Home>News Center>China
       
 

Duet Chinese to orbit Earth this autumn
By Zhao Huanxin (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-01-20 23:52

Two Chinese astronauts may be orbiting Earth as early as September, this time spending five days aloft in the nation's second manned venture into outerspace, China's space agency chief confirmed Thursday.

Sun Laiyan, who heads the China National Space Administration, also said the country expects to expand exchanges with the United States in space science and applications to further tap co-operative potential.


China's first astronaut Yang Liwei looks out of the Shenzhou V spaceship after his capsule landed on a grassland of northern China's Inner Mongolia, Oct.16, 2003. [newsphoto/Xu Jingxing]

"Compared with (China's first astronaut) Yang Liwei's solo mission, Shenzhou-VI will carry two men to circle the globe for five to six days sometime in September or October," Sun told China Daily Thursday in an exclusive interview.

"If the flight is successful, China's space programme will proceed to space walks and spaceship docking, with the earliest space walks scheduled for 2007," the senior space official added.

Amid widespread media speculation about the nation's space programme, the official confirmed the country has been actively preparing for the take-off of another spaceship following its maiden manned mission in October 2003.

"There are more demanding requirements to ensure the reliability of the capsule and safety of two astronauts compared with Yang's flight -- for example in life-support systems," said Sun.

Yang's mission lasted 21 1/2 hours.

Chinese scientists have already worked out problems regarding spacecraft environmental controls and life support, according to a statement issued by China Aerospace Science and Technology, the major manufacturer of the manned spacecraft and its launch vehicle.

Sun said there is an arrangement for astronauts to move from the spaceship's re-entry module to live and do scientific tests in the craft's orbital module.

Due to optimization of its configuration, the spacecraft will not hold any more weight on the second launch, though it will carry the second astronaut and fly the extra days.

It will again be launched atop a China-manufactured Long March 2F rocket, he said.

Asked if Yang Liwei will be part of the second mission, Sun said no decision has yet been made about the crew's makeup.

But he said the duo will be chosen from the same 14 fighter-jet pilots who were part of the first selection process in which Yang was chosen.

Finalists will not be announced until one or two days before the designated launch, based on astronauts training performance, psychology and mood, he said.

Manned space activity aside, China also plans to send about five satellites into orbit this year, including foreign-made communications satellites and several others for scientific experiment, he said, declining to specify further details.

Co-operation with the US

The Chinese space agency chief said he looks forward to meeting his US counterpart this year when the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) administrator is set to make a trip to China.

Sun met with NASA chief Sean O'Keefe in Washington in early December, and Sun said he believed the talks paved the way to further bilateral relations.

That was the first meeting between the two agencies since 1996.

There are broad space for China and the US to collaborate, like on the space technology application and space science areas, including exploration of outer space, Sun said.

He stressed more understanding between the two is paramount, as there is some misunderstanding in the US that China might acquire space technology for other purposes.

Sun said such speculations are totally groundless, as the country has always relied on itself and developed space technology independently.

The official said his agency representatives will participate in a NASA-sponsored workshop on deep space exploration at University of Maryland in April.



 
  Today's Top News     Top China News
 

Japanese minister touts Shinkansen in Beijing

 

   
 

Briefing: 'China a victim of terrorism'

 

   
 

Families of hostages in Iraq issue plea

 

   
 

Airlines sign ground service pact

 

   
 

Four more years of Bush agitates world

 

   
 

Cellphone users send 217.7 bn SMS in 2004

 

   
  Hostages' families pray for safe return
   
  China, Grenada resumes diplomatic ties
   
  Chinese firms file lawsuit on DVD patent
   
  Beijing feels the pinch of winter gas shortage
   
  Governor-turned-professor nabbed in Sichuan
   
  China to shut down gambling websites
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  News Talk  
  It is time to prepare for Beijing - 2008  
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 伊人色综合久久天天| 黄色片视频国产| 欧美日韩亚洲一区二区三区 | 国产欧美日韩亚洲一区二区三区 | 中文无码乱人伦中文视频在线V| 狠狠干.com| 国产区精品在线| CHINESE中国精品自拍| 成年人在线免费观看视频网站| 亚洲最大在线观看| 老师让我她我爽了好久网站| 国产黄a三级三级看三级| 久久久噜噜噜久久中文字幕色伊伊 | 九九九国产视频| 男人边吃奶边摸下边的视频| 国产成人做受免费视频| 亚洲国产成人九九综合| 精品福利一区二区三区| 国产李美静大战黑人| xx00动态图| 日本老熟妇xxxxx| 五月丁香六月综合缴清无码| 欧美亚洲国产激情一区二区| 免费女人18毛片a级毛片视频| 黄网站在线观看高清免费| 国产精品jizz在线观看直播| jizzjizz护士| 日本三级吃奶乳视频在线播放| 亚洲欧美人成综合导航| 练瑜伽的时候进入| 国产成人精品日本亚洲专区6| WWW国产成人免费观看视频| 无码av无码天堂资源网| 亚洲伊人久久大香线蕉结合 | 男女特黄一级全版视频| 全彩熟睡侵犯h| 韩国精品视频在线观看| 国产成人精品久久综合| 激情五月婷婷网| 国产超碰人人模人人爽人人添| 两个人看的视频播放www|