China in Space

Chinese Space Snacking






What most people fail to appreciate when it comes to space exploration is the importance of a sound ground segment. For precise navigation we depend on good knowledge of our own planet, especially a geodetic reference frame. On the image we see a telescope in Inner Mongolia getting ready to assist the descent of Shenzhou-7. We can't have the taikonauts choking on space snacks just because we didn't know the exact whereabouts of Shenzhou, can we? :-)