A Look At China's Super-Secret Space Center

 

Super Secret Base Fuels China's Space Ambitions -- Nic Robertson, CNN 

Jiuquan, China (CNN) -- The first thing I noticed were the bicycles. Those who weren't riding them were walking. I was beginning to wonder if we'd taken a wrong turn. We were looking for China's super-secret space center. Our four-hour drive from Jiuquan in China's west had taken us past picture postcard fields and fish ponds framed by looming snow-capped peaks, through an oasis of green and finally across the arid Gobi desert. We had pushed through numerous military checkpoints and past cameras that flashed and took our picture as we sped past the seemingly endless shimmering sand hills. There should be no doubt we'd arrived at the right place, it just didn't feel like it. Read more ....   My Comment: The Chinese are certainly investing the monies and resources to have a viable space program .... but they are behind in space technology, and will probably be so for the foreseeable future. Update: China launches fifth manned space mission, set to be its longest ever -- Christian Science Monitor