Russia Invites China's 1st Spaceman To Moon Flight

[nacnud]

<font color="yellow">Russia Invites China's 1st Spaceman To Moon Flight [Spacedaily]<br />Moscow (XNA) Aug 23, 2005<br /><br />The Russian Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos) on Friday invited China's first spaceman, Yang Liwei, to make a space flight to the moon aboard the promising Russian Kliper shuttle, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.<br /><br />The invitation was offered by the head of Roskosmos, Anatoly Perminov, at a meeting in the day with the Chinese taikonaut.<br /><br />Taikonaut was coined to refer to Chinese astronauts, who are called cosmonauts in Russia.<br /><br />Perminov asked Yang: "Would you like to fly in space aboard Kliper, say, to the moon and back?"<br /><br />"Sure, as a professional taikonaut," Yang was quoted as replying. More<br /><font color="white"><br />This is an interesting development. I've not heard so definate plans for Kliper going beyone LEO before.</font></font>

 

[mrmorris]

<font color="yellow">"I've not heard so definate plans for Kliper going beyone LEO before."</font><br /><br />You have an interesting concept of 'definite'. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br />They've always touted Kliper as LEO-and-beyond.

 

[nacnud]

Yeah ok I couldn't think of an angle on this <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />. I wonder if the above LEO one will still have wings?

 

[mrmorris]

<font color="yellow">"Yeah ok I couldn't think of an angle on this"</font><br /><br />The angle is speculating whether the Chinese government will consider this to be the Ruskies being condescending -- and therefore ramp up their human spaceflight program in order to get a Shenzhou to a lunar flyby -- thereby showing that they don't <b>need</b> the Russians to get a taikonaut to the moon. Hey -- a moon race that doesn't involve the US. Whatta concept. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[wvbraun]

Wouldn't it be great if Taiwan purchased a circumlunar flight from the Russians (with a Soyuz)? They could easily afford it and that way they would get to the moon before the war-mongering chinese. <img src="/images/icons/cool.gif" />

 

[toymaker]

"the war-mongering chinese. "China isn't war mongering...

 

[wvbraun]

Tell that to the people of Taiwan.

 

[toymaker]

"Tell that to the people of Taiwan."<br />I don't need to.Most of them don't want to declare independence(well at least according to polls)