China could launch a manned lunar flyby next year (if their crazy)...

[xenomorph555]

It would probably look a lot like an LK lander, the majority of the Chinese tech is based on old Russian tech.

Based on the sample return mission, I believe China will follow a similar path to Apollo with two ships (orbiter and lander). The command module looks pretty much like a Shenzhou.

I doubt they would go way back to the LK, for many reasons:

60's tech

1 man

dangerous

only 4 left

many other reasons

It would probably be better to have a larger chang'e 3 lander, small upper stage and a shenzhou capsule.

[Skyrunner27]

I think the problem is that the public interest is no where near what it was, back in the 60's car companies gave astronauts deals or free sports cars.

How many astronauts do you see driving a corvette today? The problem is the same as the one in the 60's NASA landed two successful moon missions and people assumed they knew what they were doing, no having a satellite or a resupply mission to the space station is a space run. I remember when they showed the shuttle landing live on TV ten years ago or so. So there's interest but it's more conservative. and to answer the guy below you, why should we talk about it at the dinner table. Yes in the 80s you may have talked about computers but no more unless you come from a very tech oriented family. A lunar flyby would sure be on the front page of the news because it hasn't happened for a long time. People talk about what is currently going on not what is a normal everyday routine. You don't see people talk about washing their hands.

Also the reason why failures seem to generate more interest is because they don't happen often so they are a big deal.

Yet I remember in the last four years the launch of MAVEN, Expedition 35, LADEE, and the landing of Atlantis all being broadcast on news stations. The reason astronauts no longer drive corvettes is there are more than 7 astronauts. It is just the natural decline of any interest overall. Many people probbably don't care about new planes being built because it is normal now.

[Vanamonde]

With regard to some removed posts, do not start casting aspersions upon each other's nationalities, please. The whole subject of politics and nationalities does nothing but start arguments, which is why we have ruled those things off-topic for our forum (2.2.b).

[AbhChallenger]

Yes but an pure moon flyby is pretty pointless in it self, US did it but with Apollo hardware in preparation for the moon landing.

Doing it with hardware not designed for an future landing is a waste.

Well it would be a way for china to be the first humans to reach beyond LEO after Apollo 17 which would make the country look good in the eyes of the world. The problem is funds. To do this would likely gut their station plans for some time. The gov is not going to dump a bunch of extra money for a mission that will be on CNN for a few days. Atleast not until a new US president is known and if that president will support SLS.

Edited November 3, 2014 by AbhChallenger
Forgot to put in Apollo 17

[xenomorph555]

Well it would be a way for china to be the first humans to reach beyond LEO after Apollo 17 which would make the country look good in the eyes of the world. The problem is funds. To do this would likely gut their station plans for some time. The gov is not going to dump a bunch of extra money for a mission that will be on CNN for a few days. Atleast not until a new US president is known and if that president will support SLS.

I doubt it would gut the space station program, all this mini program needs is two or three shenzhous and considering they would need to mass produce shenzhous for the station it's good practice.

[vger]

Is there some interest? A bit. However, not even close to enough for China or Russia or even the good ole USA to get the funding it so desperately needs to really advance exploration.

With China's current economic situation, if they DON'T do something, it doesn't say much for the future of humanity as a spacefaring species. China has every advantage right now. It will be very sad if they don't take advantage of it.

Buy less U.S. sports stadiums. Build more rockets, pls.

[Skyrunner27]

Well it would be a way for china to be the first humans to reach beyond LEO after Apollo 17 which would make the country look good in the eyes of the world. The problem is funds. To do this would likely gut their station plans for some time. The gov is not going to dump a bunch of extra money for a mission that will be on CNN for a few days. Atleast not until a new US president is known and if that president will support SLS.

Likely the next president will not kill the SLS because it will achieve success in his term and if he gets reelected will grab the big success of the Asteroid Capture atleast the return to the Moon.

With China's current economic situation, if they DON'T do something, it doesn't say much for the future of humanity as a spacefaring species. China has every advantage right now. It will be very sad if they don't take advantage of it.

And what will more rockets do besides waste a bunch of money while we wait for R&D to develop a actual tech, and what is a decade in comparison to the billions of years we have on Earth.

Edited November 3, 2014 by Skyrunner27

[AbhChallenger]

SLS is still crap. A little less crap than "Safe, Simple, Soon" but crap nonetheless. It is very much possible that the next president can end it considering it barely has anything to fly (We apparently don't mention the lack of a lander plan)

China knows this. SLS is not getting the public support (Or even two @#$%s) Apollo had. It is like a football game where the opposing team is so far behind it is no longer even a game. KSP is going more for NASA at this point than SLS.

[ZedNova]

Well i hope the Chinese land someone on the moon, maybe it'll "scare" Americans a little and get them interested in space flight again.

You can see the desperation in my eyes now.

[AbhChallenger]

Not happening. People can't even be bothered to go to the polls here.