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| East Asia |
| Chinese Yuhangyuan Could Reach Space In Fortnight |
| 2003-09-30 |
| edited by me for length Excitement and tension is mounting as the liftoff of the first ever Chinese manned spaceflight is rapidly approaching. Barring from major technical issues and inclement weather, the historic Shenzhou-5 mission (SZ-5, Shenzhou means "Divine Vessel" or "Magic Vessel") would likely be launched between Oct. 11 and 17, Wen Wei Po reported here last Wednesday (Sept. 24). Unidentified sources told the newspaper that the widely reported launch date of Oct. 10 was "a speculation [and] incorrect." It’s no secret to those who are "concerned" about China that they have been putting together a pretty impressive (by 1960’s standards) space program over the last decade. This is the crucial moment for that program. These sources added that based on the current status of the launch preparation and the average weather conditions at this time of the year, the daytime liftoff would happen "within a week after Oct. 10." Launch processing has been progressing well. Lin Wenjie, a designer of the control system on the Changzheng-2F (CZ-2F, or Long March-2F) rocket, told Wenzhou Evening News on Sept. 17 that launch processing crews at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre (JSLC) in the northwestern Gansu Province had just completed the integration of SZ-5 with CZ-2F. Both SZ-5 and its CZ-2F launcher, which the former President Jiang Zemin dubbed "Shenjian" ("Divine Arrow" or "Magic Arrow"), arrived at the Chinese manned flight spaceport in late August. The two vehicles underwent integration and further testing in a vertical fashion at the massive Vertical Assembly and Testing Building (VATB). The launcher had passed all three stages of testing prior to integrating with SZ-5. The first stage involved testing of five major electrical subsystems on CZ-2F: control system, utility system, telemetry, tracking and command (TT&C) system. The second stage included coupling tests to verify the working of various subsystems together. The last stage was a comprehensive testing of the entire rocket. Due to the significance of the mission the General Armament Department of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), which has the sole responsibility for the launch of SZ-5, has implemented unprecedented strict security measures. A successful SZ-5 mission would elevate China to join the exclusive club of becoming the third nation with the capability of launching its own people into space in its own rocket. Yang Chen Ning, the first Chinese scientist to receive a Nobel Physics prize (in 1957), said that even though Russia and U.S. had long achieved manned spaceflight, the research and development of SZ-5 and its successful launch would carry a very significant meaning to China in two aspects. In an interview with the local newspaper Ta Kung Po on Sept. 16, Dr. Yang said that the making and launching of a manned Shenzhou spacecraft would signify a great achievement and a new height in the development of science and technology in China. Top of the world, Ma! Dr. Yang also said that a successful mission would raise the prestige of China and increase the self-confidence of its people. He believes that this kind of intangible benefits should receive more consideration than the actual results of the mission. Look guys, communism does work! Kinda. Chinese all over the world are eagerly awaiting the launch of SZ-5. The dragon descendants have long sought to reach space. The dream is alive and perhaps in two weeks it will become a reality. Dream? Dream of.... what exactly? Nevemind: we already know. |
| Posted by:Secret Master |
| #4 I wonder if the Chinese will make the same mistake as the Russians and forget about pressurizing precautions. I sure hope they do! I doubt they'll make the same mistake, largely because the people working on the project are largely former employees of the Russian space program. Not that you'll see Russian faces in any official Chinese photo-ops - after all, the Chinese have their racial pride to think about. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2003-9-30 10:14:29 PM |
| #3 I wonder if the Chinese will make the same mistake as the Russians and forget about pressurizing precautions. I sure hope they do! |
| Posted by: Charles 2003-9-30 9:51:06 PM |
| #2 The real significance of this mission isn't the guy they send into space - it's the commitment they're demonstrating in reaching for the ultimate high ground. From a defense perspective, this Chinese effort bears watching. We need to revive funding for NASA and put some real money into Space Command so that it's not simply a glorified talking shop for new ideas. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2003-9-30 4:28:59 PM |
| #1 Hope they have as good a recovery system as they THINK they have launch system. Going up isn't the hard part - even Orville & Wilbur knew that. It's the coming back down in one piece that's the real prize winner. We'll wait and see... |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-9-30 4:07:47 PM |