Briefs: China and the ISS; South Korean space program; First GPS, now LPS

I certainly don't see why China should not be allowed to join the ISS if it wants to do so. I strongly doubt this would allow them to obtain some great secret rocket technology that they could not obtain more directly: There's room for China in space: The U.S. shouldn't turn a cold shoulder to Beijing's emerging efforts - LA Times by Jeffrey Manber. (Item via Rand Simberg.)
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Meanwhile, South Korea keeps its space program at a modest level: Budget for Space Projects Remains Flat - Korea Times. I continue to wonder if there is any chance Korea could be convinced to rent part of a Bigelow habitat. Would be a low cost way for them to get a step in space ahead of their big neighbor.
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NASA plans a GPS type of system for the Moon: NASA designs lunar positioning system for exploration - Flight Global.

Posted 01/16/08 | 10:03:47 by TopSpacer | Filed under: General

Comments

Maybe they shouldn't join ISS because they're communists. They have a terrible record on human rights, free speech, freedom of religion, freedom to not get shot arbitrarily. They have threatened our allies with military destruction and blew a satellite into 40,000 pieces of debris. Maybe when they grow up and act like adults we'll let them play nice. Until then don't let Manber rewrite history.

Posted by Joe Blow at 01/16/08 14:55:37

Joe Blow - we could argue the same thing about George Bush, and by extention the US, or we could say the same thing about Russia.

And we could also point out that the amount of business we do with them kind of makes us look ridiculous, in terms of snubbing them.

But I am guessing.

Posted by Ferris Valyn at 01/16/08 15:24:02

Ferris, so George W. Bush is the moral equivilent of the butchers of Tianenmen Square? Maybe in your mind he's even Hitler.

Posted by Mark R. Whittington at 01/16/08 15:35:38

Nah, id only rate him a Saddam Hussein - But I know he's trying to improve his game, and if he keeps trying, I am sure he can improve in the weekend standings

Posted by Ferris Valyn at 01/16/08 16:11:26

Ferris, I hope you will never complain again when folks like me point out that the Left cannot be taken seriously. You need to seek proffessional help for your Bush Derangement Syndrome.

Posted by Mark R. Whittington at 01/16/08 16:46:32

I like your stand on NewSpace issues but jeez Ferris do yourself a favor and stop with the BDS.

If you don't actually believe it but think it's somehow very witty well it's not; you're spreading a mental disease.

Posted by Habitat Hermit at 01/16/08 17:08:42

Russia doesn't have free elections either and puts dissidents in mental institutions... Never mind the whole reporters killings and polonium poisonings...

Posted by just someone at 01/16/08 17:14:54

Clark - I know this isn't a political blog, and I have no intention of seeing that happening. So, I'll only respond this one time, and then shut up :D

Mark - I don't expect you to take me seriously, because, I don't take you seriously. Your not representative of the population at large, or even of a large minority of the population at large - your positions are part of the extreme fringe, and your hated of any and all liberalism has been well established - in short, your an idealouge (which probably could describe me as well, but we all have our crosses to bear :D ). So, when you say you hope I won't complain when you say I can't be taken seriously, well, its rather ridiculous.

Habitat - you and I both know we stand on the opposite ends on practically every issue, except NewSpace, so why should that surprize you. My actual thoughts - Bush is a criminal and a traitor. Is he a war criminal? Thats more difficult (although the 600,000 that have died because of the Iraq war is hard to ignore), but the man has committed criminal offensives, and he should be punished as such. Whether he will or not is a different question, but he IMHO, I believe that in a court of law, a real one, he would be found guilty.

Both - but the main point isn't my position on Bush, actually. Joe Blow was bitching that we shouldn't let China in because they are communists, and have a poor human rights record, and so on and so forth - and thats crap IMHO. I don't deny the crappy record, but lots of countries have crappy records, and we make deals with them all the time, and do business with them all the time. And the simple fact is that our history (including our current history) is not something to be proud of. So to claim that we shouldn't let China in because of human rights abuses, when we are dealing with Russia, and are holding people without trial illegally, well, it smacks of a double standard.

Final point - since this is a space blog, and I respect Clark, I won't bother with other responses about my thoughts/opinions on Bush here. Your free to email me, or to post on my blog, but I won't be responding here.

Posted by Ferris Valyn at 01/16/08 17:40:26

Seriously folks, the only derangement here is your own, unless you attach numbers to your delusions. Number of innocent civilians not killed, number of trillions of dollars not spent, number of high crimes and misdemeanors not in evidence, etc. You need to adopt reality as the basis of your faith. Feel free to join the reality based world, at your convenience. Some of us have gotten very good results from the reality based approach, give it a try, you might like it. Join us in our quest for reality based truth and consequences.

If you think for one minute we are not going to loosen the pressure on those Americans who would do harm (for instance you, with your obscene denial of reality) to this nation, think again. I reiterate, you ain't seen nuttin yet.

I know your delusions were fashionable seven years ago, and again four years ago, but reality has caught up with you.

Posted by TLE at 01/16/08 17:46:36

"Thats more difficult (although the 600,000 that have died because of the Iraq war is hard to ignore), "

206 called and wanted me to let you know that the Lancet study you pulled that number from has been throughly discredited.

"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but no one is entitled to their own facts." Pat Monyahan.

Posted by Mike Puckett at 01/16/08 20:52:49

US reality based folks like numbers, Mike.

Was it more than, or less than, 2,819?

Posted by TLE at 01/16/08 21:44:59

Nothing real about the Lancet's straw-numbers Thomas.

Posted by MP at 01/17/08 06:36:27

I'll just drop a note that I don't think I know you that well Ferris and there might be tons of stuff we agree on, even in politics (although yes it seems incredibly likely we differ a lot on how to do/implement things and why). Then again that's true for just about anyone.

Which leads to the point that the great thing about freedom and freedom-based societies is the opportunity and encouragement to work together on those things one agrees on while at the same time absolutely disagreeing on other topics.

That right there is coincidentally also the explanation for why freedom-based societies seldom completely isolate even the worst anti-freedom societies.

China wanting to participate on the ISS is a good thing, it would be even better if they could pay in part by making changes to treat their own citizens better (or maybe stop the cultural genocide in Tibet, although it's probably already too late).

Posted by Habitat Hermit at 01/17/08 15:34:57

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