03-05-2019, 10:18 PM
** 4-Mar-2019 Tesla's SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docks with International Space Station
The Dragon spacecraft, developed by Tesla's SpaceX, docked
autonomously with the International Space Station. Believe it
or not, there was no crew on Dragon, except for a mechanized
dummy called Ripley.
NASA retired the space shuttle program in 2011, and since then America
has had no way to send astronauts to the ISS, and had to pay Russia to
do it for Nasa. So the Dragon is the first American spacecraft since
2011 able to carry passengers to and from the ISS, once all the
testing is completed.
What I'd like to focus on is the choice of the name "Dragon"
for the spacecraft. Elon Musk said it was named after
Puff the Magic Dragon:
However, whether intentional or not, the choice of the name
"Dragon" could be an attempt to show up China, to say
that "we're far ahead of you."
The Dragon is an integral part of Chinese history and Chinese
chauvinism. In November, 2017, China's president Xi Jinping explained
to Donald Trump, how a "Chinese person" should be defined: a Chinese
person, according to Xi, is someone who is a "descendant of the dragon
with black hair and yellow skin."
The phrase is part of a hit song in China in the 1980s:
This became a popular song in China in the 1980s, almost 100 years
after the Sino-Japanese war of 1894-95, in which China was deeply
humiliated, and is looking for revenge today.
So, whether he intended to or not, Elon Musk is using the spacecraft
name Dragon to tell the Chinese "We're a better dragon than you are."
---- Sources:
--- Astronauts Welcome SpaceX's Crew Dragon to Space Station (Ripley and Earth, Too!)
https://www.space.com/astronauts-welcome...ation.html
(Space.com)
--- SpaceX’s Crew Dragon flawlessly docks with space station in spectacular orbital debut
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-crew-dr...n-arrival/
(Teslarati)
The Dragon spacecraft, developed by Tesla's SpaceX, docked
autonomously with the International Space Station. Believe it
or not, there was no crew on Dragon, except for a mechanized
dummy called Ripley.
NASA retired the space shuttle program in 2011, and since then America
has had no way to send astronauts to the ISS, and had to pay Russia to
do it for Nasa. So the Dragon is the first American spacecraft since
2011 able to carry passengers to and from the ISS, once all the
testing is completed.
What I'd like to focus on is the choice of the name "Dragon"
for the spacecraft. Elon Musk said it was named after
Puff the Magic Dragon:
Quote:> Was originally called Puff the Magic Dragon, as people said I was
> high if though it could work, so I named it after their insult. —
> Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 17, 2018
> https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1008...wsrc%5Etfw
However, whether intentional or not, the choice of the name
"Dragon" could be an attempt to show up China, to say
that "we're far ahead of you."
The Dragon is an integral part of Chinese history and Chinese
chauvinism. In November, 2017, China's president Xi Jinping explained
to Donald Trump, how a "Chinese person" should be defined: a Chinese
person, according to Xi, is someone who is a "descendant of the dragon
with black hair and yellow skin."
The phrase is part of a hit song in China in the 1980s:
Quote:> Descendants of the Dragon
>
> Music and Lyrics by Hou Dejian
>
> In the Far East there is a river,
> its name is the Yangtze River
> In the Far East there is a river,
> its name is the Yellow River
>
> Although I’ve never seen the beauty of the Yangtze,
> in my dreams I miraculously travel the Yangtze’s waters
> Although I’ve never heard the strength of the Yellow River,
> the rushing and surging waters are in my dreams
>
> In the Ancient East there is a dragon,
> her name is China
> In the Ancient East there is a people,
> they are all the heirs of the dragon
>
> I grew up under the claw of the dragon,
> after I grew up I became an heir of the dragon
> Black eyes, black hair, yellow skin,
> forever and ever an heir of the dragon
>
> One hundred years ago on a tranquil night,
> in the deep of the night before enormous changes
> Gun and cannon fire destroyed the tranquil night,
> surrounded on all sides by the appeasers’ swords
>
> How many years have gone by with the gunshots still ringing out,
> how many years followed by how many years
> Mighty dragon, mighty dragon open your eyes,
> forever and ever open your eyes
This became a popular song in China in the 1980s, almost 100 years
after the Sino-Japanese war of 1894-95, in which China was deeply
humiliated, and is looking for revenge today.
So, whether he intended to or not, Elon Musk is using the spacecraft
name Dragon to tell the Chinese "We're a better dragon than you are."
---- Sources:
--- Astronauts Welcome SpaceX's Crew Dragon to Space Station (Ripley and Earth, Too!)
https://www.space.com/astronauts-welcome...ation.html
(Space.com)
--- SpaceX’s Crew Dragon flawlessly docks with space station in spectacular orbital debut
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-crew-dr...n-arrival/
(Teslarati)
