[FPSPACE] Shenzhou 2 Launch Imminent,Chinese Manned Space Pro gram Targets the Moon

[M.Wade@iaea.org]

I agree that there is no likelihood of an imminent lunar program, based on
the parsimonious funding given by the Chinese to the manned space program at
present.

But on the other hand the use of this diorama as one of the main themes of
the Expo 2000 pavillion (the other was the Three Gorges Dam) should indicate
that this is indeed an official long-range goal/intention.

At present China appears to me to be the best hope for manned expansion off
the earth in our (or at least my) lifetime - it is the only space power to
even consider manned expansion into space beyond LEO as a current national
goal.

With the publication this week of Gertz' 'Red Menace'-type book, continued
expansion of the Chinese economy, Chinese-as-villains along the lines of
Clancy's latest opus, etc -- I have to say it still sounds to me like rather
chilling echoes of the beginnings of the US-Soviet cold war - and an
attendant new space race?

If you think it can't happen soon, just think of the other fracture lines of
recent history when changes in the international order occurred very quickly
- 1946 to 1950, 1989 to 1994....

==========================
Mark Wade


> > I don't think they are going to be realistically considering a moon
> > mission any time soon.
> >
> >
> >
> > DDAY
>