China Prepares For Space Launch
Posted on: Monday, 8 September 2008, 08:40 CDT
China’s third manned space mission will launch in late September according to Xinhua, a state-run news agency.
China’s first spacewalk will occur during the Shenzhou VII flight and will be broadcast live with cameras outside and inside the spacecraft.
Previous reports dated the launch to occur in October, but new information shows that the launch will take place between September 25 and 30.
In 2003, China became the third nation to send a human into space.
The new mission will launch from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.
The mission, which is more technically demanding than previous missions, has kept Chinese technicians busy checking the readiness of the spacecraft.
To perform the spacewalk, two crew members will enter the spacecraft’s vacuum module. One will perform the spacewalk while the other will monitor the mission.
The "yuhangyuan" (astronauts), will use two types of spacesuits, one Russian made suit, and one Chinese made suit. The reason why China decided to use two suits is unclear.
Dr. Morris Jones, a spaceflight analyst, suggested that China may want to test both suits, or may not be fully confident in their own suit.
The yuhangyuan have been training in a water tank, preparing for weightlessness, though their identities have not yet been released.
The Shenzhou spacecraft is similar to the Russian Soyuz capsules, but larger. The Chinese craft is equipped with its own propulsion system, allowing autonomous flight, while the Soyuz is not.
According to Xinhua, testing on the Shenzhou spacecraft, and the Long-March II-F rocket is complete. Engineers have made over 30 improvements to the new rocket.
"There were some rocket vibrations after it took off which sometimes made our astronauts experience physical discomfort," said Jin Muchun, the Long-March II-F's chief designer.
"So we have been trying to eliminate the vibrations by changing the frequency of the engine and the electric circuit of the rocket."
A small satellite will also be launched during the mission.
Last year China launched an unmanned Moon probe one month after Japan launched its own lunar orbiter.
According to Dr. Michael Griffin, head of the US space agency, China is capable of sending a manned mission to the Moon within the next 10 years.
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Source: redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports
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