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China-Japan-Koreas
China plans fourth satellite launch site
2007-02-07
BEIJING - China plans to build its fourth satellite launch centre on the countryÂ’s southern island of Hainan, the official Xinhua news agency said on Tuesday. The new site would be built at Wenchang, around 60 km (40 miles) from the Hainan provincial capital of Haikou, it cited Luo Baoming, acting governor of the island as saying. China began conducting a feasibility study on the new satellite launch site in 2002 and concrete plans for its creation would soon emerge, Luo said.

Chinese satellites are currently put into orbit from launch centres in southwestern Sichuan province, northwestern Gansu province and Shanxi province in the north of the country, according to Xinhua.

The country launched its first satellite in 1970. Since then, analysts estimate it has launched at least 50 satellites. State media said last month that China would launch two satellites this year dedicated to broadcasting television and radio coverage of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Posted by:Steve White

#6  Why wasn't Hainan the first launch area? Too many eyes? It's a lot closer to the equator.
Posted by: Shipman   2007-02-07 18:18  

#5  the whole China space junk episode thingy was a diversion secrete Op to establish Chinese Fast Food Franchises in Space. look for ceramic chop sticks next..sure sign.
Posted by: RD   2007-02-07 08:00  

#4  right... they intentionally created that debris cloud to hide their deathstar...uh huh
Posted by: Frank G   2007-02-07 07:31  

#3  ???! I thought I was kidding. How does this work? It makes a strange sort of sense, but would the cloud be enough protection to shield against anything like 50% of attacks? Interesting idea.

In any case, I thought we were working on energy beams and the like.

Anybody know how this mess will get cleaned up? Will it clean itself up? Is there something we can do, like have the debris rain down on China just to needle them for being aloof buttheads?
Posted by: gorb   2007-02-07 06:38  

#2  Gorb, They have, or will, insert a payload into the debris cloud. This makes it difficult to monitor energy signatures and also protects it from kinetic kill weapons.
Posted by: Skidmark   2007-02-07 04:48  

#1  Why don't they try putting it up in that ring of orbiting debris they created?
Posted by: gorb   2007-02-07 02:47  

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