Special Report: Third Manned Space Mission

The re-entry module of China's Shenzhou-7 spacecraft is lifted onto a truck at Beijing's Changping railway station Sept. 30, 2008. The module was shipped to Beijing Tuesday afternoon, two days after its safe landing in northern China's Inner Mongolia. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- Scientists plan to open the re-entry module of the Shenzhou-7 spacecraft on Wednesday and collect samples and data.

    The module brought the three astronauts, or taikonauts, safely back from China's third manned space mission on Sunday and was transported by train to its maker, the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), on Tuesday.

    "Experts will check the module's interior and exterior including the parachute, analyze the information and pick up the test sample of solid lubricant collected by the astronauts," said Shang Zhi, general director of the mission's spacecraft system.

    He said the sample will be given to the CAST for further study,along with other cargo carried by the spacecraft.

    There are other materials in the module, including extra-vehicular activity (EVA) gloves, the National Flag waved by Zhai Zhigang outside the spacecraft, a silk Chinese map, three emblems of China's Red Army and some masterpieces of Chinese painting and seal cuts.

    In a symbolic move marking improved cross-Strait relations, a flash disk containing greetings from people in the Mainland and Taiwan will also be collected from the module in sight of 14 Taiwan compatriots who joined a trip to witness the space mission in Beijing.

    At a ceremony held at the CAST, engineers opened the module cautiously and unveiled these items.

    The 0.8 kg EVA gloves worn by Zhai, who made China's first space walk, will become a treasured memento at the astronauts' training center.

    The crew left the domestically made "Feitian" spacesuit behind in the orbital module because of the limited capacity of the re-entry module.

    The national flag, hand-made by mission staff, was collected bythe CAST.

    The scientists also displayed seeds of 25 endangered plants that were collected on the world heritage Sanqing Mountain in southeast China's Jiangxi Province.

    The astronauts did biological and physical experiments on the seeds in the low-gravity environment during the mission, and other scientists will observe the impact of gravity on the plants' growth and evolution.