Pandas in Space!

There was a space program panel discussion back in 2008 on China’s position in space travel development. The talk was titled “Pandas in Orbit: China’s Space Challenge.”

Really? You’ve gotta be kidding me right? Do we have to effing caricature China’s space program as cute harmless dim-witted pandas? Economic powerhouses Hong Kong, Singapore, S Korea, and Taiwan got coined the Four Asian Tigers and sending people to the moon got…..fuzzy pandas? Sure, they’re red and when it comes to space race, we’re used to hating reds. At least China’s program might get them to the moon in a decade.

I should note that US space program is suffering because we’re a little bit old school. The “median age for engineers in the U.S. space program is well over 50 (with 26% eligible to retire in 2008). The average age for Shenzhou program engineers is 36, and only 33 for China’s “Chang E” (pronounced “tchang-uh”) lunar program.”

They may be pandas, but they are young cuddly educated pandas in overstuffed spacesuits sitting on top of a rocket. Enjoy the view from your rocking chairs turkeys!