2nd Chinese manned spaceflight

[Eric Mc]

The Chinese launched their second manned space mission last night. The spacecraft is carrying two astronauts and they intend to stay in orbit 5 days.

[Dakkon]

Yup, and they want their own space station inside 5 years.

[wedg1e]

Yeah, I saw the documentary about it last night... but I don't understand the title... is 'Button Moon' some kind of Chinese proverb?

[Eric Mc]

There is an old Chinese legend about a giant rabbit living on the moon. Maybe Nick Park could do a Wallace and Grommitt movie combining a trip to the moon and rabbits.

[diddyman]

Eric Mc said:

There is an old Chinese legend about a giant rabbit living on the moon.

Tsk! Rabitts! We all know the moon is inhabited by The Clangers.

[nervous]

technically speaking, its the third manned space flight, if you include Wan-Hu who was the first man ever to blast himself into orbit in the the 16th century. albeit in several thousand pieces

[Eric Mc]

Unfortunatle, Wan Hu lit the blue touch paper and retired - permanently.

[nervous]

Hu did?

[tonyvid]

I had a lovely view of the Space station this morning at about 06.50. Out walking the dogs and saw it pop up over the SW horizon - it was really bright, with the sun just rising it must be lighting up the ISS really well. Predictions of passes here www.heavens-above.com

[nervous]

Ive got some ace footage of stuff being done on the MIR space station taken by some cosmonauts i worked with last year (one of whom, despite being a colonel and awarded the Yuri Gagarin medal which is immensely rare is now a security guard at the studios of the Russian equivalent of MTV, and coincidentally his son is now on the ISS) if anyone would be interested to see it, id be happy to post out a CD. Truly fascinating

>> Edited by nervous on Wednesday 12th October 09:05