Shenzhou or Soyuz: Which would you rather ride in?

[botch]

With everyone talking about spacecraft designs these days, i'm surprised nobody has started a debate over these two vehicles.<br /><br />Do people here have a preference between the two? I know the Shenzhou is more capable and larger, but is the Soyuz capsules impressive safety record more important?<br /><br />On paper the Shenzhou is the obvious winner, but since when has space travel made things that simple? We still have no idea of how reliable it really is, and looking at its planned flight rate, it'll be years before we know the answer to that question.<br /><br />Oh, and while i'm talking about the Shenzhou, do the differences between the Soyuz and the Shenzhou put it in the same league as the CEV or Klipper, or is it just a jazzed up design from the sixties?

 

[Aetius]

I have the utmost respect for the Chinese aerospace engineers, but I'd rather put my faith in decades of Russian expertise with the Soyuz. Shenzou may still have some deadly design flaw just waiting to reveal itself and kill some yuhangyuan.

 

[yurkin]

There was a discussion about what was the better vehicle a while back. Shenzhou’s capabilities far surpass those of the Soyuz. Still I would rather ride a Soyuz for now.

 

[lunatio_gordin]

I'm not sure i'd like to ride in anything hurtling towards solid ground...

 

[botch]

By that do you mean that you'd rather be in something winged?

 

[CalliArcale]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>There was a discussion about what was the better vehicle a while back. Shenzhou’s capabilities far surpass those of the Soyuz. Still I would rather ride a Soyuz for now.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />Me too, especially as the Chinese have been more tight-lipped about the Shenzhou (which isn't entirely unexpected, really). I know more about Soyuz, so I can trust it more. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[ehs40]

i'd stay in space rather than ride in either 1

 

[rogers_buck]

I'd put a quarter in the Soyuz. It has had much more time to work the kinks out. The Shenshou ought to be safe enough though, it has an escape tower, no?

 

[lunatio_gordin]

i'm saying i prefer a splashdown <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" />

 

[lunatio_gordin]

For some reason, I get the feeling he means staying in space over landing period. Of course i'd go with that too <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" />

 

[lunatio_gordin]

hey, bone degradation doesn't matter if you aren't going to a place with more gravity <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" />