China's Space Program News Thread

[iantsai]

timeline of the Tiangong-2 Space Station construction plan:

TSS sections:
Tianhe Core Module:April 29, 2021
Wentian Laboratory Module:May to June 2022
Mengtian Laboratory Module: August to September 2022

Supplies Cargos:
Tianzhou-2:May 29, 2021
Tianzhou-3:September 15, 2021
Tianzhou-4:March 2022
Tianzhou-5:October 2022

Crew ships:
Shenzhou-12:June 17, 2021
Shenzhou-13:October 3021
Shenzhou-14:May 2022
Shenzhou-15:November 2023

 

[Strangelove]

 

[Richard Santos]

They never tell you how astronauts do that most important thing next to eating.

 

[Strangelove]

 

[anzha]

I wonder if they are going to 'John Glenn' Yang Liwei. John Glenn, for those of you who don't know, was only allowed to fly one flight in the early American space program because they wanted to make sure at least one astronaut hero would survive and act as a symbol.

Yang Liwei hasn't flown since 2003. Could it be for the same sort of reason?

 

[oceanmaster]

I wonder if they are going to 'John Glenn' Yang Liwei. John Glenn, for those of you who don't know, was only allowed to fly one flight in the early American space program because they wanted to make sure at least one astronaut hero would survive and act as a symbol.

Yang Liwei hasn't flown since 2003. Could it be for the same sort of reason?

I heard Yang was injured during his return to earth, though not very sure about the source.

 

[Richard Santos]

I wonder if they are going to 'John Glenn' Yang Liwei. John Glenn, for those of you who don't know, was only allowed to fly one flight in the early American space program because they wanted to make sure at least one astronaut hero would survive and act as a symbol.

Yang Liwei hasn't flown since 2003. Could it be for the same sort of reason?

John Glenn flew twice. Also John Glenn wasn’t the first American in space. It was Alan Shepherd. Alan Shepard also flew twice.

Yuri Gagarin was also slated to fly again, until death of Vladimir Komorov, to whom Gregarin was a back up, caused the Soviet leadership to forbid it.

The only big name 1st in space person to never fly again, AFAIK, is Valentina Tarashkova, the first woman in space. But then she was easily the most under-qualified soviet cosmonaut of that generation.

I see Liu Yang, the first Chinese woman in space, will not suffer the same fate. She is slated to fly again on later tiangong assembly mission. So I suspect there is no imperative to keep Yang Liwei from flying again either.

It is not PC, but the reality is it would certainly look bad if a woman is risked again and suffer an accident, when the man is deemed too precious to risk.

 

[anzha]

The idea that 1st in space astronauts are too valuable to risk again seem to be somewhat overblown. There might be such an consideration, but it was not an imperative.

John Glenn flew twice. Also John Glenn wasn’t the first American in space. It was Alan Shepherd. Alan Shepard also flew twice.

Yuri Gagarin was also slated to fly again, until death of Vladimir Komorov, to whom Gregarin was a back up, caused the Soviet leadership to forbid it.

The only big name 1st in space person to never fly again, AFAIK, is Valentina Tarashkova, the first woman in space. But then she was easily the most under qualified soviet cosmonaut of that generation.

I see Liu Yang, the first Chinese woman in space, will not suffer the same fate. She is slated to fly again on later tiangong assembly mission. So I suspect there is no imperative to keep Yang Liwei from flying again.

1. I didn't say John Glenn was the first in space. He was 2nd, but he was the first first American into orbit.
2. Glenn flew again under the /Clinton/ administration - 36 years later. There was a lot of...interesting commentary on that the time.
3. Shepard went to the moon. Not exactly a two flight grounding.
4. As for what it looked like to us, now, for safety is probably a relic of 20/20 vision of looking back rather than what was apparent at the time.
5. Different era. Official propaganda was very much a thing in the US in that era. This prior to the Vietnam War era disillusionment.

Historical OT discussion aside, I'm curious what the reason why Yang hasn't been reflown.

 

[Richard Santos]

Glen was actually third. Grissom was the second. Grissom screwed up and sank his capsule, but still he flew a second time, abd was preparing for his third flight when he was killed.

Yang may not have flown simply become his skill set was the best to meet the objectives of subsequent missions.

 

[anzha]

Glen was actually third. Grissom was the second. Grissom screwed up and sank his capsule, but still he flew a second time, abd was preparing for his third flight when he was killed.

Yup. Brain fart on my part. Grissom was clearly forgiven for whatever happened.

Yang may not have flown simply become his skill set was the best to meet the objectives of subsequent missions.

Speculation. I'd like to see if we have something a bit more authoritative. Another poster mentioned the rumor he may have been injured. That's a touch more credible than you or I making things up as we guess.