Special Report: Third Manned Space Mission
Commentary: Taikonaut Zhai's small step historical leap for China
Backgrounder: Chinese footprints in outer space
¡¡BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- China's third manned spaceship Shenzhou-7
launched a small monitoring satellite about two hours after an astronaut
accomplished the country's first spacewalk Saturday afternoon.
The satellite will orbit the orbital module of the spaceship.
"The task will test our ability to observe and control two satellites in
relative motion," said Zhou Jianping, chief designer of the country's manned
space program, in an earlier interview.
The small satellite, less than 40 kilograms in weight, will send back the
first full video images of the spaceship.
"The satellite is equipped with two cameras that can capture clear images
in a distance between four meters and two km," said Shen Xuemin, deputy director
of the Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics under the Chinese Academy of
Sciences, developer of the satellite.
The accompanying satellite will observe and assist the main spaceship as
well as work for communication, scientific experiment, earth and astronomy
observation, he said.
BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese taikonaut Zhai Zhigang slipped out of the orbital module of Shenzhou-7 Saturday afternoon, starting China's first spacewalk or extravehicular activity (EVA) in the outer space. Full story
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In this video grab taken on Friday, September 27, 2008 from China Central Television, Chinese astronaut Zhai Zhigang waves as he conducts China's first spacewalk. (Xinhua)
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The video grab taken on Sept. 27, 2008 at the Beijing Space Command and Control Center in Beijing, China, shows Chinese taikonaut Zhai Zhigang checks the door of the orbital module. Zhai Zhigang began the activities of China's first spacewalk on Saturday afternoon. (Xinhua/Chen Jianli)
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BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Shenzhou-7 mission leader Zhai Zhigang has been confirmed to perform a spacewalk, the mission headquarters announced on Saturday afternoon. Full story
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The video grab taken on Sept. 26, 2008 at the Beijing Space Command and Control Center in Beijing, China, shows the EVA (extra-vehicular activities) space suits. Two Chinese taikonauts have moved from re-entry module of Shenzhou-7 spacecraft to its orbital module, in preparations for China's first space walk. (Xinhua/Chen Jianli)
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Chinese taikonauts Zhai Zhigang and Liu Boming try their space suits in the orbit module of the Shenzhou-7 spacecraft, in this video grab taken on Sept. 26, 2008. The Shenzhou-7 spacecraft, which blasted off at 9:10 p.m. Thursday at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gansu Province, has functioned well as planned. (Xinhua/Zha Chunming)
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BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Two Chinese taikonauts have moved from re-entry module of Shenzhou-7 spacecraft to its orbital module, starting preparations for China's first space walk.
Two crew members are testing the functions of the control panels and charging the EVA (extra-vehicular activities) space suit. Full story
BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The three taikonauts on the Shenzhou-7 spacecraft are in sound physical conditions and ready for the planned spacewalk, the Beijing ground control center announced on Saturday. Full story
