China Launches Its First Moon Orbiter

2nd Manned Space Mission

China's First Manned Space Mission

    BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- China plans to carry out its first spacewalk in second half of the year, an official of the nation's manned space program said here on Thursday.

    The Shenzhou VII spacecraft will be launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwestern province of Gansu latein the year and the astronauts will leave their spacecraft for the first time, the official told Xinhua.

    The spacecraft will also release a small inspection satellite, which monitors its own performance.

    Breakthroughs have been made in significant techniques related to the spacewalk. Research into the development of spacecraft and rockets has been going smoothly, and astronauts have undertaken extensive training, according to the official.

    The Shenzhou VII mission will start the second phase of China's three-stage space program, said the official.

    In the second stage, China plans further breakthroughs in manned space flight, such as space walks and docking of the capsule and space module. In this phase, China will put into orbit a space laboratory staffed by humans for short periods and establish a fully-equipped space engineering system.

    In the third stage, China will build a permanent space station and a space engineering system. Astronauts and scientists will travel between the Earth and the space station to conduct large-scale experiments.

    China began its manned space program in 1999. It successfully sent Yang Liwei into orbit on the Shenzhou V spacecraft in 2003.

    Two years later, Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng completed a Chinese record of five-day flight on the Shenzhou VI. All returned safely.

China may broadcast maiden spacewalk live

    SHANGHAI, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- China may live broadcast the first ever spacewalk by its astronauts in the upcoming space mission of Shenzhou VII this year, a scientist involved in the program said here on Friday.

    Yuan Jie, president of Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST), made the remarks at the ongoing annual session of Shanghai People's Congress, or legislature of the city. Full story

China to launch Chang'e-2 lunar probe around 2009

    BEIJING, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- China plans to launch its second lunar probe, Chang'e-2, around 2009, according to a top satellite scientist.

    Ye Peijian, chief commander and designer of China's first moon probe satellite system, revealed the plan during an interview program on CCTV, China Central Television. Full story 

Chang'e-1 to meet moon eclipse

   BEIJING, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- China's first lunar probing satellite, Chang'e-1, will be put to test Thursday morning when the Earth eclipses the Sun and blocks the supply of solar energy.

    From about 10 a.m., the satellite will be hidden from the solar rays and lost the contact from the Earth for two and a half hours, said Ye Peijian, chief commander and designer in charge of the satellite system. Full story