China Launches Third Mission and Spacewalk

Pelranius · Post by **Pelranius** » 2008-09-25 10:55am

From Yahoo
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080925/ap_ ... hina_space

China launches mission for first spacewalk

By WONG WAI-BOR, Associated Press Writer 40 minutes ago

JIUQUAN, China - China successfully launched a three-man crew into space Thursday to carry out the country's first spacewalk, beginning the nation's most challenging space mission since it first sent a person into space in 2003.
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The Shenzhou 7 spacecraft, China's third manned mission, blasted off atop a Long March 2F rocket shortly after 9 a.m. EDT under clear night skies in northwestern China.

The spacewalk by one of the astronauts is expected to take place either on Friday or Saturday.

Underscoring the mission's heavy political overtones, Chinese President and Communist Party head Hu Jintao was shown live on state television hailing the astronauts at the launch site near the northwestern town of Jiuquan.

"You will definitely accomplish this glorious and sacred mission. The motherland and the people are looking forward to your triumphant return," Hu told the three, who were dressed in their flight suits and behind glass to avoid germs.

The mission is expected to last three to four days. The spacewalk will last about 40 minutes.

The spacewalk is expected to help China master the technology for docking two orbiters to create China's first orbiting space station in the next few years.

The spacewalk could happen either Friday or Saturday depending on how well the astronauts adapt to weightlessness and other physical demands of their environment, according to the China Manned Space Engineering Office.

The astronauts would return to Earth soon after the spacewalk, the office said.

The two astronauts who don spacesuits for the Shengzhou 7 spacewalk will be supported by Russian experts throughout the mission. Only one will actually leave the orbiter module to retrieve scientific experiments placed outside.

One of the astronauts will wear China's homemade Feitian suit, while the other will wear a Russian-made suit.

Fighter pilot Zhai Zhigang, an unsuccessful candidate for the previous two manned missions, has been touted by the official Xinhua News Agency as the leading astronaut to carry out the spacewalk.

Zhai and fellow astronauts and fighter pilots Jing Haipeng and Liu Boming — all age 42 — were introduced to journalists at a news conference late Wednesday.

A decade of training together ensured effective, smooth cooperation between the three, Liu said.

"The Shenzhou 7 mission marks a historic breakthrough in China's manned space program," Zhai said. "It is a great honor for all three of us to fly the mission, and we are fully prepared for the challenge."

I wonder how long it'll take them to set up the space station?

Post by **Coyote** » 2008-09-25 11:46am

Good for them. At least someone is making a reach for space and building up science and technology. I hope they get that space station built pronto and spark a new space race, although I doubt it. I think America has mostly given up on space, or at least decided to hamper everything with so much red tape and wasteful muddling that we have effectively given up.

I wonder if the Russians will ditch efforts on the ISS and work with the Chinese? Perhaps the Russians will wait to see if the new administration is amenable to diplomacy or bellicosity before making such a dramatic walk-way from such an investment...

TithonusSyndrome · Post by **TithonusSyndrome** » 2008-09-25 11:49am

Space exploration and the development of permanent presences like the ISS are probably the most era-specific examples I can think of modern "wonders" that nations can build, like the ancient wonders were in their time for their nations. You'd think that American national pride would count for something in maintaining a robust space program, but I guess NASCAR and American Idol are more important.

Kanastrous · Post by **Kanastrous** » 2008-09-25 12:06pm

Good for the Chinese.

Still, it's tough to get all that worked up over something that others did, many times over, starting from scratch, over 60 years ago.

It's more exciting as a spread-of-basic-technology story, than as any kind of unique or groundbreaking success on China's part.

Losonti Tokash · Post by **Losonti Tokash** » 2008-09-25 02:07pm

Kanastrous wrote:Still, it's tough to get all that worked up over something that others did, many times over, starting from scratch, over 60 years ago.

While I can understand the sentiment, your dates are just a bit off. The first spacewalk was in 1965, not 1948.

At any rate, good for China. It's not likely to spawn a new space race, though, since most people have the same dismissive attitude of their achievement.

Kanastrous · Post by **Kanastrous** » 2008-09-25 03:25pm

Losonti Tokash wrote:
Kanastrous wrote:Still, it's tough to get all that worked up over something that others did, many times over, starting from scratch, over 60 years ago.
While I can understand the sentiment, your dates are just a bit off. The first spacewalk was in 1965, not 1948.

Well...

...be thankful I don't work on our space program, I guess.

Skylon · Post by **Skylon** » 2008-09-25 05:06pm

Coyote wrote:I wonder if the Russians will ditch efforts on the ISS and work with the Chinese? Perhaps the Russians will wait to see if the new administration is amenable to diplomacy or bellicosity before making such a dramatic walk-way from such an investment...

Doubtful. What was made apparent during the post-Columbia stand-down, and what scared NASA during the fall-out from Russia's invasion of Georgia, is that Russia can run ISS themselves.

Expand it? Not so much, but they can run it.

Commander 598 · Post by **Commander 598** » 2008-09-25 05:16pm

Not that it's actually all that useful...

Guardsman Bass · Post by **Guardsman Bass** » 2008-09-25 07:28pm

Commander 598 wrote:Not that it's actually all that useful...

It's always useful to have more research, development, and human presence in space (from the perspective of humanity, not necessarily America, Russia, the Far East, and so forth).

Post by **weemadando** » 2008-09-26 02:35am

WHUUUP-WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH.

News.com.au wrote:China posts fake rocket launch story

By staff writers

September 26, 2008 02:33pm
Article from: NEWS.com.au

CHINA'S leading Xinhua news agency reported the successful flight of the Shenzhou VII - complete with detailed dialogue between the astronauts - hours before the nation's third-ever manned space mission had even lifted off.

On Thursday morning, Xinhua posted a story on its website saying the Shenzhou capsule had been successfully tracked flying over the Pacific Ocean even though the rocket and its three astronauts had not yet been launched.

The article, dated September 27, described the rocket in flight, complete with a sharply detailed dialogue between the three astronauts.

Excerpts are below:

"After this order, signal lights all were switched on, various data show up on rows of screens, hundreds of technicians staring at the screens, without missing any slightest changes ...

"One minute to go!' 'Changjiang No.1 found the target! ...

"The firm voice of the controller broke the silence of the whole ship. Now, the target is captured 12 seconds ahead of the predicted time ...

"The air pressure in the cabin is normal!

"Ten minutes later, the ship disappears below the horizon. Warm clapping and excited cheering breaks the night sky, echoing across the silent Pacific Ocean."

An editor at Xinhau told AFP that the story had been posted due to a technical problem.

"We dealt with it after we had found it," the editor said.

The Shenzhou VII was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwestern China shorlty after 9pm (AEST) Thursday.

The mission, expected to last three to four days, is devoted almost entirely to the execution of the spacewalk, and is expected to help China master the technology for docking two orbiters to create the country's first orbiting space station in the next few years.

Patrick Degan · Post by **Patrick Degan** » 2008-09-27 02:01pm

And we have our first spacewalking taikonaut:

Mission commander Zhai Zhigang waves Chinese flag after emerging from his spaceship.

Astronaut takes China's first spacewalk

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- A Chinese astronaut has completed his country's first-ever spacewalk as part of an ambitious program that is starting to rival the United States and Russia in its rapid expansion.
Mission commander Zhai Zhigang waves Chinese flag after emerging from his spaceship.

Zhai Zhigang waved to an external camera as he emerged from the hatch of the Shenzhou-7 spaceship on Saturday.

He later held a small Chinese flag, waving it in space.

Zhai returned to the interior of his capsule and closed the hatch after less than 20 minutes outside.

State broadcaster CCTV showed live images of Zhigang as he floated out of the orbiter module's hatch. "Greetings to all the people of the nation and all the people of the world," The Associated Press quoted him as saying. Video Watch as astronaut waves Chinese flag in space »

Fellow astronaut Liu Boming also emerged briefly from the capsule to hand Zhai the Chinese flag. The third crew member, Jing Haipeng, monitored the ship from inside the re-entry module.

The three-man crew launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northern China's Inner Mongolia Thursday for a three-day mission, the highlight of which was Saturday's spacewalk.

The spacewalk paves the way for assembling a space station from two Shenzhou orbital modules, the next major goal of China's manned spaceflight program. Video Watch as China's spacecraft lifts off »

China became the third country to send people into space in 2003, when military pilot Yang Liwei circled the earth for 21 hours.
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Its second mission -- in 2005 -- had two crew members and lasted five days.

The latest mission has dominated front pages of China's state-controlled media, knocking aside coverage of China's continuing scandal involving contaminated milk.

Kanastrous · Post by **Kanastrous** » 2008-09-27 02:06pm

Mm hmm.

I'm thinking sound stage.

Commander 598 · Post by **Commander 598** » 2008-09-27 04:54pm

Guardsman Bass wrote:
Commander 598 wrote:Not that it's actually all that useful...
It's always useful to have more research, development, and human presence in space (from the perspective of humanity, not necessarily America, Russia, the Far East, and so forth).

Of course, but I was speaking directly of the ISS.

PeZook · Post by **PeZook** » 2008-09-27 09:15pm

Whoa, awesome!

Sure, they're just catching up now, but it proves they can reach orbit, control their spacecraft and maintain their astronauts for four days in space. While dismissive Americans can brag that they did it all a long time ago, once the Chinese get over their first basic hurdles, conquering space will be just a matter of investing enough resources.

Fingolfin_Noldor · Post by **Fingolfin_Noldor** » 2008-09-28 02:12am

PeZook wrote:Whoa, awesome!

Sure, they're just catching up now, but it proves they can reach orbit, control their spacecraft and maintain their astronauts for four days in space. While dismissive Americans can brag that they did it all a long time ago, once the Chinese get over their first basic hurdles, conquering space will be just a matter of investing enough resources.

Probably conquering space after using a tonne of Russian designed rockets etc. and other assorted Russian designs. I wonder how much of it is really their own input.

Zor · Post by **Zor** » 2008-09-28 02:17am

Once again, i tip my hat off to the Chinese Space Agency for their sucess in getting a man into space as well as there first sucsessful Spacewalk. Hopefully China's Space Program will promp Space Race MK-II.

Glares at Europe for there inability to launch spacecraft capable of putting human beings into space

But anyway, March On into space China, March on...

Zor

Block · Post by **Block** » 2008-09-28 02:49am

Out of curiosity, has there been any actual independant (non-chinese) confirmation that these people are actually up there? Just wondering, because I wouldn't put it past the propaganda mongers in China to make ALL of it up. I mean they even lied about some kid being the one singing at the Olympics because she wasn't cute enough... what's to stop them from bsing manned spaceflight?

Psychic_Sandwich · Post by **Psychic_Sandwich** » 2008-09-28 03:17am

Zor wrote: Glares at Europe for there inability to launch spacecraft capable of putting human beings into space

Well, that's more because we choose not to, rather than any real technical reason, and I believe that there's been noises made about changing that.

One can hope, at least.

Post by **fgalkin** » 2008-09-28 03:34am

Block wrote:Out of curiosity, has there been any actual independant (non-chinese) confirmation that these people are actually up there? Just wondering, because I wouldn't put it past the propaganda mongers in China to make ALL of it up. I mean they even lied about some kid being the one singing at the Olympics because she wasn't cute enough... what's to stop them from bsing manned spaceflight?

Just out of curiousity, has there been any actual independant (non-American) confirmation that the moonwalk happened? Just wondering, because I wouldn't put it past the propaganda mongers in America to make ALL of it up. I mean they even lied about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq... what's to stop them from bsing manned spaceflight?

I mean, yeah, they totally faked that live feed there and the suckers at CNN never knew a thing

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

mr friendly guy · Post by **mr friendly guy** » 2008-09-28 04:09am

Block wrote:Out of curiosity, has there been any actual independant (non-chinese) confirmation that these people are actually up there? Just wondering, because I wouldn't put it past the propaganda mongers in China to make ALL of it up. I mean they even lied about some kid being the one singing at the Olympics because she wasn't cute enough... what's to stop them from bsing manned spaceflight?

What the hell are you talking about? We know they substituted the kid because one of the organisers of the opening ceremony admitted it on chinese radio so they could give the substitute kid the credit she would otherwise have missed out on.

Karza · Post by **Karza** » 2008-09-28 04:40am

fgalkin wrote:Just out of curiousity, has there been any actual independant (non-American) confirmation that the moonwalk happened? Just wondering, because I wouldn't put it past the propaganda mongers in America to make ALL of it up. I mean they even lied about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq... what's to stop them from bsing manned spaceflight?

Oh, plenty of proof the moonwalk happened. Several times in fact

On a serious note, I'm glad to see the Chinese space program reach another milestone. I'd kinda like to see a new space race

.

PeZook · Post by **PeZook** » 2008-09-28 04:43am

You can't fake a manned launch. They could have possibly faked the spacewalk, but not the launch. And if you're getting people up there anyway, why not do the spacewalk for real, too?

Post by **K. A. Pital** » 2008-09-28 06:37am

Damn, the space hoax chit-chat always makes me laugh.

And now, a post-landing shot... "For friendship! Peace! For socialism!"

Skylon · Post by **Skylon** » 2008-09-28 10:07am

PeZook wrote:Whoa, awesome!

Sure, they're just catching up now, but it proves they can reach orbit, control their spacecraft and maintain their astronauts for four days in space. While dismissive Americans can brag that they did it all a long time ago, once the Chinese get over their first basic hurdles, conquering space will be just a matter of investing enough resources.

The follow on mission plan looks pretty ambitious. Especially since they haven't demonstrated a rendezvous and docking.

Shenzhou 8 and 9 will be launched unmanned, and docked together forming a "space laboratory". Shenzhou 10 will follow-up, manned. This is all scheduled for 2010.

Pelranius · Post by **Pelranius** » 2008-09-28 12:33pm

Fingolfin_Noldor wrote:
PeZook wrote:Whoa, awesome!

Sure, they're just catching up now, but it proves they can reach orbit, control their spacecraft and maintain their astronauts for four days in space. While dismissive Americans can brag that they did it all a long time ago, once the Chinese get over their first basic hurdles, conquering space will be just a matter of investing enough resources.
Probably conquering space after using a tonne of Russian designed rockets etc. and other assorted Russian designs. I wonder how much of it is really their own input.

The Long March rockets are of indigenous designs (based off of their old DF-5 ICBMs, which definitely don't have any Russian input).