By continuing you agree to eChinacities's Privacy Policy .
Sign up with Google
Sign up with Facebook
Q: Why is China interested in carrying out space exploration?
What's the point? Is it all for show (a demonstration of China's development) or are there actual benefits to be reaped by exploring outer space (like finding space rocks that can be used as fuel or something!).
12 years 25 weeks ago in Web & Technology - China
The Chinese government watched the last movies of Transformer and thought that the US are hiding alien spacecraft or technology.
So they want to land on the moon, check if the Ark is still there or if Megatron took it away already. Then, if they think their trip was a waste, they will simply raise the Chinese flag on the moon and say "That's one small step for Chinese, one giant leap for China, mankind comes after us."
Of course it's all to show the great power of the Middle Kingdom. Plus then they get to claim anything they touch, the moon will be Chinese as soon as they touch down.
Shining_brow:
The moon was liberated by the Chinese civilisation 6000 years ago, and everyone there is happy and grateful... (but their internet keeps failing, so they can't tell us how great it is there - must be because the decadent westerners keep trying to bring it down)
Space travel like many other new technologies always start with the military.
Remember "star wars" in the 80's? Not too far off from reality now I bet.
The publicity part is all about image, but there are always other deeper lying motivations for that level of investment.
beaufortninja:
Little known fact, the Star Wars program was aimed at thwarting an alien invasion. For real.
they are trying to get to the moon and peacfully liberate it, beause we all know that the moon has always been part of China. maybe they will build a high speed rail on it.
Well... they are going to need someplace to put all those people when China runs out of space for them all.
The main reason is two-fold. And these reasons go for all countries who venture into space.
1) Publicity. It shows the world they are technologically advanced enough to fly into space. Only powerful and profitable countries can do this.
2) Territorial rights. All the countries know that eventually, technology will advance to a sufficient point where colonies on other moons/planets will be possible. By building a space program they put themselves on the front lines to claim entire worlds/resources in their name.
As Dec. 22, 2012 is approaching, it will be wise to find a way to escape the poor earth at least for the leaders.
Xpat.John:
I am set, I have friends working in the secret ship building company.
the usa is cutting everything including nasa. china has all the money and the 1st country out of the global recession while the west struggles to hold on everything they got, china is surging forward into areas that were once dominated by the usa. With a surging economy why not?
The Chinese need to get into space so in the future Capt Kirk can have Sulu at the helm.
Shining_brow:
What the...??? Sulu was born in San Fransisco, and is of JAPANESE ancestry, not Chinese! (no, not a geek, I had to google, because I knew he wasn't Chinese...)
The Chinese government watched the last movies of Transformer and thought that the US are hiding alien spacecraft or technology.
So they want to land on the moon, check if the Ark is still there or if Megatron took it away already. Then, if they think their trip was a waste, they will simply raise the Chinese flag on the moon and say "That's one small step for Chinese, one giant leap for China, mankind comes after us."
There is no benefit for China. It's all about national pride. They're doing things that were done 50 years ago so really, there's nothing all that impressive going on. They're still miles behind the other spacefaring countries. No biggie. Maybe once they start letting private enterprise develop cheaper methods of space travel like the US is then they can boast.
i think leaking information from nasa is a good way to get china to waste money on a space program instead of weapons technology, their going to spend the money , why not nudge them into a certain direction and make them think it was their idea.
damn , thats what my wife does everyday
make them think their respected and gain face by doing it 50 years later.
Are you serious? Space exploration? Of course China would be interested in space because everything has not been learned about outer space. It's like digging in a mine and people wanted to find gold. That was the gold rush because there was plenty more to find. Space exploration is the same way there is more to learn. Unless you think everything to learn has been learned and you know everything which I doubt!
If China was interested in space exploration it would join the others instead of starting from scratch. In all other areas the tech world, China does not mind adopting foreign technology, and in this case I am sure it is borrowing from other existing space programs, however, the whole "let's build a space station and sit there for a while" idea was done both by US and USSR, and I doubt China can gain any knowledge from doing this themselves they could not read on wikipedia.
It is a show of power internationally and a source of "soft power" nationally.
Naturally China has interest in the part of space exploration that has to do with getting resources such as precious metals from meteors, maybe eventually they would want in on a real estate boom on Mars etc. .... Hang on. Isn't there a UN resolution saying that space is for all of man kind ? Why Yes I think there is, but China does typically not follow international rules, and if they get to the red planet first, it will indeed be the red planet (whereas I personally find it to be more orange)
Hugh.G.Rection:
China asked and applied to join the others on the International Space Station project but were barred by NASA / US government so they went their own way.
Scandinavian:
Yes, I am aware. But don't you think they could have been allowed to join the club if they had asked nicely in the right tone? .
Look at how quickly US and Russia went from being mortal enemies to being space buddies.
I am pretty sure both NASA and ESA would love to have some more countries to help fund what they are doing.
Hugh.G.Rection:
Asking again 'nicely' would involve a huge loss of face, indeed being refused on the initial application meant a loss of face. This loss could only be recovered by doing something NASA are seen not to do, or even better not to be able to do. e.g. return to the moon.
You know what 'face' means to the Chinese government, they aren't going to ask again, now if NASA / ISS asked China (reversing the face issue) that would be another matter, imho.
Lots of people without jobs so eventually they will go there with their brooms and start sweeping I guess.
There are a small group of meteors close to Mars, that are rich in mineral resources, and that belong to China based on historical precedent. China must protect them from Japan.
The short answer is defense. Space is the ultimate weapons platform for missile defense. There are over 600 satellites deployed in space right now (according to Janes) and perhaps a third are communication satellites,(radio, TV, GPS, military,) a third are surveillance (spy) satellites, and a third are killer satellites designed to "kill" the communication satellites of adversaries, and intercept missiles with neutron beam weapons mounted on satellites. China is aggressively working with Venezuela and Iran to accelerate its "space program" for the above reasons - the very same reason America and Russia spent billions over the last 30 years. Google "Space Weaponry War" and educate yourself in 30 minutes.
Those damn space soldiers flying around, we need a cease fire immediately from the United Universes, we must have peace
