China lays out its plan for Mars while Republicans bash China opposing any space flight cooperation!

[Better Believe It]

China lays out its plan for Mars
Alan Boyle writes:
October 25, 2010

Chinese space officials have come up with a plan that would send an orbiter toward Mars on a Chinese rocket as early as 2013, the Xinhua news agency reports. Such a mission would use technologies that were developed for the Chang'e 1 lunar orbiter and its recently launched follow-up mission, Chang'e 2.

The orbiter mission also would follow up on China's joint effort with Russia to send probes toward Mars and one of its moons, Phobos. Launch of the Phobos-Grunt mission is scheduled for a year from now. China's Yinghuo 1 ("Firefly") orbiter would hitch a ride on a Russian-built spacecraft that's designed to put a lander on Phobos and return a soil sample to Earth.

All this activity signals that Beijing will be taking its status as a space power seriously in the years ahead. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden has just returned from a controversial visit to China, and today he said in a written statement that the visit "increased mutual understanding on the issue of human spaceflight and space exploration, which can form the basis for further dialogue and cooperation in a manner that is consistent with the national interests of both of our countries."

http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/10/25/5349170-china-lays-out-its-plan-for-mars?gt1=43001


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NASA chief heads to China amid lawmaker concern
Some legislators adamantly opposed to cooperation because of security issues
October 28, 2010

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden left for Beijing Oct. 15 amid mixed congressional reaction to Bolden's plans to meet with Chinese officials to discuss the potential for cooperation in human spaceflight.

Two House Republicans and a Democrat representing the Congressional U.S.-China Working Group wrote Bolden Oct. 12 to express their support for the five-day trip and request the NASA chief raise the possibility of a "joint-rescue capability in space that would enable the United States, China and Russia to rescue each other's space crews."

Other lawmakers, however, are adamantly opposed to such cooperation and made sure Bolden was aware of their displeasure.

U.S. Reps. Frank Wolf of Virginia, John Culberson of Texas and Robert Aderholt of Alabama all Republicans serving on the House Appropriations commerce, justice, science subcommittee that approves NASA's annual budgets joined California Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher in objecting to Bolden's trip in a letter sent to the NASA chief as he left town.

"As you know, we have serious concerns about the nature and goals of China's space program and strongly oppose any cooperation between NASA and China," the lawmakers wrote in the Oct. 15 letter to Bolden. "In light of the short notice and scant information provided before your departure to China, we respectfully request a full briefing with you upon your return."

"Most importantly, we would like personal assurance that at no time during your trip there were any discussions of cooperation on human space flight activities," the lawmakers wrote. "In addition we want a guarantee from you that Members of Congress will be fully briefed before Chinese representatives visit the U.S. in November and before you or any other NASA representative travels to China in the future."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39724870/ns/technology_and_science-space

[Drale]

1. This is one area where everyone should be cooperating

Space could be something that could bring us together.

[Johonny]

3. There are ITAR laws that make such things nearly impossible

even if we thought it was a good idea.

[bluedigger]

2. Seems like a lot of grandstanding.

China's going up there, whether we like it or not. We already are cooperative with Russia. The only thing necessary for rescue missions is commonality of the hatch design really. We don't need treaties to agree on an engineering spec. It's in our mutual interests down the road, so to say. If any manned spacecraft were in a position to assist another in an emergency, I doubt the astronauts would fail to act.