 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Early Blast-Off Tipped For Spacewalk Mission
Beijing, China (SPX) Sep 04, 2008 The planned launch date of Shenzhou VII, China's third manned spacecraft, may be brought forward from next month to sometime this month, Hong Kong's Wen Wei Po newspaper said. A source reportedly told the paper the launch date will be between Sept 17, the closing day of the Beijing Paralympics, and Oct 1, China's National Day. "Now it is fairly certain it will be before National Day, because the best launch window for Shenzhou VII will be before Oct 1," the newspaper quoted the source as saying. But an officer with the General Armament Department of the People's Liberation Army, which oversees the Shenzhou program, told China Daily the report was "not reliable". The spacecraft will lift off from the Jiuquan rocket launch site in northwestern Gansu province with three astronauts. Two of them will enter the orbital module, with one expected to become the first Chinese spacewalker. Shenzhou VII has already been assembled and transferred to Jiuquan for final tests, the paper said. It will be launched on a Long March 2F rocket. On its return, the spacecraft is expected to land within the jurisdiction of Wulanchabu, a city in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, the paper said. Shenzhou VII astronauts will use a Chinese designed and made airlock module for extra vehicular activity - work done by an astronaut away from the Earth and outside of a spacecraft. The spacesuit is designed for such missions of up to seven hours. The much-awaited mission is the second stage of the country's three-staged manned space program, which seeks to launch a manned spacecraft, set up a space laboratory, and build a space station before 2020. The first phase was completed in 2003, when China became the third country to send a person into space on its own. In 2005, the country sent two more astronauts on a five-day flight on Shenzhou VI. Last year, Chang'e I, China's first lunar probe, was sent into orbit, drawing a close to the first stage of its lunar exploration project, which too involves three phases. The last aims to collect soil samples from the moon, also before 2020. Related Links The Chinese Space Program - News, Policy and Technology China News from SinoDaily.com
China to launch third manned space flight in September: report
Hong Kong (AFP) Sept 2, 2008China has brought forward the launch date of its third manned space flight to late September, a report said Tuesday. |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright Space.TV Corporation. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space.TV Corp on any Web page published or hosted by Space.TV Corp. Privacy Statement |
