Covering the business of education and training

Thee Space Shuttle Discovery took off about an hour ago heading for the International Space Station. (ISS)

Russia's Soyuz spaceship came home with three cosmonauts aboard and landed in Central Asia....bringing back among others, the first Malaysian cosmonaut from the ISS...200km off target, but safe nonetheless.

China will miss the space station on its way to the moon when it launches its first lunar orbiter tomorrow at 6:05pm China time. China wants to serenade the moon.

Space exploration...is it worth it?

Once I visited Russia's great science hall in Moscow where they boast of the accomplishments of the Motherland...

It wasn't until I got to the space pavilion that I was really impressed. I said something to my Russian friends hoping they would be proud of Russia's great space ability.

My friend responded - "Ya, we can go to space, but we can't feed our people."

Russia, the United States, China can go to space...Japan, too...but can we get along here on Earth?

Or is that what the cooperation at the ISS is all about? getting along?

Then why aren't China and Japan headed to the ISS, too?  

See also:

NASA Shuttle Launch vs. China's Lunar Probe vs. Russia's Soyuz