# The Countdown Has Begun! China To Launch The 15th! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 8, 2003, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-countdown-has-begun-china-to-launch-the-15th/206312 "2003-10-08T16:02:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2003, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-countdown-has-begun-china-to-launch-the-15th/206312/1 "2003-10-08T16:02:15Z")
The Countdown Has Begun! China Launches in 7 Days! China is about to become the 3rd nation to put a man in space under their own power! 7 days and counting! [http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/...unch/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/...unch/index.html) I’m so excited! As a space exploration supporter, I can’t help but think that a 3rd player is a wonderful developement! All my best wishes go out to this brave man. 🆒 🆒 🆒 🆒 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2003, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-countdown-has-begun-china-to-launch-the-15th/206312/2 "2003-10-08T16:14:48Z")
Hopefully it’s a man. If it’s a woman they’ll likely try and abort. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2003, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-countdown-has-begun-china-to-launch-the-15th/206312/3 "2003-10-08T18:25:32Z")
While renewed interest in space is a good thing, when a country that still has famines is spending more than **one billion** dollars to put spam-in-a-can into orbit, I’ve got a problem. PS: Good one, **lieu**! ---
**Author:** ![Blackeyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f6c823/32.png) [@Blackeyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackeyes)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2003, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-countdown-has-begun-china-to-launch-the-15th/206312/4 "2003-10-08T21:55:30Z")
Yay! One week! This is exciting. ---
**Author:** ![Hemlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Hemlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hemlock)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2003, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-countdown-has-begun-china-to-launch-the-15th/206312/5 "2003-10-09T06:33:16Z")
A pitiful exercise in self-preservation by the Communist Party, which is cynically planning to bask in reflected glory and national pride. And a criminal waste of money, duplicating a 40 year old technological achievement, while children go uneducated in the countryside. On the bright side, it gave me a topic for the Oct 9 entry in my blog today… [http://www.geocities.com/hkhemlock/diary-11oct03.html](http://www.geocities.com/hkhemlock/diary-11oct03.html) ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2003, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-countdown-has-begun-china-to-launch-the-15th/206312/6 "2003-10-09T08:16:07Z")
I think it was Jimmy Fallon on the “Weekend Update” who reported on the plans for Chinese space exploration and then gave the rousing declaration, “I’d like to say on behalf of the rest of the world, ‘China, welcome to the 1960s!’” ---
**Author:** ![Zcrysis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zcrysis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zcrysis)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2003, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-countdown-has-begun-china-to-launch-the-15th/206312/7 "2003-10-09T08:20:35Z")
Well everyone has to play catchup if they join the party late. How else is China meant to comtinue to test and refine its boosters and guidence packages for its balistic missi… sorry space program. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2003, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-countdown-has-begun-china-to-launch-the-15th/206312/8 "2003-10-09T10:20:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zenster \* > **While renewed interest in space is a good thing, when a country that still has famines is spending more than one billion dollars to put spam-in-a-can into orbit, I’ve got a problem.** It’s not like they are paying the Russians for a token ride. If their expertise in aerospace engineering stays home and helps them compete with other countries, is that so wrong? It doesn’t matter if they bought much of the technology from Russia, it’s part of their industrial capability now. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2003, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-countdown-has-begun-china-to-launch-the-15th/206312/9 "2003-10-09T12:48:25Z")
I’m sure there’s a joke in here about after a Chinese launch, being hungry an hour later…