# EU and China together with Gallileo



## Brian G Turner (Sep 20, 2003)

While the Gallileo space probe prepares to go out in a blaze of glory ni the atmosphere of Jupiter, another Gallileo has been in development in Europe for a few years already - that of a civilian run system of stellite tracking that would rival the military run GPS.

On the one hand, the development of the system is understandable - after all, GPS readings are purposefully made inaccurate to prevent its abuse for military or paramilitary means.

Now Europe complicates the matter much more as China comes aboard as a very significant investor.

China is already pushing for its first manned space launch for a month's time - and now they want to use the higher end security elements of Europe's answer to GPS. Technology mining, anyone?

Any concerns from the United States are bound to be heightened - but is China's involvement with the European Gallileo project really such a bad idea? Is this the sort of even required to get the US to put it's money - and national will - back into space?

Here's an article frmo the BBC today:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3121682.stm



> *China joins EU's satellite network*
> 
> China has struck a deal to invest in Galileo, the European Union's space satellite navigation network.
> 
> ...


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## littlemissattitude (Sep 20, 2003)

Well, the U. S. certainly needs some sort of kick in the pants to really get back into the game. I did see an article yesterday (on cnn.com, I think) that said that NASA is thinking of going back to an Apollo-type capsule instead of the airplane-shaped shuttle. The article mentioned that one advantage of doing so would mean recovering the capability of manned vehicles that can go beyond Earth orbit. Now, if you ask me, _that_ is a step in the right direction.

Edit to say that here is the article:

*



Apollo-like capsule may replace shuttle 



CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) --NASA may replace its troubled fleet of space shuttles with a new generation of Apollo-type space capsules, a top space agency official said.

"Certainly we have considerable amount of experience flying with capsules," Dr. John Rogacki, director of NASA's space transportation directorate, told Reuters on Wednesday. "One might say on the capsule side it could be that that design experience may lead to a capsule being available sooner than a winged vehicle."

Unlike shuttles that land like airplanes, capsules splash down in the ocean and must be recovered by ships.

The resurrection of space capsules, which last launched three decades ago, is gaining favor among astronauts, space agency officials and congressional staffers after the shuttle Columbia disaster that killed seven astronauts on February 1.

The 13 members of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board were unanimous in urging NASA to replace the aging shuttles as soon as possible by using existing technology and materials.

NASA said on Tuesday that the next space shuttle flight, designed to test repairs that might have saved Columbia, would not make a March launch target and might not fly until midsummer.

The space agency has spent billions of dollars since the mid-1990s trying unsuccessfully to design a new winged spacecraft, begging the question of whether a winged plane could be delivered by 2008 under a now accelerated timetable.

"Boy, I really don't want to speculate on that because I don't want to inadvertently or unintentionally signal to our contractors that I think it is likely or it is not likely," Rogacki said.

Waiting for decades

Corin Segal, an aerospace scientist at the University of Florida, picked by NASA to design new systems, has estimated that development of the technology to produce a truly safe, winged reusable spacecraft could take 15 to 20 years.

Detailed requirements for what has been called an orbital space plane were issued by NASA this week to three contractor teams who will propose designs and compete for the work.

For now, NASA is careful to avoid publicly expressing any opinion on what shape the new craft should take, and to stress that there are pros and cons to winged and capsule designs.

But NASA spokesman Bob Jacobs said there was no requirement that the craft be plane-like despite its name.

"We haven't spelled out that it has to glide back to Earth and land like a plane. That's not a requirement," Jacobs said.

The capsule design gained momentum in March from a study headed by astronaut John Young, who has flown in both capsules and shuttles.

Young, as well as Michael Kostelnick, head of NASA's human space flight program, cite the versatility of the capsule, which can move beyond low Earth orbit to the moon or beyond.

Rogacki said the orbital space plane requirements did not demand the vehicle be capable of deep space travel but that NASA will be looking at its ability to support missions beyond the International Space Station.

"There is a great potential for using the orbital space plane system as a basis for future exploration vehicles," Rogacki said.

The thermal tiles and wing panels used on the shuttle today could not withstand the heat and stress of trans-lunar re-entries.
		
Click to expand...

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*Find this article at:* 
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/09/18/sprj.colu.shuttle.replacement.reut/index.html


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## Brian G Turner (Sep 21, 2003)

Good read - though I'm not sure the capsule idea will take off. I would have thought that in practical terms, NASA very much wants a satellite launch vehicle. A rocket with a capsule sort of begs the need for a capsule in the first place. I can;t easily envisage much in the way of spacewalks from a capsule, either. 

Then again, who knows what innovations they may apply to the concept? After all, the purpose of the design is to think beyond the normal?


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## littlemissattitude (Sep 22, 2003)

I think the real value of all this is that maybe NASA has started thinking outisde the box again with respect to manned (personed?
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




) space vehicles.  As I see it, the main drawback to capsules is their size - or rather, their lack of it.  Those things are little.  But, with a more open mind as to craft design - not being wedded to the idea of a craft that looks like a plane - maybe original or hybrid designs will have more of a chance to be tested out.


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## Brian G Turner (Sep 22, 2003)

Well, the Chinese will to conquer space should certainly present a push to the US space program. China has been squaring up as the next superpower for some time. The space program has a funny history of benefiting from such cues.


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