How is China's space program working

Can anyone provide any insights into the thinking behind how China's space
program is operating.

It seems their practice of launching one manned mission every two years is
to continue. The next manned launch is not scheduled until 2007.

Presumably financial constraints are not the problem given the way the
Chinese economy is booming these days.

Is it perhaps that one launch every two years is giving them all the data
that NASA and the Russians, in the old days, needed multiple launches over
the same time frame to gather?

Katipo

Katipo wrote:
Is it perhaps that one launch every two years is giving them all the data
that NASA and the Russians, in the old days, needed multiple launches over
the same time frame to gather?

This slow pace is actually a sophisticated plot by the chinese space
people to guarantee their employment for decades ahead.

in article , Katipo at
wrote on 10/13/05 2:16 PM:

Can anyone provide any insights into the thinking behind how China's space
program is operating.

It seems their practice of launching one manned mission every two years is
to continue. The next manned launch is not scheduled until 2007.

Presumably financial constraints are not the problem given the way the
Chinese economy is booming these days.

Is it perhaps that one launch every two years is giving them all the data
that NASA and the Russians, in the old days, needed multiple launches over
the same time frame to gather?

More likely they are using the data gathered by NASA and the Russians.

George Evans

Katipo wrote:
Can anyone provide any insights into the thinking behind how China's space
program is operating.

It seems their practice of launching one manned mission every two years is
to continue. The next manned launch is not scheduled until 2007.

Presumably financial constraints are not the problem given the way the
Chinese economy is booming these days.

Is it perhaps that one launch every two years is giving them all the data
that NASA and the Russians, in the old days, needed multiple launches over
the same time frame to gather?

Katipo

For the last decade or so, China has launched an
average of about five space missions (manned and
unmanned) each year. In earlier decades, China
launched about two missions per year. Last year
it launched eight missions, overtaking Europe as
the third busiest space program. This year it
has launched five so far, inching closer to the
declining launch totals of the U.S. (only 11
this year so far). It seems likely that China
will continue to gradually and steadily increase
the number of launches it performs in coming
years. Eventually, if the massive economic power
shift underway continues, it should surpass U.S.
space efforts.

- Ed Kyle