Special Report: Third Manned Space Mission
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The video grab taken at the Beijing
Space Command and Control Center on Sept. 27, 2008 shows Chinese taikonaut
Zhai Zhigang waving while walking out of the orbit module of the
Shenzhou-7 spacecraft. (Xinhua/Chen
Jianli) |
BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Three Chinese astronauts onboard
the spacecraft Shenzhou-7 are heading back to the Earth after completing the
country's first spacewalk mission.
The craft's descent module needs to undergo complex procedures of engine brakes and separation from the orbital module, then the propelling module, before being parachuted to a "theoretical landing site" at Siziwangqi, in the central part of northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
The space module will descend with the help of a 1,000square-meter parachute, which axes the speed of the module from thousands of kilometers per second to eight per second, the search squad headquarters told Xinhua.
The landing site has been cleared and visibility is good, the headquarters announced. About 300 search and rescue staff have been deployed across the grassland to locate the module. Six helicopters are hovering the area.
The Ground control center expects the landing around 5:44 p.m. The taikonauts will be examined by doctors and adapt themselves to the gravitation on the Earth before exiting the module, it said.
The Shenzhou-7 craft blasted off at 9:10 p.m. on Thursday, carrying Taikonauts Zhai Zhigang, Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng. They have spent about 68 hours in the flight.
Zhai Zhigang performed a 20-minute spacewalk, the country's first, on Saturday.
Commentary: Taikonaut
Zhai's small step historical leap for China
Backgrounder: Chinese
footprints in outer space
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The video grab taken at the Beijing
Space Command and Control Center on Sept. 27, 2008 shows Chinese
taikonauts (L-R) Jing Haipeng, Zhai Zhigang and Liu Boming talk on the
spacecraft Shenzhou-7 with Chinese President Hu Jintao who is in Beijing,
capital of China, Sept. 27, 2008.(Xinhua Photo/Chen Jianli)
Photo
Gallery>>> |
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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Gallery>>> |
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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)
Photo
Gallery>>> |
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)
Photo
Gallery>>> |
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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)
Photo
Gallery>>> |
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
