[FPSPACE] Chinese station in Namibia to track space ship to manned satellite

[JamesOberg@aol.com]

Chinese station in Namibia to track space ship to manned satellite
'The Namibian' web site, Windhoek, in English 8 Dec 00
    Outer space will come closer to Namibia next year through an agreement
signed by Namibia and China for the establishment of a tracking, telemetry
and space research station (TTST) just north of Swakopmund.
     China has started a manned space programme which it says is for the
peaceful utilization of outer space.
     The station in Namibia will be used to monitor and control the space ship
during the re-entry and braking phase, as well as the monitoring and
controlling of the space ship during the orbital operating phase. Other
functions include receiving in-cabin images and tracking and measuring the
orbit in order to expand the orbit coverage.
     At a public meeting held at Swakopmund this week, Dr (?Cui Yunfei) of the
China Xian Satellite Control Centre said the centre's main purpose would be
to track the space ship, called Shenzhou (Divine Vessel), on its missions
to a Chinese manned satellite. He could not reveal how many missions would
take place over the 15-year period of the programme, but said the Namibian
government would be informed before the start of a mission. The Shenzhou
is considered the crown jewel of China's space programme and the first
anniversary of its historic maiden flight was celebrated recently with the
release of the first ever white paper on China's long-range space plan.
     Gys Joubert of Windhoek Consulting Engineers, who has been contracted by
the Chinese to build the station, explained to the approximately 30 people
attending the meeting that Namibia was chosen as the spaceship would be
right over the country, specifically west Namibia, during its re-entry and
braking phases. That is why the specific site just north of Swakopmund to
the east of the Henties Bay-Swakopmund road, and opposite the Swakopmund
Salt Works, was identified for the centre.
     Answering numerous questions from the public, Yunfei said through an
interpreter that the station was not the first for China outside its
borders, but the other stations would not be connected to this one.
Countries such as the USA, France and Italy have similar stations outside
their countries.
     The station, constructed at a cost of about 12m Namibian dollars, will
cover an area of 150 by 85 metres and consist of an administration building,
kitchen and dining complex, garage and generator room, and dormitory
complex, which will be enclosed by by a two-metre high wall. Two antennas
or satellite dishes -5 metres and 9 metres in diameter, with the latter
reaching a height of 16 metres - will also be erected. The station will
house 20 permanent staff during a mission phase, while about five
personnel will stay there continuously to maintain the equipment.
     Joubert said as it was a Chinese-financed programme, the four Chinese
construction companies operating in Namibia would be employed to build the
centre, due to start early next year. He said, though, that all building
material and earthworks and road building machinery would be provided by
Namibian sub-contractors. Construction should be completed by mid-2001 and
the centre operational by the end of next year...