http://www.physorg.com/news82911006.html

Great news that the CEV systems are checking out, but the Chinese and Russians are well on their own cooportive way in a trip to the Moon.

We have spent too much time in low Earth orbit to the exclusion of real manned space exploration. I am grateful for the Shuttle for the Hubble repairs tho.

I wonder if the Russains have dropped their plans for thier own Shuttle (Buran) program?

Chicago Astronomer Joe
Administrator
www.chicagoastronomer.com

I dont think Russia will ever fly the Buran again.. I think once was enough for mother Russia.. Putin likes to talk about the glorious future of Russia's space program and weapons programs, but it is so strapped for cash it's selling it's seat to the ISS, and hi-jacking every country it can with it's natural gas..

The Buran required a ground support of apx. 30K people.. there are a lot of Russians who dont get paid for months at a time as it is now.. I doubt mother Russia will be adding more people to the payroll anytime soon.

I am of the opinion that no one is pulling ahead.. we were on the moon almost 40 years ago.. I would say that is a rather large gap to catch up too.. China didn't even put it's first man in space until 2003.. the only reason China would like a Co-Op trip to the moon with Russia, first and foremost, to suck up all the tech it could get for free from the Russians as they are getting tired of buying it from same, and second, the national "wow" factor..

I would too would like to see more done beyond low earth orbits, and I would love to see the Hubble 2 built and delivered (with the right parts on board the first time would be a nice change as well). Look how much we have learned from the Hubble, it is almost mind numbing to think what we could learn with Hubble 2.

selling it's seat
with it's natural gas
put it's first man

"its".