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*Director of the [[Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center]]: [[Major General]] [[Zhang Yulin]] ({{lang|zh|张育林}}) has been replaced, after his promotion to Chancellor of the [[National University of Defense Technology]], by the Vice Director of [[Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center]] [[Major General]] [[Cui Jijun]] ({{lang|zh|崔吉俊}})
*Director of the [[Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center]]: [[Major General]] [[Zhang Yulin]] ({{lang|zh|张育林}}) has been replaced, after his promotion to Chancellor of the [[National University of Defense Technology]], by the Vice Director of [[Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center]] [[Major General]] [[Cui Jijun]] ({{lang|zh|崔吉俊}})


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==Controversies==
==Controversies==
===False news report===
===False news report===
A false news article appeared on [[Xinhua News Agency]]'s [http://xinhuanet.com/ website] on 25 September 2008, reporting mission events dated 27 September 2008; the article was reported in several mainstream news sources.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/3082804/China-fakes-reports-from-space.html|title=China fakes reports from space |date=[[2008-09-26]]|accessdate=2008-09-26}}</ref><ref name="apFakeArticle">{{cite news|url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ig_kaxVkOSnGAZwKb9JC6z6RyTNwD93DPSS00|title=China space mission article hits Web before launch |author=Associated Press|date=[[2008-09-25]]|accessdate=2008-09-26}}</ref> The report described in detail the launch, which had not yet occurred, as well as the process of tracking and data transfer by a tracking ship, and dialogue between the crew members in space. The report was taken down the same day, and when contacted by the [[Associated Press]], a xinhuanet.com staffer who refused to give his name allegedly stated that it had been a "technical error by a technician."<ref name="apFakeArticle" />
A false news article appeared on [[Xinhua News Agency]]'s [http://xinhuanet.com/ website] on 25 September 2008, reporting mission events dated 27 September 2008; the article was reported in several mainstream news sources.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/3082804/China-fakes-reports-from-space.html|title=China fakes reports from space |date=[[2008-09-26]]|accessdate=2008-09-26}}</ref><ref name="apFakeArticle">{{cite news|url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ig_kaxVkOSnGAZwKb9JC6z6RyTNwD93DPSS00|title=China space mission article hits Web before launch |author=Associated Press|date=[[2008-09-25]]|accessdate=2008-09-26}}</ref> The report described in detail the launch, which had not yet occurred, as well as the process of tracking and data transfer by a tracking ship, and dialogue between the crew members in space. The report was taken down the same day, and when contacted by the [[Associated Press]], a xinhuanet.com staffer who refused to give his name allegedly stated that it had been a "technical error by a technician."<ref name="apFakeArticle" />

-->
==See also==
==See also==
* [[Chinese space program]]
* [[Chinese space program]]

Revision as of 23:07, 28 September 2008

Shenzhou 7
COSPAR ID2008-047A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.33369Edit this on Wikidata
Crew
Members3
 

Shenzhou 7 (simplified Chinese: 神舟七号; traditional Chinese: 神舟七號; pinyin: shénzhōu qīhào) is the third Chinese human space flight. This mission marked the commencement of the second phase of Project 921 of the Chinese space program. A Shenzhou spacecraft carrying three crew members was launched on September 25, 2008 at 21:10 CST on a Long March 2F (CZ-2F) launch vehicle from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.[1][3] The mission lasted three days, after which the craft landed safely in Siziwang Banner in central Inner Mongolia on September 28, 2008 at 17:37 CST.[2][4] During the flight, an extra-vehicular activity (EVA) was carried out by Zhai Zhigang and Liu Boming, making China the third country to have conducted an EVA, after Russia and the United States.

Crew

File:CNSA.svg
Logo of the China National Space Administration (CNSA)

The crew for Shenzhou 7 was announced on September 17, 2008.[5]

Numbers in parentheses indicates number of spaceflights by each individual prior to and including this mission.

Back-up crew

Mission highlights

The Long March rocket launched the Shenzhou 7 into an initial elliptical orbit of 200 x 330 kilometres inclined at 42.4 degrees on September 25. About seven hours later the spacecraft raised its orbit to a more circular orbit of 330 x 336 km.[1]

The Shenzhou 7 mission marked a number of developments for China's space program, including several first-time achievements.

China's first three-person mission

Shenzhou 7 was the first Chinese space mission to carry a three-person crew for for several days and conduct a full operation.[citation needed] A total of six astronauts were trained, three to conduct the mission and three others to serve as as a backup crew.

China's first spacewalk

On September 27, Zhai Zhigang, wearing a Chinese-developed Feitian spacesuit, conducted a 20-minute space walk, the first ever for a Chinese astronaut.[6] Zhai slipped out of the orbital module in a head-first position at around 16:43 (0843 GMT) and wandered around the orbital module, retrieved experiment samples and waved the Chinese flag in space. The space walk lasted about 20 minutes, with Zhai returning to the orbital module at 17:00.[7] The first space walk was limited in scope: cables were used to tie Zhai to the handrail outside the orbital module, and his moving route was restricted to areas near the exits. Liu Boming, wearing a Russian Orlan-M suit, stayed in the airlock in the orbital module to monitor Zhai and provide help if necessary. The third astronaut, Jing Haipeng remained in the re-entry module to monitor the general situation of the spacecraft.[8] The space walk was broadcast live on Chinese media, and two cameras provided panoramic images.[9]

The Feitian spacesuit is similar to the Orlan-M (known as Haiying, 海鹰, in Chinese) in shape and volume and are designed for spacewalks of up to seven hours[10], providing oxygen and allowing for the excretion of bodily waste.[10] According to Chinese media reports, spacesuit materials with such features as fire and radiation resistance were developed by several civilian corporations and national institutes.[11] [12] Each suit was reported to have cost 30 million Yuan RMB (about 4.4 million USD).[13][14] The suits will not be brought back to the earth.[15]

A fire alarm was reported to the control center at the beginning of the EVA, but it was confirmed to be a false alarm.[16][17]

Solid lubricant experiment

Scientists conducted a solid lubricant exposure experiment during the mission. A piece of equipment the size of a book was installed on the outside wall of the orbital module, and was later retrieved during the space walk, after having been exposed in the space for more than 40 hours. The experiment was aimed to study a lubricant which will be used for space-based moving components in future space facilities.[18]

Release of miniaturized satellite

A miniaturized satellite was released during the mission on September 27 at 19:24, after Zhai returned to the spacecraft. The satellite was a cube about 40 cm (16 in) long, with a mass of 40 kilograms (88 pounds); it carried boost devices and two 150-megapixel stereo cameras.[19] The satellite's tasks included testing the mini-satellite technology, observing and monitoring the spacecraft, and testing the tracking and approaching technology used for space rendezvous and docking.[20]

According to the mission plans, the miniaturized satellite will first take photos and videos near the spacecraft, then maneuver to about 100 to 200 kilometres (62 to 124 miles) away from the spacecraft. After the return module separates from the spacecraft and re-enters the atmosphere, the satellite will catch up to the orbiting spacecraft using a liquid ammonia engine, then continue to orbit near the spacecraft. The mini-satellite will work for about three months.[21]

Data relay satellite

China launched its first-ever data relay satellite, called Tianlian I (天链一号), from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on a Long March-3C carrier rocket on April 25, 2008.[22] The Tianlian I satellite will be used to speed up communication between the Shenzhou 7 spacecraft and the ground stations, and to increase the amount of data that can be transferred to the ground. The Tianlian I satellite alone can cover 50 percent of the orbit of Shenzhou 7—whereas the Yuanwang space tracking ships, along with China's ten ground observation stations, have a coverage of only 12 percent—and thus will increase the total coverage to about 60 percent of the mission.[18]

Mission support and preparation

Subsystems

The Shenzhou 7 project consists of seven subsystems, with the Chinese military responsible for launching, recovering, crew, and tracking subsystems, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation responsible for the carrier rocket and spacecraft itself, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences responsible for the payloads on board the spacecraft (other than the crew).[citation needed]

Water training pool

A columniform water training pool of 23 metres (75 ft) in diameter and 10 metres (33 ft) in depth, located in China Astronaut Training Center, simulates the weightlessness experienced in space. A model of the Shenzhou orbital module has been used in the pool to train the crew for the space walk.[23]

Modifications to the CZ-2F carrier rocket

Special attention has been paid to solving vibration problems that were encountered 120 seconds into the Shenzhou 5 mission. These vibrations were described by Shenzhou 5 astronaut Yang Liwei as hard to endure.[citation needed] Corrective measures were implemented for the Shenzhou 6 mission,[citation needed] but since then more improvements have been added to the carrier rocket, to the pipes of the second stage, and to more than thirty other parts of the spacecraft..[citation needed]

Modifications to the spacecraft

The Orbital module has been modified and its solar panels removed in order to allow for the EVA experiment. For this same reason, in contrast to previous Shenzhou missions, it will not remain in space after its separation with the departing crew in the Return module.[24] Handrails have been added to the external wall of the Orbital module to allow the space walking astronaut to reach specific experiment areas.[25]

More cameras have been installed on this spacecraft than on the Shenzhou 6 vessel, in addition to those covering the Orbital module and the Return module.[14]

New space tracking ships

Two new, recently-commissioned Yuanwang-class tracking ships, Yuanwang-5 and Yuanwang-6, will play a key role in the Shenzhou VII mission.[26]

Toilets

Custom-made, compact, foldable toilets allow the astronaut's collected urine to be recycled for use as drinking water.[27]

Project management

Most of the Shenzhou 6 project management team has stayed for the Shenzhou 7 mission. Changes in personnel include:

Controversies

False news report

A false news article appeared on Xinhua News Agency's website on 25 September 2008, reporting mission events dated 27 September 2008; the article was reported in several mainstream news sources.[28][29] The report described in detail the launch, which had not yet occurred, as well as the process of tracking and data transfer by a tracking ship, and dialogue between the crew members in space. The report was taken down the same day, and when contacted by the Associated Press, a xinhuanet.com staffer who refused to give his name allegedly stated that it had been a "technical error by a technician."[29]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c McDowell, Jonathan (2008-09-26). "Jonathan's Space Report, Number 600". Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
  2. ^ a b "Chinese taikonauts return as heros after landmark spacewalk". Window of China. China View. 2008-09-28. Retrieved 2008-09-28. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= and |work= (help)
  3. ^ "China manned mission to follow Olympics". 2006-11-20. Retrieved 2007-11-20.
  4. ^ ""神七""神九"将太空对接 "神七"准备工作顺利 (Shenzhou 7 and Shenzhou 9 to perform space rendezvous; Shenzhou 7 preparations for work going smoothly)" (in Chinese). Longhu News Center. 2008-03-04. Retrieved 2008-05-01.
  5. ^ "China names first "spacewalker" astronaut". Window of China. China View. 2008-09-17. Retrieved 2008-09-28. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= and |work= (help)
  6. ^ "Taikonaut Zhai's small step historical leap for China". Xinhua. 2008-09-27. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
  7. ^ "Chinese taikonaut greets nation, world in first spacewalk= [[Xinhua]]". 2008-09-27. Retrieved 2008-09-28. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  8. ^ "神七日志：第三天 (Shenzhou 7 log: Day 3)" (in Chinese). Xinhua. 2008-09-28. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
  9. ^ "神七舱外新装2台摄像机拍摄航天员太空行走" (in Chinese). Xinhua. 2008-09-25. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
  10. ^ a b "China's astronaut outfitters design material for spacewalk suits". Xinhua. 2007-06-01. Retrieved 2007-12-02.
  11. ^ "神七出舱服装特种外层防护材料上海制造" (in Chinese). 中国服装款式网. 2006-007-03. Retrieved 2008-09-28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ ""神七"宇航服还是成都造" (in Chinese). 中国服装款式网. 2006-07-20.
  13. ^ "Chinese astronaut walks in space". BBC news. 2008-09-27. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
  14. ^ a b ""神七"太空服每件造价1.6亿 将实现太空行走" (in Chinese). Xinhua. 2006-09-21. Retrieved 2008-07-13.
  15. ^ "China's indigenous Feitian space suit". China.org. 2008-09-25. Retrieved 2008-09-29. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  16. ^ "王兆耀解释为何打开舱门相当周折：不可能着火 (Wang Zhaoyao explains why opening the cabin doors is safe: It cannot catch fire)" (in Chinese). Xinhua. 2008-09-27. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
  17. ^ "Spokesman says fire alarm in Shenzhou-7 false, no fire breaks out". Xinhua. 2008-09-27. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
  18. ^ a b "Chief designer says Shenzhou-7 has four tasks". Xinhua. 2008-09-26. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
  19. ^ "伴飞小卫星将给神七"照相"(Banfei miniature satellite to "take pictures" of Shenzhou 7)" (in Chinese). Xinhua. 2008-09-24. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
  20. ^ "Shenzhou-7 launches small monitoring satellite". Xinhua. 2008-09-27. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
  21. ^ "伴飞小卫星将"追赶"分离后的神七轨道舱 (Banfei miniature satellite to "chase" Shenzhou 7 orbital module after separation)" (in Chinese). Xinhua. 2008-09-24. Retrieved 2008-09-24.
  22. ^ "China blasts off first data relay satellite". Xinhua. 2008-04-26. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
  23. ^ "10米水下"太空漫步" (A "space stroll" under 10 meters of water)" (in Chinese). Sohu.com. 2008-09-25. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
  24. ^ "神八2010年首飞 运载火箭将有重大变化(组图) (Delivery rockets for 2010 maiden flight of Shenzhou 8 to undergo major changes)" (in Chinese). 凤凰资讯. 2008-06-26. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
  25. ^ "神七准备中俄产两套航天服 出舱将穿国产服" (in Chinese). People's Daily. 2008-07-23. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
  26. ^ "我国新一代航天远洋测量船完成海上设备精度鉴定" (in Chinese). China Government online. 2007-07-10. Retrieved 2008-07-11.
  27. ^ "神七厕所南京制造 (Nanjing manufactures Shenzhou 7 toilets)" (in Chinese). Xinhua. 2008-09-03. Retrieved 2008-09-03.
  28. ^ "China fakes reports from space". 2008-09-26. Retrieved 2008-09-26. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  29. ^ a b Associated Press (2008-09-25). "China space mission article hits Web before launch". Retrieved 2008-09-26. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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