China Destroys Satellite

[Chinahand]

The Chinese have confirmed reports that they blew up one of their own satellites with a balistic missile.

 

BBC Link

 

China has confirmed it carried out a test that destroyed a satellite, in a move that caused international alarm.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said a test had been carried out but insisted China was committed to the "peaceful development of outer space".

 

It is the first known satellite intercept test for more than 20 years.

 

Several countries, including Japan, Australia and the US, have expressed concern at the test, amid worries it could trigger a space arms race.

 

The test is thought to have occurred at more than 537 miles (865km) above the Earth.

 

The report was confirmed by US National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe last Thursday.

 

He said at the time the US "believes China's development and testing of such weapons is inconsistent with the spirit of co-operation that both countries aspire to in the civil space area".

 

Japan and Australia also spoke of their fears of a possible new arms race in space.

 

In October Janes Defence Weekly reported that the Chinese were targeting US satellites: Janes Defense Weekly.

 

US claims that China has used lasers to attack satellites

 

China has used high-energy lasers to interfere with US satellites, according to a US Army space-warfare specialist. Tests have been reported previously but it is now confirmed that the laser attacks were at least partially effective.

 

"There had been times when we wondered at the sudden decline in effectiveness as the satellites passed over China," CSM Lady said. Sensors at the Reagan Test Site on Kwajalein atoll in the South Pacific were tasked with tracking the satellites and observing any unusual phenomena. "We sensed the projection of beams against the spacecraft and could identify the streams of photons," CSM Lady said.

 

Looks like the military rivalry between the US and China is hotting up and a major component of it is beinh fought in space.

 

Problems!

[K.os Theory]

maybe they just had enough of the rubbish on sky?

[Lonan3]

In some respects, it is very disturbing that China has managed to bridge the technological gap with the more 'advanced' nations of the world so quickly. It is especially so when you examine their record on such matters as human rights and remember that they have always believed their civilization to be far superior to any other - an attitude that has been ingrained over centuries, if not millenia.

At the same time, there is a certain degree of arrogance about the Americans when it comes to the exploration and exploitation of space - as if they have some God-given right to do whatever they please.

If this means that huge amounts of funding are now going to be ploughed into 'Star Wars' research again, it may just be that future Presidents of the USA will have to curtail the kind of foreign 'adventures' that Dubya has been so enthusiastic about - although I may be just clutching at straws in order to find something positive about it all.

[matty]

I found the whole thing quite interesting.

 

The US is pretty much bankrupt, it's the Chinese who are propping up the US Dollar, without this the US would sink, so in many ways the Chinese can almost do as they wish, with the US pretty much powerless.

 

The Chinese, I'm sure will become the 'New US' over the next 20 years or so (if Bush doesn't nuke them on the way).

 

So probably a bit more scary than interesting!!!

[Pragmatopian]

*waits patiently for a video of the 'test' to make it onto YouTube*

 

*becoming less patient by the second*

 

Scary or not, I bet it was a cool explosion!

[Albert Tatlock]

There is talk of China putting a man on the moon in 2014 or 2020. I wouldn't be surprised if it happens much earlier.

 

These are are interesting times, with the old chinese guard, the new chinese guard, the slow emergence of 'democracy', and globalisation. I expect china will be flexing her muscles in many ways over the next few years as it emerges as a global superpower.

 

Interesting that we are not doing anything to slow china down either and are throwing investment, jobs and expertise at it - with the west losing influence and control over china faster than ever before - and has now firmly tied it's economy to it. IMO, the west's own greed could be it's undoing in the longrun, as I don't believe the integration of china into the world economy (and the large percentage of that economy it will soon represent) is being handled correctly.

[tameelf]

china pays for its oil and resourses

america plunders

america blames koria for counterfieting dollers the fed reserve prints to hold up the stockmarket

8 bill a month spent on iraq yet new orleans gets nothing

22k more troops to be deployed warships massing in the gulf new commander in iraq is navy man and bush wants 96k more troops.

 

china can destroy america symply by removing there cash from the us. but because the fed reserve can print 24/7 and build more printing presses. china have just sent a warning attack iran and china wont stay nutral

 

then we also got russia who have invested in iran.

 

bush farted last nite congress applauded

[thebees]

The more I read about America and the more bombing of innocents I see the American government doing...the more Im glad China could spank them if they wanted to. Americas government is responsible for global corruption and the world would be a better place if they were to sink back into the sess pit they emerged from.

[Lonan3]

Many many years ago a man called Noah, his wife (or Deucalion and Pyrrha if you prefer the Greek version - or even Ziusudra in the ancient Sumerian one), + their three sons and their wives were sailing on a vast, open ocean after it seemed that the entire world had been destroyed by one of God's 'gifts.'

On board, they had one male and one female of every species (No room for 'gay rights' in this story), which meant that, as well as procreating, there was also a huge amount of excrement to deal with. Being one of the original Friends of the Earth, Noah did his best to keep this smelly pile to use as manure when the seas finally subsided. Unfortunately, there was so much that even a vessel that was 300x50x30 cubits in size began to tilt.

Despite all his efforts, there was nothing that Noah/Deucalion/Ziusudra could do as the whole stinking, steaming mass gradually slid off to form a huge pile in the sea. And there it lay, for century after century, gradually becoming coated with the trappings of a normal, if rather large land mass. From a distance (although no one had seen it) it appeared to be quite beautiful. In fact, even close up, it would have been difficult to realise that a little way beneath the surface there was a stinking mass of corruption.

Then, in 1492, a man named Christopher Columbus sailed westward and, shortly after that, The ancient pile of steaming ordure was discovered and named.......

[Albert Tatlock]

The more I read about America and the more bombing of innocents I see the American government doing...the more Im glad China could spank them if they wanted to. Americas government is responsible for global corruption and the world would be a better place if they were to sink back into the sess pit they emerged from.

Though you wouldn't be saying that if you had been done for shoplifting and the penalty was to donate your liver, kidneys and heart.

 

The problem is that if China 'spanked' the US we'd all get 'spanked' in the process.

[Lonan3]

Possibly there are other alternatives for world powers to keep USA and China in check. Not the EU, of course, which will never manage to even agree on a standard size for shoelaces, but, possibly, another interesting combination AS DESCRIBED HERE.

 

There is a joke in Delhi that the word PUTIN is short for Planes, Uranium, Tanks, Infrastructure and Nuclear power.

It just about sums up the enormous goodie bag Russia's president is offering India.

President Putin has a lot to talk about with Indian PM Manmohan Singh

Moscow has long been India's main provider of weapons.

But there is far more at work now than a simple sales pitch for more contracts. The dynamic between these two nations is changing.

India and Russia had a long friendship throughout the Cold War.

When the Soviet Union collapsed both sides became more preoccupied with internal economic issues, Russia with its chaotic decline, India with pursuing reforms to stimulate much needed growth by releasing some of the shackles that had bound its own economy.

Now both nations have emerged from those transformations stronger and more confident than they have been for years.

They share a sense that they are rising on the tide of history.

Both have dynamic, fast-growing economies and they have needs that should be compatible.

So they are coming together to lay the groundwork for their future ties.

[Albert Tatlock]

Possibly there are other alternatives for world powers to keep USA and China in check. Not the EU, of course, which will never manage to even agree on a standard size for shoelaces, but, possibly, another interesting combination AS DESCRIBED HERE.

 

There is a joke in Delhi that the word PUTIN is short for Planes, Uranium, Tanks, Infrastructure and Nuclear power.

It just about sums up the enormous goodie bag Russia's president is offering India.

President Putin has a lot to talk about with Indian PM Manmohan Singh

Moscow has long been India's main provider of weapons.

But there is far more at work now than a simple sales pitch for more contracts. The dynamic between these two nations is changing.

India and Russia had a long friendship throughout the Cold War.

When the Soviet Union collapsed both sides became more preoccupied with internal economic issues, Russia with its chaotic decline, India with pursuing reforms to stimulate much needed growth by releasing some of the shackles that had bound its own economy.

Now both nations have emerged from those transformations stronger and more confident than they have been for years.

They share a sense that they are rising on the tide of history.

Both have dynamic, fast-growing economies and they have needs that should be compatible.

So they are coming together to lay the groundwork for their future ties.

Plus the Indian economy is about to overtake the UK economy. Clicky

[thebees]

India, great! I love the Indians they are a lovely nation, good luck to them. It’s strange that the UK seemingly have so much power when comparatively, it is such a small place.

[matty]

India, great! I love the Indians they are a lovely nation, good luck to them. It’s strange that the UK seemingly had so much power when comparatively, it is such a small place.

 

Fixed your post