tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5323714887398544512.post2106206791719565733..comments2023-11-03T01:31:15.528-07:00Comments on Astronaut Leroy Chiao's Blog: China's Space ActivitiesLeroy Chiaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00826755971524702129noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5323714887398544512.post-3229230914309628592008-01-18T16:59:00.000-08:002008-01-18T16:59:00.000-08:00What do you suppose they are planning for a spacep...<EM> What do you suppose they are planning for a spaceplane? It's called Shenlong, which means Divine Dragon. </EM> <BR/><BR/>I think there's a clue in the name. In parts of China, they've been finding "dragon bones" for over a thousand years. In the west, we call them dinosaurs. <BR/><BR/>"Divine Dragon" may be the Chinese equivalent of the X-20 DynaSoar (or possibly a DynaSoar forerunner). A Chinese spaceplane could be used for the same sort of missions the USAF once contemplated for DynaSoar: repairing, refueling, assembling, and upgrading unmanned satellites; resupplying space stations, serving as a reconnaissance "gapfiller"; conducing counterspace missions; and terrestrial targets. <BR/><BR/>One logical target would be US carrier battle groups. If China develops a system that can attack US carriers from space, the US would become much more reluctant to use carriers in situations that conflict with Chinese interests: to blockade or threaten a Chinese ally like North Korea, for example. A relatively small investment in military spaceplanes could neutralize tens of billions of dollars which the US has invested in carrier battle groups.<BR/><BR/>Unfortunately, the US has no response to such a system. Our military spaceplane effort is confined to design studies while the Bush Vision of Space Exploration goes "back to the future" with capsules and expendable rockets.EVWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13909039236590245540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5323714887398544512.post-37690121744731516392008-01-14T18:19:00.000-08:002008-01-14T18:19:00.000-08:00I think any effort to break the surly bonds of ear...I think any effort to break the surly bonds of earth is fantastic, as long as it remains true to exploration or science research. I'm sure it will be a fantastic flight; Godspeed to the Chinese crew. I hopefully won't be far behind getting my own taste for space, watching Atlantis' next launch attempt on February 7 :-)BrianJBradleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09135658512528096490noreply@blogger.com