How far we are away from a space power?

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, October 24, 2003

How far we are away from a space power?

Amidst cheers hailing China's successful launch of its first manned spaceship "Shenzhou V", the nation's space technology workers remain sober-minded. They are now thinking how to make new breakthroughs at a higher point, when the nation's whole sci-tech innovation capability is still rather weak in the face of fierce international competitions.

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"Fly" to a new height

"Manned space mission is an exploratory activity". Before the world's first cosmonaut Gagarin was launched into space, a cosmonaut of the former Soviet Union was once burned to death in a training cabin; the development of US spacecraft to this date still cannot escape stumbling. China has hundreds of thousands of pieces of computer programs in its manned space systems, and a huge amount of equipment and instruments which need overall ElectroMagnetic Compatibility (EMC) test...a tiniest mistake might lead to total failure.

At the end of the 1970s, China mapped out the "Shuguang (Dawn)" project of manned space flight, and conducted conceptual researches as well as early-stage feasibility studies. But the plan didn't go into operation due to lack of economic and technological conditions.

The success of "Shenzhou V" reflects China's ever-stronger overall national strength and rising sci-tech level since the start of the reform and opening up program over 20 years ago, indicating that the nation is fully capable of independently developing sophisticated techniques and occupying a niche in the world's high-tech field.

China's space technology makes a new leap in the process from "the two bombs and one satellite' (A-bomb, H-bomb and artificial earth satellite) 40 years ago to today's manned space flight. Academician Wang Yongzhi, chief designer of China's manned space project, said: China's manned space program, though kicked off rather late, starts from a higher point from the outset and has reached the level of the world's third-generation manned spaceship. Like spaceship, innovations in homemade rockets and the measure and control system have lifted up the high-tech sector and brought about an all-round progress in the sci-tech level of China.

Keep a cool head before success

Before the success of manned space flight we should try to find out where we fall short, many space workers warned.

On the one hand, the United States and Russia have long been leading the manned space realm. They have stepped into the space shuttle era and are now conducting interplanetary exploration. Space technology has attracted more and more countries, transnationals and non-governmental organizations, and some private companies are also engaged in manned space project, having worked out spaceship model and planning a launch in 2005. On the other hand, despite its improved sci-tech capacity, China is still subject to others' control in the aspect of some core techniques, and is listed, together with Brazil and India, into the "marginal countries in science", which ranks at the fourth layer among the "core countries in science", "powerful countries in science", "big countries in science" "marginal countries in science" and "under-developed countries in science".

Our major weaknesses lie in inadequate innovation capacity, insufficient input and lack of a batch of world-influential master scientists. An expert from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) said, compared with the United States and Russia, China's space industry as a whole still lags far behind, though it ranks in the world front in some aspects such as satellite recovery, multi-satellite launch on a single rocket and space measuring and control.

A research funded by the state's Natural Science Foundation shows that although China has initially formed a comparatively complete aeronautic and astronautic industry system, it is still weak in the capabilities of resources transformation, market-oriented producing and industrial technologies, which makes it difficult for the nation to compete with international rivals in an all-round way. Another research also reveals that China faces severe challenge in its space technology innovation capacity and industrialization level, with "upstream" innovation rather strong and "downstream" innovation weak. The missed links in the chain of technological innovation have resulted in weak innovation capacity in the space field as a whole.

Mono-funding channels and barriers existed between different administrative departments still hold back the further development of China's space industry. According to space expert Academician Min Guirong, for many years China has paid attention to the development of space technology, but neglected the coordinated development of satellite application industry. He suggests listing the development of satellite application industry into the general strategy of the national economy and informationization, mapping out a unified development strategy for integrating the heaven and the earth, setting up space infrastructures for stable, long-term operations and making policies to encourage non-governmental investment in satellite application industry, and meanwhile stepping up the development of sophisticated techniques.

Space faces heavy task & a long way ahead

China is now aiming at space walking, rendezvous and docking of spacecraft, developing and launching of space lab and building space station in light of needs. Since China still faces a gap with developed countries, we must strengthen international cooperation.

There are now more than 60 countries engaging in research on space technology, which means both challenge to and opportunity for China, said Zhang Qingwei, general manager of China Aerospace Science & Technology Corporation. In order to consolidate its position as a big country and join the campaign of flying to space, China must keep the sustainable development of manned space industry and establish its due position in space technology.

By People's Daily Online

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