China making decisions for next deep space project (mars, asteroids or...)

[xenomorph555]

There are large rumours (so take with a brick of salt) going around that the Chinese are arguing over what deep space program should get money now that Chang'e is beginning to wrap up. The three highest ranking projects under consideration are:

1.Mars probe program-2020 orbiter/lander/rover, satellites, landers, sample return mission before 2030. This is an incredibly popular program among the Chinese scientists and will likely win the funding.

2.Asteroid program-I talked about this a few weeks ago but to recap, probe will fly to near earth asteroid, land and drill+do science, they want to do 3 of these missions. This one is also semi popular with many wanting it.

3.The BIG one, Manned moon program-Not much to say about this one (seriously I don't know, maybe they would do orbiting missions or maybe they would just dive in to the landing?). One thing is certain, it is the most diverse with everyone, some say "Yes we must have it" some say "too expensive/not worth it" some say "we just finished the moon program?".

As I said, take it with a massive cube of salt, however if true the consensus is the Mars program will win because it suits both the scientists and politicians (scientists get science, politicians get one at India).

[LordFerret]

Not necessarily to be taken in a politically negative sense, but just for being a fact: The one thing I've learned my lifetime, is that China pretty much does as China feels like doing no matter the rest of the global consensus. If they feel manned missions to the Moon would be of benefit to their program, it will happen... especially if the Moon is seen and found as a way to be a resource for a base of operation..... and the UN and all those in 'space treaties' would be left holding their hands on their butts. Same with Mars. I'm sure they'll consider asteroids and comets out of scientific curiosity, but their history and track record always seems to be one of longer-range plans.

Just my opinion.

[EzinX]

Does China not have the resources to do all 3 simultaneously? They do have a billion people after all, and the industry to build almost all of the equipment for the space missions for low cost in their own factories.

[xenomorph555]

Does China not have the resources to do all 3 simultaneously? They do have a billion people after all, and the industry to build almost all of the equipment for the space missions for low cost in their own factories.

Apparently the overall space budget is lower then India's, apart from that though yes they have an army of young scientists/engineers and most likely many factories.

[michaelsteele3]

Well, they never even made it to the moon, so...

[Tech Support]

Apparently the overall space budget is lower then India's, apart from that though yes they have an army of young scientists/engineers and most likely many factories.

lower than India's ?? I find that hard to believe. Can they really work with a budget of less than 1.1 Billion $ ( which is ISRO's )

[xenomorph555]

Well, they never even made it to the moon, so...

Chandrayaan-2008

lower than India's ?? I find that hard to believe. Can they really work with a budget of less than 1.1 Billion $ ( which is ISRO's )

Historically they have always had a measly budget, at on point they didn't have enough money to purchase an umbrella for a satellite separation system.

[Reddragon]

I think at some point we will definitely see a larger boost for the CNSA budget. Even though the economic growth is slowing down in China, that doesn't mean they don't have the resources to raise it drastically over the upcoming years. Since the Chinese are very much committed towards manned exploration and since it's clear that a new era is starting in space with new players stepping in, they surely want to be a step ahead of most of them and other nations.

[xenomorph555]

I think at some point we will definitely see a larger boost for the CNSA budget. Even though the economic growth is slowing down in China, that doesn't mean they don't have the resources to raise it drastically over the upcoming years. Since the Chinese are very much committed towards manned exploration and since it's clear that a new era is starting in space with new players stepping in, they surely want to be a step ahead of most of them and other nations.

Unfortunately that probably won't happen since the government is starting to care less and less about space (especially manned) strangely while the public is caring more and more and is going nuts over space.

[Reddragon]

Unfortunately that probably won't happen since the government is starting to care less and less about space (especially manned) strangely while the public is caring more and more and is going nuts over space.

It's interesting because Xi proposed more before. I still hope it will change over time. It would be one of the best ways to keep the hi-tech industry at large.

[Alan85PL]

A training ground behind the door with 100% space exploration conditions.

Its just ridiculous we aren't on the Moon yet.

Probes to Mars we can send anyway some few;] - they just don't develope human space exploration technologies, ethics and medicine.

I hope the Chinese space program is Young and willing to make revolutionary steps.

Not like NASAs bureaucracy.

[xenomorph555]

What I find interesting is that China wants to return Mars samples by 2030, right before NASA plans to land men on Mars. Even now, we can see the space race rekindling. This time though, it'll be the rookies vs the old timers. Personally, the U.S has a big advantage: hardware designs have already been drafted, all that is left is to test, build, launch, and assemble. What makes it easier for China, though, is that they have access to large amounts of info on the red planet and the moon. They're roadblock, though, is learning how to build they're own launch vehicles and spacecraft. The U.S. is basically modifying and modernizing decades old hardware that has been tried and tested many times over. China has no such experience nor preexisting hardware to work off of.

the space race between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. was more of an actual race, both contenders starting with little experience

and primitive hardware. the new race is more of china catching up and riding piggyback on the experience of others: their spacecraft is basically the Soyuz with a Chinese label, they only need to visit Wikipedia to find info on the red planet already gathered by NASA. The U.S. is going to use its own hardware to go to mars. If and or when china goes to mars, it won't be a Chinese space craft: it will be every other space fairing Nation's hardware with Chinese labels symbols.

What do you think is interesting about them planning an SRM, no one else has done one yet you act like it is somehow unadvanced.

1. There is no space race, people need to stop thinking with that mentality, if country X wants to do a mission it doesn't mean they are racing against everyone. In the same way China not racing against the US.

2. China are not aiming for man to mars, as once again there is no race.

3. There is not "large amounts of data on the internet" there is only what is simple enough for the public to understand. The real data has out there and has to be earned unless an agency like Nasa gives you all the data which they haven't/can't due to congress laws.

4. China can build their launch vehicles full stop.

5. The Shenzhou is not "just a soyuz with a Chinese label", the similarities end with the bell shape.

6. The ignorance of the last statement is just...

[xenomorph555]

A sample return mission is kind of unadvanced. It's easier to send a robot. The USSR put probes on the Moon, but couldn't build a moon rocket to save their lives (it actually ended up taking them). So even if China puts a functioning sample return probe on Mars, it only means they have the necessary knowledge to perform a mars mission. To send living, breathing humans to mars is much, much harder. Hence why we don't really remember the Luna probes: sure, they beat the Americans, but the American's achievement of a manned lunar return mission overshadowed the success of the Luna probes.

The last statement is meant to convey that it will be china's ripoff of someone else's stuff. It's pretty obvious that they ripoff other people: they're version of the X37B looks... exactly like the X37B. Heck, the Shenzou is so similar to the Soyuz that the main character of Gravity had no trouble using it despite the fact it's buttons were labeled in Chinese and she hadn't trained in it, but had trained in the Soyuz.

No a sample return mission is not unadvanced, I can't even get your rationalization behind that. If it were simple the US would have done it by now.

Also China has no version of the X-37B, they have the Shenlong but not only does that more similar to the shuttle, it's from 2007.

As for what you said about Shezhou, your using a (bad) fictional movie as a piece of evidence ...

Yes Shenzhou looks similar to Soyuz and the reason is not because they ripped off or stole it from the Russians, but because they paid for Soyuz technology, learned from it, then radicalised what they have learned to create a completely new and different ship.

Edited December 10, 2014 by xenomorph555

[Nibb31]

Soyuz/Shenzhou also happens to be pretty clever design when your vehicle is expendable. It minimizes the weight of the parachutes and heatshield while providing ample interior space, including crew facilities (a toilet!) and bulky mission equipment.

It's so good actually that Boeing, Lockheed, Andrews, and Northrop used the same layout for their CEV proposals, not because they copied Soyuz, but because it's a logical way to design a manned spacecraft.

General Electric also had a similar proposal for Apollo.

[LordFerret]

... 1. There is no space race, people need to stop thinking with that mentality, if country X wants to do a mission it doesn't mean they are racing against everyone. In the same way China not racing against the US. ...

Agreed! Unfortunately, people being people, any nation which planned and enacted a program to colonize the Moon, build a base on Mars, etc etc etc, would find politics globally howling over the act. The UN, which thinks it's in control and going to govern such things (like the internet too) will merely be laughed at by whatever entity that takes that first big leap... and then you will see a new space race unlike anything before. For example, I know many who dislike the idea of China building a base on the Moon because their belief is that it would be use for 'military' purposes. I know many also who hold the opinion that space programs which are popping up are because of the future wealth to be obtained/plundered ... methane fuel/Titan, water/Europa, other such ideas. So who will be to control this? ..... The first ones out there.