Why China chose to develop spaceship instead of space shuttle?

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, October 21, 2003

Why China chose to develop spaceship instead of space shuttle?

Before China started developing manned spaceship in 1992, space experts of the nation's "863" high-tech program had conducted 5-year studies on the question.

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Before China started developing manned spaceship in 1992, space experts of the nation's "863" high-tech program had conducted 5-year studies on the question.

Some experts held that since the US and Russia had worked out space shuttles, China could learn from their technologies and experience, skip over spaceship and leap directly to space shuttle.

Other experts believed that manned space flight was a matter involving human life, so safety and reliability must be put at top priority; space shuttle, although more advanced than spaceship technologically, bore tremendous technological difficulties and risks. Meanwhile, the development of space shuttle required many sophisticated technologies, which was a gap too big for China to bridge at that time.

Viewed from the history of manned space flight, both the Soviet Union and the United States started from spaceship when beginning their space flight missions. Currently the most frequently launched and widely used spaceship is satellite-style manned spaceship. Another reason was, the huge fund needed in developing space shuttle was too much for China. While China was already in possession of mature satellite recovery technology, based on which the recovery of spaceship can be solved, and many technologies for spaceship can be borrowed from that of satellites.

After full discussion, comparison and analysis, experts reached agreement that China must take a space flight road conforming to its national conditions, must learn from the experience and developing way of Soviet Union and the US, that is, starting from spaceship instead of space shuttle.

Moreover, considering that China had achieved much in developing carrier rocket and gained rich experience and solid technological ground for application satellites, especially recoverable ones, experts concluded that China could, through efforts, leap directly to the third-generation spaceship--manned spaceship with multiple cabins and astronauts.

By PD Online staff Li Heng

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