China a lover, not a fighter ... IN SPAAAAAACE China has invited other countries to help it build its first fully-formed space station, in a bid to promote a more inclusive approach to the development of outer space. Cheng Jingye, China's permanent representative to the UN, told a conference in Vienna that the People’s Republic is committed to the peaceful use of outer …
They have as much knowledge of how to build one as Nasa / Russia did when they put up Skylab / Saylut 1,
China's current space ships are capable of docking, so all they need is to dock a few together, and they have a station....
I think its great they are asking for outside partners.
Either they're looking for free funding from other countries (not likely) or they're looking for non-Chinese to use their station (probably for a fee).
Except...
Aside from the cost of building your station, the major cost (and choke point, logistically speaking) is getting people to and from the thing, ideally for a low price. It's not public domain AFAIK but I doubt that China can send people up for low, low prices.
I hope the UKSA can help, it would allow us to get involved more than we do with the 'international' space station.The thing is we Brits have great expertise in space technology, but we don't have the funding to do the manned stuff, getting involved with the Chinese would allow us a greater say, yet not need to spend the money!
Although I would suggest the Chinese licence the technology Bigelow Aerospace brought from Nasa.. I.E. Inflatable Sections, and if they refuse, develop their own, its just a big quilted balloon...
UKSA is not in a position to do more than wave and nod. It's small and barely funded.
Getting involved with the Chinese will p*ss the Americans off something chronic so forget about that.
And licensing Bigelow Tech? Check out the various treaties that stop the US from sending its technology abroad.
Because the USA, to the distress of its ESA partners/vassals, refuses to permit the Chinese to use the so-called «International Space Station», which, given the situation, remains an unfortunate misnomer. This is a result of a law that troglodytes like Frank Rudolph Wolf succeeded in pushing through the USW Congress which bans NASA from cooperating with the Chinese in any way, shape, or form ; thus, to take one particularly absurd example, Chinese journalists were not allowed to be present at the NASA briefing on the occasion of the final launch of Atlantis. Phil is quick to help «the cynics ... point out that up until now, China’s plans in space have revolved mainly around outmanoeuvring the US from a strategic military perspective» ; he seems to be distinctly less interested in pointing out how the US government is blocking the cooperation on space endeavours that its Chinese counterpart is calling for....
Henri
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