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Post Info TOPIC: China's next mission
Blobrana


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Date:
Shenzhou VI
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According to Hong Kong media China's aerospace departments are seizing the time to make final preparations for the lift-off of "Shenzhou VI".
It was disclosed that the preliminarily scheduled launch of "Shenzhou VI" at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Base will be at 11.00 am on 13 October.
The spaceship will to return to the earth five days later, at 10.00 am on 18 October (local time). However, the time for the launch still has to be finalized depending on the weather and the situation of the preparations by that time.

It was pointed out that "Shenzhou V" was launched at 9.00 am the year before. The reason why the time close to noon has been chosen for launching "Shenzhou VI" this time is mainly because the rise in temperature at noon is more advantageous for the working personnel to make final preparations for "Shenzhou VI" and is also easier to provide full protection for the astronauts' personal safety should any accident occur.
It has been learned that a meteorological expert group have been working at the launch site and are responsible for providing weather forecast.
An expert pointed out that "Shenzhou I" and "Shenzhou II" were respectively launched in the small hours of the morning and at midnight, "Shenzhou III" was launched at 22.25 in the evening, and "Shenzhou IV" was launched in the small hours of the morning. The launch time for both "Shenzhou V" and "Shenzhou VI" is in the daytime. The main reason is to provide greater safety for the astronauts because these spaceships are manned spaceships.

At present, the last round of assembly and inspection of the "Shenzhou VI" manned spaceship and the Changzheng [Long March] 2F rocket are being carried out at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Base. It has been learned that the weight of "Shenzhou VI" will increase by 200 kg for carrying two astronauts. An aerospace expert taking part in the development and manufacture of the spaceship said that the key points in designing "Shenzhou VI" are to optimize the setup of the whole spaceship, make rational arrangements for the on-orbit working modes of the newly added equipment, ensure the energy balance of the spaceship, and further increase the reliability and safety of the spaceship.

As what was done before launching "Shenzhou V", three groups with a total of six astronauts are available to be finally chosen for "Shenzhou VI" in the countdown period.
Zhai Zhigang, who was once Yang Liwei's close comrade-in-arms, and Nie Haisheng are one of the three final groups. As viewed from various data and analyses, the "Zhai-Nie" group should be the strongest group with the greatest confidence. It is quite probable that this group will embark on "Shenzhou VI". However, this still depends on what happens in the last minute.

A researcher noted that "Shenzhou VI" is not just a duplicate of "Shenzhou V". Over 100 technological modifications have been made in "Shenzhou VI". The prolonged flight of "Shenzhou VI" will also be conducive to scientific research. "Shenzhou VI" will carry more subjects of experiment up the space. During the long flight, the two astronauts will be able to take off their 10 kg space suits, open the door between the return cabin and the orbit cabin, and enter for the first time the orbit cabin to conduct scientific experiments.
In the cabin of "Shenzhou VI", sleeping bags are provided in order to make the astronauts more comfortable; and the two astronauts can also warm up their food, do some sanitary work, and take a rest in turn.

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Blobrana


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Posts: 131433
Date:
Shenzhou 6
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Chinese state television will sell advertising during the live broadcast of the launch and re-entry of China's second manned space craft, Shenzhou 6.
This is a major change from the first manned space launch, Shenzhou 5, where neither the launch nor the re-entry were broadcast live on TV.

During the broadcast, five-second ads will sell for RMB 2.56 million (£177,000), 15-second for RMB 4.76 million (£327,000) and 30-second ads will sell for RMB 8.56 million (£583,000).

Ads will be broadcast on CCTV-1, CCTV-3, and CCTV-4 news channels, according to Beijing Business Today. Advertisements will be divided into three stages: from September 12 until the day before the launch, the launch day, and the day of the return to Earth.

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Blobrana


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Posts: 131433
Date:
Shenzhou VI
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Once in space, astronauts aboard the Shenzhou VI will for the first time be able to enter an orbital capsule instead of being stuck within the return capsule as Yang did on his 21-hour space trip two years ago onboard the Shenzhou V craft.



According to astronaut Yang Liwei, the journey on Shenzhou VI would be more comfortable. Heated food, sleeping bags and essential sanitary equipment would become available on the spacecraft. Astronauts also afford the time for alternated sleep.



Starting from next year, China is to begin a major recruitment of astronauts, among whom are a portion of women.
Shenzhou VI weighs over eight tons, while the Shenzhou V spacecraft weighed only 7.79 tons.





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Blobrana


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Posts: 131433
Date:
Shenzhou VI mission
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China's first man in space, Yang Liwei, will not be among the two astronauts who blast off on the country's second manned mission next month.
He said he wanted to give other astronauts the opportunity.

Yang, a fighter pilot, orbited the Earth 14 times in October 2003, and made China the third nation to send a man into space, after the United States and the former Soviet Union.

"I won't go on the Shenzhou VI mission" - Yang Liwei.

Yang confirmed the mission would take place in mid-October and said he was involved in the selection and training of the other 13 astronauts in line for a seat on the craft.

The second manned space flight will involve two astronauts and last 119 hours or five days.

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Blobrana


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Posts: 131433
Date:
Shenzhou VI
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China plans to launch its second manned space mission after the National Day holiday next month.
The spacecraft Shenzhou VI will be launched, after the October 1-7 holiday, from the Jiuquan Space Launch Centre in northwest China's Gansu province, using a Long March 2F rocket.
Shenzhou VI will carry two astronauts and stay in space for 119 hours ( five days).

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Blobrana


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China could move ahead the launch of its next manned space mission to as early as this month.

"The launch time for the Shenzhou VI is around September or October" Zhang Qingwei, president of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

When technicians conclude last-minute testing a more concrete flight time will be determined and two astronauts will be chosen for the flight from a group of 14.
The 14 astronauts being trained are all experienced airforce pilots, who have undergone seven to eight years of rigorous astronaut training. The chosen two will not be announced until close to the launch date.

The mission, which is expected to last five or six days, differs markedly from the Shenzhou V which was a solo flight that lasted only 21 hours in October 2003.
The craft will carry a Shanghai 2010 World Expo flag, although Zhang refused to reveal other objects the spacecraft would take into orbit. But he promised all would soon be revealed.

China is also developing its first unmanned lunar exploration craft for a launch by 2006.
China's space programme is still shrouded in secrecy with little known about events until several days before they happen. However since the success of the first manned flight, the authorities have shown a little more transparency.

Keenly aware of the military, scientific and commercial benefits of space knowledge, China has been aggressively pursuing space exploration for years.
Since its space programme was set up in 1992 it has grown to employ tens of thousands of scientists and other personnel.

Source Shanghai Morning Post

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Blobrana


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Posts: 131433
Date:
China's next mission
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The 14 candidates for China's next manned space mission have undergone testing for the zero-gravity conditions they will experience in space.
Competition is heating up as just two of the 14 astronauts will have a chance to be on the next space flight, expected to take place this autumn.
Despite the severe physical strain that a zero-gravity environment imposes on humans, none of the 14 gave up during the five days of meticulous testing.

"Not a single astronaut ever hesitated or dropped out during the extremely hard training," - Yang Liwei, who became China's first man in space in late 2003 aboard the `Shenzhou V` spacecraft, and who is also among the 14 vying for this autumn's flight.



Reflecting the strict secrecy surrounding China's space program, there are no reported details on where or how the zero-gravity tests were performed.
Previously in China's space program, zero-gravity experiments are reported to have been conducted in Russia, which, after decades of space travel, has the equipment and experience.



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