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China to launch Shenzhou VII Thursday

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-09-24 14:54

Jiuquan, Gansu -- China will launch its third manned spacecraft Shenzhou VII from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu province in the northwest on Thursday, a spokesperson with China's manned space program said on Wednesday.

The launch window was set between 9:07 pm to 10:27 pm (Beijing Time), said Wang Zhaoyao.

Special coverage: Manned Space Mission

Related readings:  China to launch Shenzhou VII Thursday  Ground team ready for Shenzhou VII launch  Shenzhou VII docked with rocket  One astronaut will conduct space during Shenzhou VII mission

One of the major tasks of the mission would be extravehicular activity (EVA), or known as space walk, the first of its kind attempted by Chinese taikonauts (astronauts), the official said.

The success of the task will mark a remarkable step for China, whose long-term target is to eventually set up a space station.

Other tasks included the release of a small monitoring satellite and trials of satellite data relay, said Wang, also deputy director of China's manned space program office.

The Shenzhou VII, carrying three taikonauts, will be launched on a Long-March II-F carrier rocket and then moved into orbit at an altitude of 343 kilometers.

Two taikonauts would enter the orbital module, where they would put on EVA spacesuits and prepare for the extravehicular activities. One taikonaut would be donned with Chinese-made Feitian EVA suit and the other with a Russian Orlan suit.

"One taikonaut will get out of the cabin and take back the test samples loaded outside the module," Wang said.

"After the EVA is completed, the spacecraft will release a small monitoring satellite. A trial of the data relay of satellite Tianlian I will also be carried out," Wang said.

Wang said compared with the previous two manned space missions, the Shenzhou VII faced unprecedented technical difficulties.

"EVA is a big leap for the manned space program," he said. China had made a series of technical breakthroughs, including the research and development of an EVA suit and airlock module.

Chen Shanguang, commander-in-chief of the astronaut system, said that the Chinese-made EVA spacesuit costs 30 million yuan (about $4.4 million) and can be worn by astronauts of 160 cm to 180 cm high.

The most complicated, advanced and expensive suit in the world, the EVA spacesuit provides a pressurized atmosphere, oxygen and temperature control for the astronauts. It also protects astronauts from radiation, micrometeoroids and other harmful particles in space. It also allows astronauts to communicate with others.

Chen said China spent less than four years on developing the EVA spacesuit and its design and assembling were done by the Chinese independently.

During the mission, taikonauts would need to assemble and test the EVA suits, depressurize and repressurize the cabin, exit and re-enter the orbital module.

"The process of extravehicular activities cannot be simulated completely on the ground and some of the newly developed products are to be tested in flight for the first time," Wang said.

"The capability and skills of the taikonauts and the quality of their operations directly determine the result of the mission," Wang said.

To ensure full-time monitoring during the EVA stage, China has added more ground monitoring stations and mobilized nine tracking ships and 30 planes. "The number of systems involved in the mission is unprecedented," Wang said.

The Shenzhou VII crew had finished their last rehearsal and a final check of the spacecraft, rocket and ground observation and control system had been completed.

The three Shenzhou VII taikonauts are expected to meet the press at Jiuquan launch center 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

The Shenzhou VII is scheduled to land in the central area of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in northern China after its mission is completed.

In 2003, China became the third country after the United States and Russia to send a human into orbit. It followed with a two-man mission in 2005.

Founded in 1958, the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center is located in the arid Jiuquan Prefecture, Gansu Province, and is China's oldest satellite launch center. The center is used to launch scientific experimental satellites and retrievable satellites at lower, medium-range and higher orbits.