perfidy

Space.com relates that Xinhua News Agency reported that China's Science and Technology Minister Xu Guanha stated that the preparations for the Middle Kingdom's first space launch were going smoothly. While no specific date has been set (and the communist government is notoriously tight lipped about such matters, talk around the campfire has settled on two possibilities: Oct 1, China's National Day and the anniversary of the founding of the state in '49, or later in the month. Obviously, weather, technical difficulties, solar radiation levels and acts of God (or acts of nature for you atheistic commie bastards) could interfere with the plan.

I hope that the mission goes well, not because I look forward to a lifetime of servitude to our new ant, I mean Chinese masters, but because hopefully this will light a fire under someone's ass here in the good 'ol U S of A. Either get serious about government funded space travel, or get the hell out of the way and let us do it.