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Red Moon?

Michael Griffin spoke at JSC today, and is reported to have said that the Chinese are “five or six years closer to the Moon than we are”.

Interesting.

2 comments to Red Moon?

  • Interesting, but I think that Griffin’s comments may have a more mundane meaning than it might appear at first glance, because his comment is true even if China has no human lunar spaceflight program. If they announced one today, then this would be ‘year zero’ of their effort. However, it’s going to take NASA five years to get to the same point – having announced a human lunar return, it’s going to take five years to finish the station, retire the shuttle, and develop the CEV – at which time, they will be ready to start the moon program in earnest, just like China could today if they choose.

    So China’s five year head start does not mean that China is five years further than NASA into a Lunar development program – it means that China is sitting in the starting blocks, and NASA has a five year handicap in the form of Shuttle, Station and CEV.

  • Rick Sterling

    China definitely has a manned lunar program. According to an article published on Oct. 11,2005 on the Chinese State Run CRI website

    “Shenzhou would be used to develop manned spaceflight techniques and serve as a ferry to Chinese space stations and as a lunar orbital and landing spacecraft.

    Other Designations: Project 921-1. Manufacturer’s Designation: Project 921-1. Class: Manned. Type: Spacecraft. Destination: Maximum Payload Orbit. Nation: China. Agency: CASC. Manufacturer: SAST.

    The Chinese Shenzhou manned spacecraft resembled the Russian Soyuz spacecraft, but was of larger size and all-new construction. Like the Soyuz, it consisted of a forward orbital module, a re-entry capsule, and an aft service module. Unlike the Soyuz, the orbital module was equipped with its own propulsion, solar power, and control systems, allowing autonomous flight. The Shenzhou project received limited funding, resulting in a protracted development program. Work began in 1992, with annual unmanned flights finally beginning in the winter of 1999/2000. The development of Shenzhou’s thirteen sub-systems took the effort of thousands of engineers and technicians in 300 organisations in China. The first manned flight was planned for the autumn of 2003. Shenzhou would be used to develop manned spaceflight techniques (extravehicular activity, rendezvous and docking) and later serve as a ferry to Chinese space stations and as a lunar orbital and landing spacecraft.”

    Mission statistics
    Mission name: Shenzhou 5
    Callsign:
    Number of crew: 1
    Launch: October 15, 2003 01:00:03 UTC
    Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
    Landing: October 15, 2003 22:22:48 UTC
    Duration: 21 hours, 22 minutes, 45 seconds
    Orbits: 14

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    Shenzhou 6 is the second manned flight of China. It has been launched in October 2005, carrying two astronauts for five to six days in orbit.

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