Thursday, April 10, 2008
TAKING UP SPACE
Three quick notes on the aerospace front this morning:
Space Dragon: Obviously, the Chinese Shenzhou program combines two of my most ardent interests, just about everything to do with China, and just about everything to do with space development. Here's an article containing pretty much rank speculation about how the EVA ("spacewalk" to the masses) might go on the upcoming third Shenzhou flight (Called "Shenzhou VII" because it's the seventh flight of the spacecraft, but only the third manned flight.) This article is notable for the fact that it really is just about completely guesswork. The Shenzhou program has no particular direct military or "national security" import for China, so the secrecy surrounding the way it is being developed and carried out is a perfect example of how sensitivity to perceived failure in Chinese institutions in general and the Chinese government and Communist Party in particular breed this kind of secrecy. They have to keep things like this secret because any change from announced plans involves loss of face, for which people have to pay a heavy price, and which the governing regime perceives as a threat to legitimacy. While there is very impressive technical competence displayed in the Shenzhou program, the lack of flexibility inherent in the way the program has to be carried out will ensure that things go very, very slowly for the Chinese manned space effort.
State of the Industry: Here's a link to Rand Simberg's comments on another post (both very worth reading) about the state of the suborbital alt-space industry. Note, though, that the real elephant in the room not identified or addressed in these items is SpaceX.
Black Ops: Here's an amusing collection of "intelligence" on the US "black" aerospace world via an unusual avenue.
GB, THHotA
posted by Greg 7:17 AM
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