company

Florida Spaceport Stakes Claim to Commercial Missions

DRAGON SPACE
Is China Going to Blast Past America in Space?

Hong Kong people share joy of China's manned space program

China's Long March-5 carrier rocket engine undergoes testing

China to land first moon probe next year

DRAGON SPACE
ISS Orbit Adjustment to Continue on August 22

Cosmonauts Begin First Expedition 32 Spacewalk

ATV-3 Vehicle Fails to Adjust Space Station Orbit

ISS crew to embark on two spacewalks in August

DRAGON SPACE
Russian Booster Rocket Lifts US Satellite in Seaborne Launch

India's GSAT-10 satellite continues its checkout for the upcoming Arianespace Ariane 5 mission

Flight Readiness Review Complete; No Constraints to Aug. 23 Launch

Pre launch verifications are underway for next Soyuz mission

DRAGON SPACE
First Evidence Discovered of Planet's Destruction by Its Star

Exoplanet hosting stars give further insights on planet formation

Five Potential Habitable Exoplanets Now

RIT Leads Development of Next-generation Infrared Detectors

DRAGON SPACE
Yap.TV tunes Internet Age viewing for the world

Good vibrations

Britain and Ireland tuning into Netflix

Apple is most valuable company ever at $623 bn




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement