Chinese spacewalk and spaceship Shenzhou VII: news
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kvLin
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the rectangular part on the back contains life supporting system and a (jet) propulsion system, recalling me of the astro boy in the Japanese cartoon. I also noticed that it's like a suitcase with a cover, turn over the suitcase you get entry into the spacesuit, while opening the suitcase allows you to maintain devices in it.
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China's Shenzhou-7 manned spacecraft to pass six key tests for successful mission
English_Xinhua 2008-09-25 19:21:01
JIUQUAN, Gansu, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- China's Shenzhou-7 manned spacecraft and three astronauts on board will have to pass six key tests to fulfill their mission, said Zhou Jianping, the program's chief designer, here Thursday.
TEST 1: BLASTOFF
"For any manned space program, the possibility to come across deadly failures is larger during the launch," said Zhou at the Jiuquan satellite launch center of northwestern Gansu Province.
Although the Long-March II-F carrier rocket, to carry the spaceship, had succeeded in bringing six spacecraft to the outer space, a series of contingency plans were made to protect the safety of astronauts, he said.
The 100-meter-high launch tower is equipped with a slide to facilitate astronauts escape from the spaceship when an accident happens.
The control center is 1,500 away from the launch tower in a bid to reduce threat to the ground staff.
Eight contingency modes were designed for the spaceship during the ascent stage, four inside the atmosphere and the other four out of it.
"Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center is confident of a successful blastoff for it has successfully launched more than 100 satellites and spacecraft in the past five decades. We have the world's latest technologies and management," said Cui Jijun, the launch center director.
TEST 2: TRANSFER THE ORBIT
The Shenzhou-7 spaceship will transfer from an elliptic orbit to a circular one in its fifth circle around the earth. Whether it will succeed in this stage will be critical for the spaceship to fulfill all its tasks and land on the scheduled landing area in the timetable, said Zhou.
The spaceship will first travel on the elliptic orbit, 200 km away from the earth at the nearer point and 350 km at the farthest point, and it will transfer to the circular orbit 343 km away from the earth, to make its return trip easier.
Beijing Aerospace Control Center will take in charge of controlling the spaceship at this stage. "We are confident of fulfilling this task as we have performed well in the country's first moon probe mission," said Zhu Mincai, the center's director.
TEST 3: PUT ON SPACE SUIT
Astronauts will start preparing for the spacewalk in the spaceship's ninth circle around the earth. The most important part is to put on the space suit. The whole preparation will take about14 hours.
Chinese only spent four years in developing its own EVA (extra vehicular activity) suits, named Feitian.
Despite repeated training, it will be the first time for the astronaut to put on it in the outer space. The astronaut must strictly follow the procedure. Any mistake will lead to deadly results, said Zhou.
"It will be much different to put on it in the space from doingit on the earth," said Liu Boming, one of the three astronauts to be on board, "But I can only tell you what is the difference when I am back."
TEST 4: AIRLOCK
The airlock, a pressure chamber linking the main body of the spaceship to the outside, is new on Shenzhou-7 and was not required on the previous six space flights. Whether it will work properly decides whether the astronaut can finish the spacewalk.
Inside the airlock, the air pressure will reduce to zero before the astronaut steps outside and restore to the normal level inside the module after he returns. The whole procedure must finish within a certain period of time.
"The airlock is well designed and safe," said Zhang Bonan, chief designer of the manned spacecraft system.
TEST 5: SPACEWALK
The highlight of the whole program will be the 30-minute spacewalk when the Shenzhou-7 travels around the earth in the 29thcircle.
It will be a test for both the astronauts and the ground staff. The astronaut that walks into the space will take test samples from the surface of the modules and solar battery, cooperating with another astronaut inside. The ground staff must maintain the communication between the control center and spacecraft and provide supports for the astronaut.
Every move must be well done, including opening the door of there-entry module, closing it and sealing it. "It is not easy to do it in the outer space," Zhou said. "If the door is not sealed, there will be a disaster."
"In such an independent task as the spacewalk, it is the psychological factor that affects the astronaut's performance," said Yang Liwei, China's first spaceman and deputy director of the China Astronaut Research and Training Center.
TEST 6: BLACKOUT AREA
When the spaceship begins its journey back, it must start its engine at the right time for a second earlier or later will lead to a landing site 9 km away from the planned one.
The re-entry module will go through a "blackout" area when it re-enter the atmosphere, which means all communication with the ground will be weak and even cut off. It will greatly challenge the physical and psychological conditions of the astronauts.
The blackout will disappear when the module reaches the height 40 km from the ground.
"The landing system will search the module and rescue the astronauts as soon as they land. We will try our best to give a perfect end to the mission," said Sui Qisheng, director of the landing system.
China's Shenzhou-7 manned spacecraft to pass six key tests for successful mission_English_Xinhua
English_Xinhua 2008-09-25 19:21:01
JIUQUAN, Gansu, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- China's Shenzhou-7 manned spacecraft and three astronauts on board will have to pass six key tests to fulfill their mission, said Zhou Jianping, the program's chief designer, here Thursday.
TEST 1: BLASTOFF
"For any manned space program, the possibility to come across deadly failures is larger during the launch," said Zhou at the Jiuquan satellite launch center of northwestern Gansu Province.
Although the Long-March II-F carrier rocket, to carry the spaceship, had succeeded in bringing six spacecraft to the outer space, a series of contingency plans were made to protect the safety of astronauts, he said.
The 100-meter-high launch tower is equipped with a slide to facilitate astronauts escape from the spaceship when an accident happens.
The control center is 1,500 away from the launch tower in a bid to reduce threat to the ground staff.
Eight contingency modes were designed for the spaceship during the ascent stage, four inside the atmosphere and the other four out of it.
"Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center is confident of a successful blastoff for it has successfully launched more than 100 satellites and spacecraft in the past five decades. We have the world's latest technologies and management," said Cui Jijun, the launch center director.
TEST 2: TRANSFER THE ORBIT
The Shenzhou-7 spaceship will transfer from an elliptic orbit to a circular one in its fifth circle around the earth. Whether it will succeed in this stage will be critical for the spaceship to fulfill all its tasks and land on the scheduled landing area in the timetable, said Zhou.
The spaceship will first travel on the elliptic orbit, 200 km away from the earth at the nearer point and 350 km at the farthest point, and it will transfer to the circular orbit 343 km away from the earth, to make its return trip easier.
Beijing Aerospace Control Center will take in charge of controlling the spaceship at this stage. "We are confident of fulfilling this task as we have performed well in the country's first moon probe mission," said Zhu Mincai, the center's director.
TEST 3: PUT ON SPACE SUIT
Astronauts will start preparing for the spacewalk in the spaceship's ninth circle around the earth. The most important part is to put on the space suit. The whole preparation will take about14 hours.
Chinese only spent four years in developing its own EVA (extra vehicular activity) suits, named Feitian.
Despite repeated training, it will be the first time for the astronaut to put on it in the outer space. The astronaut must strictly follow the procedure. Any mistake will lead to deadly results, said Zhou.
"It will be much different to put on it in the space from doingit on the earth," said Liu Boming, one of the three astronauts to be on board, "But I can only tell you what is the difference when I am back."
TEST 4: AIRLOCK
The airlock, a pressure chamber linking the main body of the spaceship to the outside, is new on Shenzhou-7 and was not required on the previous six space flights. Whether it will work properly decides whether the astronaut can finish the spacewalk.
Inside the airlock, the air pressure will reduce to zero before the astronaut steps outside and restore to the normal level inside the module after he returns. The whole procedure must finish within a certain period of time.
"The airlock is well designed and safe," said Zhang Bonan, chief designer of the manned spacecraft system.
TEST 5: SPACEWALK
The highlight of the whole program will be the 30-minute spacewalk when the Shenzhou-7 travels around the earth in the 29thcircle.
It will be a test for both the astronauts and the ground staff. The astronaut that walks into the space will take test samples from the surface of the modules and solar battery, cooperating with another astronaut inside. The ground staff must maintain the communication between the control center and spacecraft and provide supports for the astronaut.
Every move must be well done, including opening the door of there-entry module, closing it and sealing it. "It is not easy to do it in the outer space," Zhou said. "If the door is not sealed, there will be a disaster."
"In such an independent task as the spacewalk, it is the psychological factor that affects the astronaut's performance," said Yang Liwei, China's first spaceman and deputy director of the China Astronaut Research and Training Center.
TEST 6: BLACKOUT AREA
When the spaceship begins its journey back, it must start its engine at the right time for a second earlier or later will lead to a landing site 9 km away from the planned one.
The re-entry module will go through a "blackout" area when it re-enter the atmosphere, which means all communication with the ground will be weak and even cut off. It will greatly challenge the physical and psychological conditions of the astronauts.
The blackout will disappear when the module reaches the height 40 km from the ground.
"The landing system will search the module and rescue the astronauts as soon as they land. We will try our best to give a perfect end to the mission," said Sui Qisheng, director of the landing system.
China's Shenzhou-7 manned spacecraft to pass six key tests for successful mission_English_Xinhua
FLASH: CHINA DECLARES SHENZHOU-7 LAUNCH SUCCESSFUL 
English_Xinhua 2008-09-25 21:33:12
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-09/25/content_10111675.htm
English_Xinhua 2008-09-25 21:33:12
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-09/25/content_10111675.htm
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Page last updated at 13:12 GMT, Thursday, 25 September 2008 14:12 UK
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Lift-off for China space mission
The rocket blasted off at around 1310 GMT.
China has launched its third manned space mission - which is to feature the country's first spacewalk.
The Shenzhou VII capsule soared into orbit atop a Long-March II-F rocket from the Jiuquan spaceport in Gansu province in the northwest of China.
The 70-hour flight will include a spacewalk undertaken by 42-year-old fighter pilot Zhai Zhigang.
Mr Zhai is joined on the mission by two other "yuhangyuan" (astronauts) - Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng.
The rocket lit up the darkness as it blasted off from Jiuquan at 2110 Beijing Time (1310 GMT).
China's president Hu Jintao met the three astronauts before the lift-off, wishing them success on the nation's riskiest space mission yet.
The rocket will put the Shenzhou capsule in a near-circular orbit more than 300km above the Earth.
Mr Zhai will conduct his extra-vehicular activity (EVA) on either Friday or Saturday.
[1958: Base for spaceflights built at Jiuquan, in Gobi desert
April 1970: China launches its first satellite into space
1990-2002: Shenzhou I-IV are launched to develop systems
Oct 2003: The first manned space mission launches on Shenzhou V
Oct 2005: The Shenzhou VI mission takes two men into space
Oct 2007: Chang'e-1 orbiter sent on unmanned mission to the Moon ]
He will retrieve an externally mounted experiment and oversee the release of a satellite.
At the end of the mission, the Shenzhou re-entry capsule will target a landing in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Dr Roger Launius, senior curator at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC, told BBC News: "It is a demonstration of technological virtuosity. It's a method of showing the world they are second to none - which is a very important objective for [China]."
China became only the third nation after the United States and Russia to independently put a man in space when Yang Liwei, another fighter pilot, went into orbit on the Shenzhou V mission in October 2003.
Two years later, Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng completed a five-day flight on Shenzhou VI.
According to the Associated Press, China's official news agency posted an article on its website prior to the lift-off that was written as if Shenzhou VII had already been launched into space.
The article reportedly carried a date of 27 September and came complete with a dialogue between the astronauts.
Chinese media report that this latest mission is the "most critical step" in the country's "three-step" space programme.
These stages are: sending a human into orbit, docking spacecraft together to form a small laboratory and, ultimately, building a large space station.
The Shenzhou VIII and IX missions are expected to help set up a space laboratory complex in 2010.
China launched an unmanned Moon probe last year about one month after rival Japan blasted its own lunar orbiter into space.
Crowds turned out to see the Long-March II-F rocket move to the launch pad
BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Lift-off for China space mission
E-mail this to a friend Printable version
Lift-off for China space mission
The rocket blasted off at around 1310 GMT.
China has launched its third manned space mission - which is to feature the country's first spacewalk.
The Shenzhou VII capsule soared into orbit atop a Long-March II-F rocket from the Jiuquan spaceport in Gansu province in the northwest of China.
The 70-hour flight will include a spacewalk undertaken by 42-year-old fighter pilot Zhai Zhigang.
Mr Zhai is joined on the mission by two other "yuhangyuan" (astronauts) - Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng.
The rocket lit up the darkness as it blasted off from Jiuquan at 2110 Beijing Time (1310 GMT).
China's president Hu Jintao met the three astronauts before the lift-off, wishing them success on the nation's riskiest space mission yet.
The rocket will put the Shenzhou capsule in a near-circular orbit more than 300km above the Earth.
Mr Zhai will conduct his extra-vehicular activity (EVA) on either Friday or Saturday.
[1958: Base for spaceflights built at Jiuquan, in Gobi desert
April 1970: China launches its first satellite into space
1990-2002: Shenzhou I-IV are launched to develop systems
Oct 2003: The first manned space mission launches on Shenzhou V
Oct 2005: The Shenzhou VI mission takes two men into space
Oct 2007: Chang'e-1 orbiter sent on unmanned mission to the Moon ]
He will retrieve an externally mounted experiment and oversee the release of a satellite.
At the end of the mission, the Shenzhou re-entry capsule will target a landing in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Dr Roger Launius, senior curator at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC, told BBC News: "It is a demonstration of technological virtuosity. It's a method of showing the world they are second to none - which is a very important objective for [China]."
China became only the third nation after the United States and Russia to independently put a man in space when Yang Liwei, another fighter pilot, went into orbit on the Shenzhou V mission in October 2003.
Two years later, Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng completed a five-day flight on Shenzhou VI.
According to the Associated Press, China's official news agency posted an article on its website prior to the lift-off that was written as if Shenzhou VII had already been launched into space.
The article reportedly carried a date of 27 September and came complete with a dialogue between the astronauts.
Chinese media report that this latest mission is the "most critical step" in the country's "three-step" space programme.
These stages are: sending a human into orbit, docking spacecraft together to form a small laboratory and, ultimately, building a large space station.
The Shenzhou VIII and IX missions are expected to help set up a space laboratory complex in 2010.
China launched an unmanned Moon probe last year about one month after rival Japan blasted its own lunar orbiter into space.
Crowds turned out to see the Long-March II-F rocket move to the launch pad
BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Lift-off for China space mission
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Facts and Figures: Shenzhou-7 spacecraft
English_Xinhua 2008-09-25 20:31:16
BEIJING, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Following are some facts and figures about Shenzhou-7, China's third manned spacecraft, which will be put to orbit on Thursday.
3 passengers
-- The Shenzhou (Divine Vessel) Seven carries Chinese astronauts, Zhai Zhigang, Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng. The trio, all born in 1966, joined into China's manned space program in 1998. The highlight of their mission is a spacewalk.
3 days
-- The spacecraft, which consists of the orbital module, re-entry module and propelling module, is designed for a voyage of up to five days. But the Shenzhou-7 mission will only last about three days.
8 systems
-- Scientists, engineers and other staff working for the mission are grouped into eight different systems -- astronauts system, space application system, manned spacecraft system, rocket system, launch pad system, remote control and communications system, landing system and space laboratory system.
30 minutes
-- An astronauts will carry out a 30-minute extravehicular activity (EVA), but it takes nearly 15 hours to assemble and put on the EVA suit. The EVA task includes retrieving a three-kilogram solid lubricant experiment device placed at the exterior of the spacecraft module.
30 plans
-- A total of 30 emergency plans have been made for the space walk alone.
80 food varieties
-- The astronauts will have an extended menu of nearly 80 foods, as compared to the 50-odd varieties in the 2005 Shenzhou-6 mission. Choices include spicy kung-pao chicken, deshelled shrimp and dry fruits.
100 meters
-- The 100-meter-tall launch tower is equipped with an emergency slide way for astronauts. It is about 1,500 meters away from the ground control center.
220 technical modifications
-- Compared with Shenzhou-6, more than 200 technical modifications have been made to Shenzhou-7.
343 kilometers
-- The Shenzhou-7 will fly in a circular orbit 343 kilometers above the Earth after an orbit transfer from an elliptical orbit.
583 seconds
-- The spaceship will be carried into orbit at about 583 seconds after a blast-off with the Long March II-F rocket.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-09/25/content_10111090.htm
English_Xinhua 2008-09-25 20:31:16
BEIJING, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Following are some facts and figures about Shenzhou-7, China's third manned spacecraft, which will be put to orbit on Thursday.
3 passengers
-- The Shenzhou (Divine Vessel) Seven carries Chinese astronauts, Zhai Zhigang, Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng. The trio, all born in 1966, joined into China's manned space program in 1998. The highlight of their mission is a spacewalk.
3 days
-- The spacecraft, which consists of the orbital module, re-entry module and propelling module, is designed for a voyage of up to five days. But the Shenzhou-7 mission will only last about three days.
8 systems
-- Scientists, engineers and other staff working for the mission are grouped into eight different systems -- astronauts system, space application system, manned spacecraft system, rocket system, launch pad system, remote control and communications system, landing system and space laboratory system.
30 minutes
-- An astronauts will carry out a 30-minute extravehicular activity (EVA), but it takes nearly 15 hours to assemble and put on the EVA suit. The EVA task includes retrieving a three-kilogram solid lubricant experiment device placed at the exterior of the spacecraft module.
30 plans
-- A total of 30 emergency plans have been made for the space walk alone.
80 food varieties
-- The astronauts will have an extended menu of nearly 80 foods, as compared to the 50-odd varieties in the 2005 Shenzhou-6 mission. Choices include spicy kung-pao chicken, deshelled shrimp and dry fruits.
100 meters
-- The 100-meter-tall launch tower is equipped with an emergency slide way for astronauts. It is about 1,500 meters away from the ground control center.
220 technical modifications
-- Compared with Shenzhou-6, more than 200 technical modifications have been made to Shenzhou-7.
343 kilometers
-- The Shenzhou-7 will fly in a circular orbit 343 kilometers above the Earth after an orbit transfer from an elliptical orbit.
583 seconds
-- The spaceship will be carried into orbit at about 583 seconds after a blast-off with the Long March II-F rocket.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-09/25/content_10111090.htm
The Long-March II-F carrier rocket carrying the Shenzhou-7 spaceship blasts off from the launch pad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gansu Province, on 21:10 p.m., Sept. 25, 2008. (Xinhua/Li Gang)
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