NationStates Jolt Archive


Russia and China in joint Mars mission

I V Stalin
29-03-2007, 14:35
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6506539.stm

China will launch a joint mission with Russia to Mars, a "milestone" in space co-operation between the two countries...

A small satellite developed by China will piggyback on the Russian launch of a spacecraft called "Phobos Grunt", probably in October 2009 [...] After entering orbit around the Red Planet, the Chinese micro-satellite will detach from the Russian spacecraft, and probe the Martian space environment, according to the statement.

Maybe someone should tell them that Mars isn't called the 'Red Planet' because it's Communist...
Eve Online
29-03-2007, 14:36
Oooh, now a race to Mars...

Hopefully, the missions or mission in question won't end up like a lot of the unmanned missions that have gone there....

and missed, malfunctioned, or crashed.
Hispanionla
29-03-2007, 15:00
Maybe someone should tell them that Mars isn't called the 'Red Planet' because it's Communist...

LOL!
Dododecapod
29-03-2007, 15:23
I call this good news. Not as good as a manned mission, but still good.
Non Aligned States
29-03-2007, 15:27
Weren't the Chinese supposed to have a moon mission by 2020 or something?
Southeastasia
29-03-2007, 15:32
LOL!
Seconded!
I V Stalin
29-03-2007, 15:33
Weren't the Chinese supposed to have a moon mission by 2020 or something?
According to Wikipedia:

On November 27, 2005, the deputy commander of the manned spaceflight program announced that the PRC planned to complete a space station and a manned mission to the Moon by 2020, assuming funding was approved by the government. Towards that end they intended to perfect space walking and docking by 2012. However, funding for the necessary Chang Zheng 5 series of rockets remains in abeyance.

On December 14, 2005, it was reported "an effort to launch lunar orbiting satellites will be supplanted in 2007 by a program aimed at accomplishing an unmanned lunar landing. A program to return unmanned space vehicles from the moon will begin in 2012 and last for five years, until the manned program gets underway" in 2017, with a manned Moon landing some time after that. In February 2006, China announced that the Shenzhou 7 mission would be delayed from 2007 to 2008 to allow additional development time for the spacesuit for the planned first Chinese spacewalk.
Hunter S Thompsonia
29-03-2007, 18:52
Honestly, as long as this doesn't devolve into a weapons race (which, on second thought is unlikely given that people are idiots), this is an excellent thing. I really want to see our species putting more resources into advancing knowledge and less into blowing each other into pink dust.
Utracia
29-03-2007, 20:00
Too bad no one really cares about space. Even if they get a man down on Mars I wouldn't be surprised if there are large numbers of people who would just yawn and go back to watching American Idol.
Khadgar
29-03-2007, 20:16
Too bad no one really cares about space. Even if they get a man down on Mars I wouldn't be surprised if there are large numbers of people who would just yawn and go back to watching American Idol.

They'll care about space when it becomes profitable.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid_mining
I V Stalin
29-03-2007, 22:09
Honestly, as long as this doesn't devolve into a weapons race (which, on second thought is unlikely given that people are idiots), this is an excellent thing. I really want to see our species putting more resources into advancing knowledge and less into blowing each other into pink dust.
Exactly. After all, when we colonise Mars we'll have all the pink (well...red) dust we could ever want...
Ultraviolent Radiation
29-03-2007, 22:17
China will launch a joint mission with Russia to Mars, a "milestone" in space co-operation between the two countries...

A small satellite developed by China will piggyback on the Russian launch of a spacecraft called "Phobos Grunt", probably in October 2009 [...] After entering orbit around the Red Planet, the Chinese micro-satellite will detach from the Russian spacecraft, and probe the Martian space environment, according to the statement.

Phobos (http://virtualkingdom.free.fr/Jeux/q3/P_Phobos.jpg) Grunt (http://virtualkingdom.free.fr/Jeux/q3/P_grunt.jpg)?
Johnny B Goode
29-03-2007, 22:20
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6506539.stm

Maybe someone should tell them that Mars isn't called the 'Red Planet' because it's Communist...

Little behind the times, man. Russia's not communist.
I V Stalin
29-03-2007, 23:11
Little behind the times, man. Russia's not communist.
It is, however, one of the few countries to have ever been Communist. Besides, does it really matter? You understood the joke.
Vetalia
29-03-2007, 23:16
They'll care about space when it becomes profitable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid_mining

Absolutely. The sheer amount of raw materials in the solar system would mean massive profits for anyone capable of tapping them and shipping them back to Earth. We're talking hundreds, thousands, even millions or more times the amount of resources available on Earth within the solar system, let alone beyond it.

IIRC, I calculated that the value of 16 Psyche to be, at least, $700 quadrillion dollars. That's over 14,000 times the size of the entire world economy in 2006. And that's assuming that metal is almost all iron; if it were nickel, that amount would be about 450 times greater or roughly $320 quintillion dollars.

So, the first person, nation, or company to get a hold of this wealth will be able to effectively dominate the market and make massive profits. They'll literally have total control over prices.
Arinola
29-03-2007, 23:20
Maybe someone should tell them that Mars isn't called the 'Red Planet' because it's Communist...

Haha. You sho funny.
Sel Appa
30-03-2007, 00:04
Bwahahahahahaha!
South Lizasauria
30-03-2007, 04:56
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6506539.stm



Maybe someone should tell them that Mars isn't called the 'Red Planet' because it's Communist...

While in the Philipines I saw a Chinese 'documentary' about the unexplained.The Chinese government openly said that they want to convert the aliens in flying saucers to communism. :p I lolled at that. :D
Hunter S Thompsonia
30-03-2007, 17:24
Absolutely. The sheer amount of raw materials in the solar system would mean massive profits for anyone capable of tapping them and shipping them back to Earth. We're talking hundreds, thousands, even millions or more times the amount of resources available on Earth within the solar system, let alone beyond it.

IIRC, I calculated that the value of 16 Psyche to be, at least, $700 quadrillion dollars. That's over 14,000 times the size of the entire world economy in 2006. And that's assuming that metal is almost all iron; if it were nickel, that amount would be about 450 times greater or roughly $320 quintillion dollars.

So, the first person, nation, or company to get a hold of this wealth will be able to effectively dominate the market and make massive profits. They'll literally have total control over prices.
How the hell do you calculate the value of an asteroid? and I assume you're not taking into account the extreme effects of flooding the market like that. If the world has enough iron/nickel now, if you introduced 14,000 times the world economy in it. who's going to want it? unless our population were to increase massively, which the earth can not support.
Vespertilia
30-03-2007, 18:03
While in the Philipines I saw a Chinese 'documentary' about the unexplained.The Chinese government openly said that they want to convert the aliens in flying saucers to communism. :p I lolled at that. :D

This reminds me of something I read once upon a time... But I don't think that this quote from SF short story is an authentic Stalin quote;)

">>Maybe there are any Martians, but on current technological level the Red Army is unable to reach them.<< Joseph Stalin, Problems of spreading Communist ideology"
Soleme
30-03-2007, 18:07
if travel to a stable colony on Mars were ever affordably provided, i'd take it. not that i'd love to get off of Earth, it's just that i figure there would be less idiots on Mars

oh to be an optimist

Too bad no one really cares about space. Even if they get a man down on Mars I wouldn't be surprised if there are large numbers of people who would just yawn and go back to watching American Idol.

American Idol is just another abomination against human integrity, which makies it all the more depressing that you're absolutely right.

While in the Philipines I saw a Chinese 'documentary' about the unexplained.The Chinese government openly said that they want to convert the aliens in flying saucers to communism. :p I lolled at that. :D

if that were to ever take place ( ;) ) i would love to see how (if it's still standing) the Union would spin it. the propoganda would be spectacular
Hunter S Thompsonia
30-03-2007, 18:08
This reminds me of something I read once upon a time... But I don't think that this quote from SF short story is an authentic Stalin quote;)

">>Maybe there are any Martians, but on current technological level the Red Army is unable to reach them.<< Joseph Stalin, Problems of spreading Communist ideology"
Doesn't really sound to me like something Stalin would say.