From: Technotranscendence (neptune@mars.superlink.net)
Date: Wed May 28 2003 - 05:54:08 MDT
On Tuesday, May 27, 2003 5:28 PM Robert J. Bradbury bradbury@aeiveos.com
wrote:
> The online version of Wired from May (Issue 11.05) has
> a very interesting commentary on the politics of where
> China and India want to go vis-a-vis space. While we
> may be focused on the X-prize there appears to be some
> much bigger prizes on the table.
Speak for yourself! Several of my space activist friends and I have
been following the Chinese and Indian space programs closely -- as
closely as we can when the former is quite tight-lipped.
> On the other hand maybe that isn't so bad. E.g. Americans
> are going to be *really* annoyed if the flag at Tranquillity
> Base gets folded up -- perhaps that would provoke us into
> getting serious about going into space).
This has actually been the conclusion of several friends and me. While
I'm against all government supported anything, it's good to see a little
competition. I'd rather, all other things being equal, see more nations
in space than less -- though I'd much prefer all the efforts to be
privatized. (This has worked well in the American satelite launch
industry.)
Of course, it remains to be seen if both China and India, despite all
their talk, can deliver. China is slated to launch a man into space
later this year. India is not yet at the stage where it can support
manned spaceflight. However, this is all old tech -- 1960s -- but
having the skills, both organizational and technological, is not easy.
Later!
Dan
http://uweb.superlink.net/neptune/MyWorksBySubject.html
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