space | Wandering China

March 9, 2013 • 8:35 pm 0

Space station dream closer [China Daily] #China #Space

On the Chinese final frontier.

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Space station dream closer
By Xin Dingding
Source – China Daily, published March 8, 2013

A space lab will be launched in two years ahead of a key fueling experiment vital for the building of a space station, a leading official with the manned space program said.

Shortly after the lab goes into orbit, a freighter will be launched. Tests and research on the freighter technology have produced encouraging results, said Zhou Jianping, chief designer of the manned space program and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

The space lab, Tiangong-2, will be built using backup craft for the Tiangong-1 space module.
Tiangong-1 was launched in September 2011. Tiangong-2 will have a number of upgrades and modifications, the most important being its ability to refuel from the freighter, he said.
China will work to build a space station after the Tiangong-2 space lab completes its mission, Zhou added.

Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Aviation, Beijing Consensus, Charm Offensive, Chinese Model, Communications, Domestic Growth, Economics, Finance, Government & Policy, Hard Power, Influence, International Relations, military, Nationalism, Peaceful Development, Politics, Public Diplomacy, Science, space, Strategy, Tao Guang Yang Hui (韬光养晦), Technology, Territorial Disputes, The Chinese Identity, The construction of Chinese and Non-Chinese identities

July 6, 2012 • 3:06 am 0

Liu Yang: China sends a woman to the final frontier [Newsweek]

Source – Newsweek, July 2 and 9 double issue, page 8,, 2012

So it seems a wider international audience is getting a healthy dose of Liu Yang, China’s little master stroke to fan the flames of public imagination in the second largest news weekly from the US. A public relations chess move a few games ahead, perhaps? And on page 8 too, a number the Chinese value as prosperous. Titled Liu Yang: China sends a woman to the final frontier, the piece by Melinda Liu is one of few positive China stories that gets international attention nowadays.

This Newsweek report reveals that while China’s first taikonaut Yang Liwei’s 2003 flight was not broadcast live, more than 250 media outlets were at the remote Gobi desert to watch blastoff. The move to have a woman on board, it is reported was to also fulfill expectations of the public on top of the fundamental aim of advancing human spaceflight. If China’s aim was to be on equal footing as the US, then this may be one area where it has done better already.

For decades China was third behind the US and Russia in the rocket race. So, the Chinese have come a long way since the successful launch of the Dong Feng 1 东风 guided rocket launch in 1960. As the rise of China coincides with the power dilution of these two cold war icons, an opening seems ripe for China’s grand entrance; and one with tones of gender equivalence one, 52 years later at that at a time the US retires its shuttle fleet. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Aviation, Beijing Consensus, Charm Offensive, Chinese Model, Communications, Culture, Education, Human Rights, Influence, International Relations, Liu Yang, Newsweek, Peaceful Development, Politics, Public Diplomacy, Science, Soft Power, space, Strategy, Technology, The Chinese Identity, The construction of Chinese and Non-Chinese identities, Uncategorized, Aviation, China National Space Administration, Human Space Missions, Liu Yang, Space

June 30, 2012 • 12:03 pm 0

China’s Space Program Accelerates [Space Daily]

Dragon space (That is how Space Daily vividly parks its articles on China) seems to be upon us as perceptions of the credibility gaps of China’s $6b human spaceflight programme are beginning to be put paid with its recent space docking success. Dr Morris Jones takes a close look at the acceleration of China’s space program, a part the Chinese see as one vital cog in developing comprehensive national power.

For more, check out the China National Space Administration here. Also check out their 2003 white paper here

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China’s Space Program Accelerates
by Morris Jones, Sydney, Australia
for SpaceDaily, published June 29, 2012

The success of the first crewed expedition to China’s first space laboratory represents a major step forward for China’s space program. China has made steady advances in spaceflight since its first astronaut was launched in 2003, but its space program has often been downplayed by international observers.

It was easy to point out the gap of several decades between China’s first astronaut launch and those of Russia and the USA. Gaps of years between successive human space missions further added to the perception that China was moving almost too slowly to notice.

The launch of the Tiangong 1 module and its successful operations with astronauts from the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft is more than just another steady step forward. It represents a substantial increase in China’s space capabilities, which are growing far more quickly than even some aerospace analysts are prepared to admit.

Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Beijing Consensus, Charm Offensive, Chinese Model, Influence, Peaceful Development, Politics, Public Diplomacy, Soft Power, space, Strategy, Technology, The Chinese Identity, Aviation, China National Space Administration, Human Space Missions, Science, Transportation

June 27, 2012 • 6:23 am 0

Film review: Dr. Qian Xuesen

“That the government permitted this genius, this scientific genius, to be sent to Communist China to pick his brains is one of the tragedies of this century…” Grant Cooper, CALTECH appointed attorney in defending Qian Xueshen when he was accused of Communist sympathies.

This is a film I managed to catch on a recent flight, and it was coincidentally apt that I got to watch it whilst streaming through the skies high above. That it comes as at a time as China secures its permanent place in space with the success of the Tiangong mission also resonated. The historical biopic of the recently departed Dr. Qian Xuesen 钱学森 (see Encylopedia Brittanica entry on him here) released in March is the latest in Chinese cultural capital to assert its legitimacy for equity on the world stage.

Important to China as the father of Chinese aerospace, his role of establishing China’s long range ballistic defense program after spending years in the US makes him the quintessential Chinese sojourning Huaqiao hero. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Beijing Consensus, Charm Offensive, Chinese Model, Chinese overseas, Culture, Greater China, Influence, International Relations, Mapping Feelings, Nationalism, Overseas Chinese, Politics, Soft Power, space, Strategy, Technology, The Chinese Identity, U.S.

June 21, 2012 • 6:09 am 0

Profile: Liu Yang, China’s first female astronaut [Global Times]

China’s space program sees its Shenzhou 9 spacecraft complete China’s first manned space docking station with the Tiangong-1 space lab module. The new age for the politics of space have begun as more sovereign bits of shiny objects in our skies demarcate new lines of influence.

In a way, it could read as a master stroke move with China’s first female taiko naut taking away attention from the new battle lines for the days to come but I digress. It just fits the bill for a negotiated reading that Tao guang yang hui, gender equity and great public diplomacy come into play.

While the US programme has been accused of gender discrimination in the past (see story here by The New Scientist which attempts to debunk it), it seems on the surface at least that China did not take long to decide sending having a female taikonaut was a good idea. That said, China was able to learn from the lessons from the US which went through the women’s liberation in the 70s. If China got to space first, would it do what is doing now? I have no answers for that,mand perhaps such hypotheses is not important.

Indeed this isn’t to say that China made it easy for this symbolic act. For more, see Who will be China first female astronaut by China Digital Times and China’s rules for Lady astronauts by The Atlantic Wire.

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Profile: Liu Yang, China’s first female astronaut
Xinhua
Source – Global Times, published June 15, 2012

An eloquent speaker and a lover of cooking, Liu Yang is well-poised to be the first Chinese woman in space.

When she watched the news on television of China’s first manned space mission in 2003, the pilot couldn’t help but wonder: What would the Earth look like from outer space?

Nine years later, Liu is getting the opportunity to find out herself as China’s first female astronaut, taking her place among three Chinese chosen to crew the Shenzhou-9 manned spacecraft.

Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Beijing Consensus, Charm Offensive, Chinese Model, Communications, Culture, global times, Human Rights, Influence, International Relations, Liu Yang, Mapping Feelings, Nationalism, Public Diplomacy, Social, Soft Power, space, Tao Guang Yang Hui (韬光养晦), Technology, The Chinese Identity

November 4, 2011 • 12:17 am 0

China accomplishes first space docking [Xinhua]

The politics of space has a new permanent human presence. China joins the US and Russia as the only countries to accomplish space docking after the Shenzhou VIII spacecraft docked with the Tiangong-1 experimental module 343km in orbit. Check out the CCTV annoucement below.

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China accomplishes first space docking
Source – Xinhua, published November 3, 2011

: A video grab taken from the China Central Television on Nov.3, 2011 shows the Shenzhou-8 spacecraft docking with the Tiangong-1 space lab module. Unmanned spacecraft Shenzhou-8 docked with space lab module Tiangong-1 early Thursday, according to the Beijing Aerospace Control Center. Photo – Xinhua

BEIJING, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) — Two Chinese spacecraft accomplished the country’s first space docking procedure early Thursday, silently coupling in space more than 343 km above Earth’s surface.

Nearly two days after it was launched, the unmanned spacecraft Shenzhou-8 docked with space lab module Tiangong-1 at 1:36 a.m., marking another great leap for China’s space program.

The success of the docking procedure makes China the third country in the world, after the United States and Russia, to master the technique, moving the country one step closer to establishing its own space station. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Beijing Consensus, Charm Offensive, Chinese Model, Environment, Influence, International Relations, Modernisation, Nationalism, Politics, Public Diplomacy, Research, Science, Soft Power, space, Strategy, Technology, Territorial Disputes, The Chinese Identity, The construction of Chinese and Non-Chinese identities, Transport, xinhua

September 21, 2011 • 1:19 am 0

China to Launch Space Station Test Module Next Week [Space]

Ponder: it looks like Tiangong’s (see Pausing for Tiangong, Space Daily August 19, 2011) not too far away.

A time to reflect beyond the state and terrestrial territory – the time for the politics of space has arrived with three nations having the ability to send people into orbit. Future extraterrestrial disputes to come?

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China to Launch Space Station Test Module Next Week
by Clara Moskowitz, SPACE.com Senior Writer
Source – Space, published 20 September 2011

China is developing its first full-fledged space station, called Tiangong (Heavenly Palace). Early tests of China’s skills at rendezvous and docking, shown in this artist's illustration, are set to begin in 2011. CREDIT: China Manned Space Engineering Office

China will launch a test module for its first space station next week between Sept. 27 and Sept. 30, state media reported today (Sept. 20).

The unmanned module, called Tiangong-1 (which means “Heavenly Palace”) will test autonomous docking procedures and other space operations in preparation for China’s plan to build a 60-ton space station by the year 2020.

The Chinese Long March 2F rocket set to launch Tiangong-1 has already been rolled out to its launch platform at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China’s Gansu Province, according to state-run news service Xinhua. [Photos: China's First Space Station] Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Beijing Consensus, Charm Offensive, Chinese Model, Communications, Domestic Growth, Education, Greater China, Infrastructure, International Relations, Mapping Feelings, military, Nationalism, Politics, Public Diplomacy, Research, Soft Power, space, Strategy, Technology, Territorial Disputes, The Chinese Identity, The construction of Chinese and Non-Chinese identities, Transport

August 19, 2011 • 7:21 am 0

Pausing for Tiangong [Space Daily]

Will the launch failure affect the upcoming flight of the Long March 2C satellite affect Tiangong 1, China’s first space laboratory? Tiangong (literally “heavenly palace”) is a planned crewed space station with origins from 1992 as Project 921-2. The political message of the Tiangong project has been broached by the BBC. How will the world make sense of this recent failure?

For more, see China unveils rival to International Space Station (Guardian, April 26, 2011)
Less than a decade ago, it fired its first human being into orbit. Now, Beijing is working on a multi-capsule outpost in space. But what is the political message of the Tiangong ‘heavenly palace’?

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Pausing for Tiangong
by Morris Jones | Sydney, Australia (SPX)
Source – Space Daily, published Aug 19, 2011

: Illustration of the Tiangong mission. Photo – Space Daily

The recent failure of a Long March 2C satellite launch will certainly displease China’s spaceflight community. It raises another interesting question. Will the launch failure affect the upcoming flight of Tiangong 1, China’s first space laboratory?

There are reasons to suggest that China could simply forge ahead with the launch, which is expected by the end of the month. Launch failures happen to everyone from time to time. The gremlins that plague one rocket don’t necessarily jump to others.

Some of these failures are caused by random problems that don’t repeat consistently, ranging from faulty parts to badly implemented procedures. Right now, we can expect that Chinese engineers are examining the potential causes of this recent failure, but it will probably take some time before they can reach any firm conclusions. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Beijing Consensus, Charm Offensive, Communications, Domestic Growth, Education, Greater China, Influence, Infrastructure, International Relations, Mapping Feelings, Media, Nationalism, Politics, Public Diplomacy, Research, space, Strategy, Technology, The Chinese Identity, The construction of Chinese and Non-Chinese identities

April 10, 2011 • 1:05 am 0

Coming China Space Wars — Navarro’s China Effect [Youtube]

Peter Navarro is author of the ‘Coming China Wars’. Here he investigates China’s ‘rush’ for the ‘ultimate strategic high ground’.

This, he posits, is centered on its desire for resources – in Space; and space militarization – its weaponisation of space and development of anti-satellite capability (ASAT).

Filed under: Beijing Consensus, Charm Offensive, Chinese Model, Domestic Growth, Economics, Environment, Greater China, Influence, International Relations, Media, military, Politics, Science, space, Strategy, The Chinese Identity, The construction of Chinese and Non-Chinese identities, U.S.

January 7, 2011 • 12:00 am 0

China to have deep space monitoring network in 2016 [Xinhua/China Daily]

China to have deep space monitoring network in 2016
Xinhua
Source – China Daily, published January 07, 2010

BEIJING – China is scheduled to have a deep space monitoring network in 2016 to support the country’s future space missions, a senior scientist with China’s lunar orbiter, Chang’e-2, said Thursday.

The network will consist of two monitoring stations in China, each in China’s northwestern region Kashgar and northeastern region of Jiamusi, and one more in South America, Qian Weiping, chief designer of the Chang’e-2 mission’s tracking and control system, told Xinhua in an interview.

Efforts are being made to upgrade or build deep space monitoring stations in the three locations by equipping them with large-caliber antennas, Qian said. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Beijing Consensus, Charm Offensive, China Daily, Chinese Model, Communications, Culture, Domestic Growth, Economics, Influence, International Relations, Nationalism, Public Diplomacy, Soft Power, space, Strategy, Technology

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Wandering China

Space station dream closer [China Daily] #China #Space

Liu Yang: China sends a woman to the final frontier [Newsweek]

China’s Space Program Accelerates [Space Daily]

Film review: Dr. Qian Xuesen

China accomplishes first space docking [Xinhua]

China to Launch Space Station Test Module Next Week [Space]

Pausing for Tiangong [Space Daily]

Coming China Space Wars — Navarro’s China Effect [Youtube]

China to have deep space monitoring network in 2016 [Xinhua/China Daily]

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