China has successfully launched its first manned space flight.

A Long March-II F rocket carrying the Shenzhou V spacecraft blasted off from the Gobi desert launch pad.

The craft is expected to orbit the Earth 14 times, returning about 21 hours later.

The astronaut on board was named as Yang Liwei, a 38-year-old from China's north-east.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asi...ic/3192330.stm

It's great news for those intrested in space but why is China doing this? the cost :eek:

From what i understand, it will boost their economy. It better, because an adventure like this doesn't come cheap. :D

Fame! Fortune! The Media! Just for the heck of it!

The way I see it Yang will get laid a lot and plenty of free beer. Maybe crap Chinese beer but hey if its free.....

me chinese, me in space, me go pee pee in your face [img]tongue.gif[/img] [img]tongue.gif[/img] [img]tongue.gif[/img] [img]tongue.gif[/img] [img]tongue.gif[/img]

this is all the drunken posting im going to do before i go to bed, i promise

Yeah, cuz the Chinese astronaut will probably lazer-pinpoint you from orbit with his ultra-scientific deathray and nuke your ass for that racist rhyme [img]tongue.gif[/img] Heh heh. At least that's what I'd do if I was chinese and in space and had a lazer-pinpoint deathray. Booyakashah! Watch out. :D

how many years after America nad the soviet union? *get out calculator....hmmm lets see our happened in 69.......

Put the calculator away Stormy - go get that history book. ;)

Put the calculator away Stormy - go get that history book. ;) </font>[/QUOTE]Chuckle .... guffaw ;) - Donut is spot on as usual - methinks that was the moon landing in 69 Stormy [img]smile.gif[/img]

Congradulations to the Chinese people. Who were a great civilisation when we were still in caves.But beware a greater and more intelligent man than I once said "LET CHINA SLEEP FOR WHEN SHE AWAKES THE WHOLE WORLD WILL TREMBLE!" China is awake.

<font color=gold>
You think it weird for China?
What about Brazil? They have the most crappiest space-flight program ever to be recorded in history. They spend their entire budget on the space-flight, while thousands of people are starving because the economy sucks so much. And besides, now that China has their first manned space-flight, what's next? Orbital nukes? I'm telling you, I don't like the fact that trigger-happy governments have so much power....
</font>

As I said "CHINA IS AWAKE"

As I said "CHINA IS AWAKE"

As I said I heard you the first time!

Anyone else read the 2001 series by Arthur C. Clarke? The stuff in the later books is mostly about the influence of the Chinese space program (or the predicted influence of one). Really interesting stuff.

Alright time to come back to earth people....
China launches it's first man into space... wow for me because im chinese. But any of the European/Japan could have done it ages ago if they bothered to fund the programs. So, really no big deal.

Avy

Jay Leno joked that it would be just a brief first trip into space to go by the international space station, slide a menu under the door, and return home. :D

Hmmm... why did China send a man into space so late in the game? It's obvious, they were bored.

LMAO Timber, Its 3 in the morning and I will wake the kids up laughing for sure [img]graemlins/laugh3.gif[/img]

Hey man, Tsing Tao is damn fine beer..

It's about the perfect time for media awareness.

USA has had it's space program gutted by the loss of the Challenger and anyway they seem more preoccupied with national defense (who can blame them).

Russia seems to be more interested in defense too.

The joint European space program seems more aimed at producing cheap cost-efficient micro-sattelites.


Yet I must say that it is awfully refreshing hearing about rockets being used to something other than explosive payloads.

[ 10-15-2003, 02:08 PM: Message edited by: Indemaijinj ]

AHA! so thats what happened to Saddams WOMD [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]

hmmm. not a bad start for china yet it would have been nice if they had a woman on board as well. [img]smile.gif[/img]

China, letting a woman do something of great importance, and be publicly recognized as well? Inconceivable.

Put the calculator away Stormy - go get that history book. ;) </font>[/QUOTE]ahhh, bite me [img]tongue.gif[/img] so I never studied history [img]tongue.gif[/img]