China Prepare For Second Manned Mission

The Chinese are preparing for a Wednesday launch of their second manned space flight in as many years!

Officials also told Xinhua that two astronauts had been chosen for the Shenzhou VI mission, though they have not yet been publicly named.

From BBC News
Earlier reports indicated the craft is set to orbit the earth for five days.

China sees its space programme as an important symbol of its emergence as a world power.

The launch comes almost exactly two years after China's first manned space flight, which made astronaut Yang Liwei a national hero.

Unlike the last mission, Xinhua said a live broadcast of the launch would be provided to foreign media.

Shenzhou VI will blast off from the Jiuquan launch site in the Gobi Desert, Xinhua said.

Other official media said the launch was expected between 0800 and 0900 local time (0100 and 0200 GMT).

It will return to a landing site in the remote northern region of Inner Mongolia.

"Preparations for the launch are going well," an official on the space programme told Xinhua.

The two pilots chosen for the mission were selected after a rigorous screening process that started with 14 former fighter pilots, Xinhua said.

The identities of the men are still being kept secret, but the Chinese press have speculated that one of them is Nie Haisheng, who narrowly missed out on the 2003 flight.

The Shenzhou V Rocket and Yang Liwei, who became Chinas first man in space in 2003!



IMO China will beat the US back to the Moon!

China are really pushing to show their strength in the world at the moment, and if they beat the US back to the Moon it will show that they are capable of massive growth and technological advances in a short space of time...Which should worry the US!

Its time the US started putting some serious money into their space program, and follow in the footsteps of the Apollo missions!


Mic


[edit on 11/10/2005 by MickeyDee]

[edit on 11/10/2005 by MickeyDee]

Just found this too.....


Satellite Spots China Manned Rocket

Originally From Space.com
A commercial remote sensing spacecraft has caught Chinese space workers readying their second piloted space mission.

The Ikonos satellite, operated by Space Imaging of Thornton, Colorado, took images of China’s human spaceflight launch complex on October 3 and October 9, with a shadow covering much of the rocket between two structures. The very tip of the rocket can be seen emerging from the shadow.

Launch of the Long March booster topped by the Shenzhou 6 is expected soon, according to several of China’s news services. The craft reportedly will carry two astronauts, with liftoff from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China’s Gansu Province.

Mic

yes。will launch hour later, i m watching a live show from cctv

here i found a pic of the two new Taikonaut,both of them are selected from PLAAF

Here's the countdown and article:

www.space.com...
Countdown doesn't seem to be working...

Here's an interesting article on launch reliability, failures and analysis:
www.aero.org...
www.aero.org...

[edit on 11-10-2005 by ZPE StarPilot]

Originally posted by ZPE StarPilot
Here's the countdown and article:

www.space.com...
Countdown doesn't seem to be working..

[edit on 11-10-2005 by ZPE StarPilot]

where?can you quote the paragraph talkin about countdown thing?

i think there is approximately 2 sec delay after the 0

Chinese Astronauts Blast Into Space

Originally From BBC News
China has successfully launched its second manned spacecraft, carrying two Chinese astronauts into orbit.
The lift-off, from Jiuquan in the Gobi desert, was shown live on state television and included views from a camera on the outside of the craft.

The mission is expected to see the Shenzhou VI orbit the Earth for five days, during which the astronauts will carry out experiments.

Mic

Good work China!

Soon the ISS will receive a Chinese restaurant module and its residents will enjoy their famous couisine. Space Takeout is the best takeout.

China should be very proud. Godspeed to these guys on their mission.

This was the part that interested me most...

1. Forward orbital module - crew live and work in this section, which contains scientific equipment. In future missions, this module may remain in space as part of a Chinese space station
2. Re-entry capsule - contains seats for three crew
3. Propulsion module - contains spacecraft's power unit and liquid fuel rocket system
4. Solar panels - spacecraft carries two sets with a total area of 40 square metres, which generate an average 1.5kW of power

Notice this part...

1. Forward orbital module - crew live and work in this section, which contains scientific equipment. In future missions, this module may remain in space as part of a Chinese space station

So China wants a space station???

The reason this interests me is because a number of nations currently have a half build station orbiting the Earth called the ISS.

We all know how many problems we are having completing it, so why not let China in on the project?

Joining forces with Russia for the ISS and space in general has helped relations between the two nations no-end, so would it improve relations with China, aswell as getting some much needed cash pumped into the ISS?

Just seems pointless China building their own when they can just add capsules to the existing ISS saving money for themselves and no doubt learning from the other nations that have been involved with the ISS!


Mic

i will tell you why china will not join the world on the iss.its because humans have no common sense. i would love to see that happen though, and id love to see a world effort towards a manned mission to mars . think of how amazing it would b if the whole world held their breath at once as a china/russia/esa/brazil/japan/usa/ saudi/ israel / egypt / ect ect lander hit the mars surface. it would b great for humanity. but we have no common sense. btw congrats to china .

[edit on 13-10-2005 by elitegamer23]

Orbit slips. Gravity has drawn Shenzhou VI too close to earth. They will try to correct it.

Originally posted by MickeyDee

IMO China will beat the US back to the Moon!

[edit on 11/10/2005 by MickeyDee]

Thats back to the Moon the US was already there in the late 60s. They are about at the stage that Russia was at in 1961. Its good seeing another country get people into space but im not that impressed, We already have had private manned spaceflights

Well the Chinese are ahead in development of a moon mission while the US still rests on it's Laurels so to speak. I've heard that the plans for Apallo are incomplete and almost indesipherable, it's sort of starting from scratch in a way. China isn't that far behind in technology you know in space technology they are quite literally nipping at the heels of the US, they don't have to "invent" things the way the Russians and US did so they have a much easier and fastrack schedule towards the moon. The US better get of it's butt if they plan on competing in manned exploration during the next 50 years. Momentum in this business has quite allot of inertia. Keep that in mind when saying you're not that impressed with China that tune could be completely different in 20 years.

I wonder how much money China is spending on their program versus the US, EU and Russia. I doubt we will know the true figure as it is a military project... but I'd wager they are outspending the US at this point in time.

[edit on 13-10-2005 by sardion2000]

In 20 years I might be impressed if they start pioneering some tech for space travel. Russia and the US did this all like you stated and they did it when some didnt even know if it was possible. China use to be a place of great innovation. They gave us Paper, printing, the compass and gunpowder. I just watched a show about how they were mass producing steel iron and steel hundreds of years before anyone eles in the world. Thats the China that I admire.

They gotta catch up before they can innovate and the speed in which they are catching up is impressive, that's my point (Think overall Inertia and compare it to the other programs out in the world) In terms of actual manned exploration NASA is still in the 80s except with better Computers. If China jumps onboard the Klipper program watch out CEV suddenly there will be a chief rival again. Of course as you said they are hardly experienced with this sort of stuff so if they would join that program for the technology alone they would pump Billions into it. That is if their pride isn't overflowing Hasn't been too much of a trouble with them so far what with most of their designs based off of Soviet tech albiet modified to more modern standards then in the 60s.(Let alone their fighter tech Nother thread though heh)

Mickeydee - China cant join the ISS because the US wont let it. They are fast approaching our rocket tech level...Which really isn't hard considering rockets really cant change much. If the go to the ISS they will be able to learn a lot of the other info...Like how to live in space and see how everything operates, and basically steal tech.

China has expressed that it would like to be one of the members of the ISS.....But it wont ever happen, So unfortunatly for them...There going to have to re-learn much of it.

Originally posted by Murcielago
If the go to the ISS they will be able to learn a lot of the other info...Like how to live in space and see how everything operates, and basically steal tech.

What is so bad about that???

The US has won the biggest prize EVER in space exploration...they set foot on another heavenly body before anyone...

There is no need for them to withhold tech from the Chinese...like said earlier, it would be much easier to land on mars with help from more nations!

So why not just let China in on the ISS...there is nothing the US can lose!


Mic

Some reason I think China is not allowed to join the ISS

First China's ambitions in space are driven as much if not more by politics - including domestic politics - as they are by any scientific quest. Putting a man in space was more to do with national pride. Its a highly political goal and is aimed at projecting China above other regional powers. Besides the US other ISS members like Japan that are in that region might not want to help China to that effect.

Second as Chinas space capabilities improve, it will have the ability also to improve its other military options. Improved space technology could significantly boost Chinese military capabilities. The US does not want China to acquire sensitive technology that could one day be put to military use

This brings me to my third point although the United States cooperates with Russia, Europe and the Japanese in endeavours concerning the International Space Station, but competes with them over commercial satellites. China is really good at making things alot cheaper when they figure out a technology.

So China wants a space station???

Project 921-2