Chinese astronauts practice manoeuvring
in a water tank designed to simulate the low-gravity environment of
space.(Xinhua File Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
JIUQUAN, Gansu Province, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- China's
manned spacecraft Shenzhou-7 will be launched at an appropriate time between
Sept. 25 and 30 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern Gansu
Province, a spokesman said here on Saturday.
The crew had conducted drills and their controlling over
the system was "skilled" and they were in "good" physical and mental state, said
the spokesman.
The information was revealed at a meeting held by the
headquarters of the mission, which will accomplish the first spacewalk by
Chinese astronauts.
The spokesman said propellant will be instilled into
the spacecraft on Sunday. After that the spacecraft will be joint with the
rocket and they will be transferred into their launch place for the final check.
"All the major systems involved in the launching are
now in the final preparation. The main tests for the spacecraft, the Long-March
II-F rocket, suits for the space walk and a satellite accompanying the fly have
also been finished," said the spokesman.
In addition, the ground control system is fully
prepared, including the launch site, the landing site, and the communication for
observation and control.
When Shenzhou-7 enters its orbit, one of the three
taikonauts will conduct a space walk, said Zhao Changxi, a senior scientist with
the project, earlier.
According to Zhao, cameras would be mounted outside
and inside of the ship for live broadcasting of the space walk.
While the last mission of Shenzhou-6, with a crew of
two, was aimed at multiple days of manned flight, this time the task might be
more stringent as one of its main goals is the space walk, he said.
Earlier reports said a crew of six astronauts had
been chosen for the mission, with three manning the spacecraft and three
substitutes.
On April 12, China launched a new space tracking ship
to serve the Shenzhou-7 spacewalk mission.
The new space tracking ship is the sister ship of the
Yuanwang-5, which was put into use a year ago. The two vessels will play a key
role in the Shenzhou-7 mission.
China successfully put two manned spacecraft into
orbit in 2003and 2005 respectively, becoming the third country to send an
astronaut into space after the United States and the former Soviet Union (now
Russia).
JIUQUAN, GANSU, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Long-March II-F
rocket for the launch of China's manned spacecraft Shenzhou VII has arrived at
the launch center in northwest China's Gansu Province.
The rocket is set to send the Shenzhou VII manned
spacecraft into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Full story
Members of the technical group for the
Long March 2F rocket attend a farewell ceremony in China Academy of Launch
Vehicle Technology in Bejing, China, July 19, 2008. The Long March 2F
rocket designed to carry China's third manned spacecraft into space will
be sent to Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gansu
province in a few days.(Xinhua Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
BEIJING, July 19 (Xinhua) -- The Long March 2F rocket
designed to carry China's third manned spacecraft into space will be sent to
Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest Gansu province in a few days,
officials with the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) said here
Saturday. Full story
BEIJING, July 2 -- The team that developed Shenzhou VII,
China's third manned spacecraft, will begin the final test at Jiuquan Satellite
Launch Center in Gansu province in a few days.
Zhang Bainan, chief designer of the spacecraft, said on
Tuesday that the research and development team of China Aerospace Science and
Technology Corp (CASC) will leave for Jiuquan early this month. Full story
BEIJING, June 12 (Xinhua) -- China's
Shenzhou VII manned space mission, which will include the first spacewalk by a
Chinese "taikonaut," is to launch in October, said a spokesman of the China
manned space engineering office here on Thursday.
He would not give the exact date of the launch, but
said a day would be selected in October. Full story
A virtual image of an astronaut
spacewalking outside the Shenzhou VII spaceship. (Photo: Chinadaily.com,
File Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
BEIJING, Feb. 21 -- An airlock module for the
Shenzhou VII spaceship and an extravehicular spacesuit - key elements of China's
first spacewalk mission scheduled for later this year - have passed initial
ground tests, a top scientist said yesterday.
"Both the airlock module and the extravehicular
spacesuit passed the tests, which simulated the zero-gravity environment of
space," Yang Baohua, head of the China Academy of Space Technology, said. Full story
