[FPSPACE] Current (Nov. 4) articles from Xinhua

Thu Nov 4 16:25:31 EST 2004

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-11/03/content_2174355.htm

Chinese expected to travel in space in 20 years

  SHANGHAI, Nov. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- The Chinese people "are expected to realize their dream of space travel in 20 years," said a senior official with China's space industry at a symposium Tuesday.

    Yuan Jiajun, chief commander of China's space program and president of the China Academy of Space Technology, said China will "establish a sound mechanism to commercialize its space technology," which may spur China's manned space flights. 

    He stressed that two fundamental problems should be addressed to bring "a booming space tourism": lowering the cost and ensuring safety. 

    Currently China's research in the space industry mainly serves its national economy and national defense, said Yuan, expressing his belief that in the near future, space technology will be extensively used for civil service and bring more benefits to common people. 

    The development of manned spacecraft in the world may also propel China's space tourism, Yuan added. 

    As an example, Yuan said the successful launch of the first private rocket plane, Space Ship One, designed by Burt Rutan, has reaped some 10 million US dollars for his company. 

    Space Ship One's success is a landmark for the commercialization of manned mission. Space Ship One's journey was simpler than that of spacecrafts in orbit in terms of technology, as it only climbed to a height of 62 miles (100 kilometers), the periphery of outer space, Yuan said. 

    China is scheduled to launch its second manned spacecraft, Shenzhou VI, in 2005, with two Chinese astronauts. 

    The Chinese government also announced its plan to launch a satellite to orbit the moon by 2007 as part of the country's three-stage lunar project. It will be followed by the landing of an unmanned vehicle on the Moon by 2010 and collecting samples of lunar soil with an unmanned vehicle by 2020. Enditem 

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http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-11/04/content_2177843.htm

Chinese astronauts to wear lighter outfits
    BEIJING, Nov. 4 (Xinhuanet) -- China has developed a light and removable spacesuit for its astronauts set to embark on China's second manned space mission scheduled for next September. 

    Designers say unlike the outfits for Shenzhou V, space suits designed for Shenzhou VI astronauts are much lighter and can be removed after spacemen enter the capsule, China Radio International reported on Thursday. 

    The new space outfit comprises of a space suit, helmet, gloves and space boots. 

    China's first-ever manned spacecraft, Shenzhou V, orbited the Earth for 21 hours in October 2003. 

    Astronaut Yang Liwei had to wear a massive outfit weighing nearly 10 kg, which cost nearly 1.2 million US dollars or even 12 million US dollars if design expenses are included. 

    The cost of the new outfits for Shenzhou VI have not been released. 

    Shenzhou VI is expected to orbit the Earth for five days with two astronauts aboard, who will conduct scientific researches in the module. 

    China is the third country after Russia and the United States to succeed in manned space flights

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Parallel article in Chinese (with translation using Babelfish) contans some additional info:

http://news.xinhuanet.com/st/2004-11/04/content_2176161.htm

"The god six next fall always will try in 2007 our country to realize circle the month flight"

After the long-term preparation, our country many astronautics project  to store /  
/ conditions / influence / tendency /  
/ stay / delay /  
/ wait / treat / deal with / need / about / intending to do something /  
/ to send out / to show (one's feeling) / to issue / to develop /  
 "god boat six" the manned vehicle will carry on in the next year autumn "greatly tests", 2 astronauts will carry on 5 day "the outer space travel"; "Chang E" circled the month project the plan preparatory work already to enter the last act, the partial systems already started to enter the project implementation stage."

China spatial technology research institute Chair Yuan Jiajun disclosed to reporter that, Our country "the god boat" the airship is defers to three astronauts to fly 7 day-long standards in the axle to carry on the design, soon will carry on in the next year autumn in the god boat sixth manned vehicle experiment, the astronaut population will increase from 1 to 2, will have the very important significance regarding the examination entire manned vehicle system. Because time a person flight regarding the overall system inspection is insufficient, after the population increase, astronaut's hot load and will produce the moisture content, breathes the cabin the atmosphere and the oxygen partial pressure, the carbon dioxide and the noxious gas differential pressure distribution all has a bigger change, this will be test on the airship environment control and life-support system significant. Man-in-space flight is a high risk greatly scientific project, an airship has more than 600 equipment, more than 120 computers chips, more than 80,000 pitch points, need all to have to grasp the quality in each link, cannot have any accident. At present, our country man-in-space flight scientific research troop earnestly is analyzing this flight the characteristic, carries out the positive research, specially aims at the link to control the accident situation which the life-support system possibly brings, positively formulates the countermeasure. For instance the astronaut vomits, according to overseas experience, because the space is unsuitable, vomits is can occur, regarding this kind of situation, must have the full preparation, must have the very good measure."

"Regarding circles month project at present the progress, Yuan Jiajun indicated that, "Chang E" the first issue of goal is must realize in 2007 circles the month flight, at present the project definition phase entered the last act, the partial systems started to enter to the project implementation stage. In order to achieve the predetermined target, the general technical personnel is redoubling one's efforts works, each work progress is smooth. The outer space traveling at present the American already realized the private enterprise independently to develop the development the experimental first airship, carried on the commercial flight the exploration, at present looked like, this system very quickly was possible to be able to succeed, but present this system certainly was not a orbiting, but was the suborbital flight, it could not the genuine picture the Shenzhou airship equally ascent guidance, it be carries on the acceleration after the solid engine to fly to 50 kilometers about, with own speed inertia, achieved 100 kilometer about the altitude, then dropped again, this set of system was opposite relatively to the orbiting quite is simple, but this took man-in-space flight the commercial flight, It has held the beginning of a matter, was a very good pioneering work."

"China the spatial technology has not at present formed a very good mechanism in commercialize the aspect, I want along with the technical development, spatial commercialize surely to be able to be China's this direction, China can have the very big development in this direction, the outer space traveling am a matter which very many people all very much yearned for, I estimated along with international is carrying person's trade to fly dynamics enlarging which this aspect develops, we in the next 20 years, will be able to have the more and more many commercial outer space flight, the outer space traveling can form a very good industry, the outer space travel key will be two major problems, How one reduces the cost, lets the average person withstand the cost, how two is guarantees the security, the security problem or the most core question, at present in the experimental flight stage, this system also has the improvement the leeway, truly can achieve the large-scale movement, needs does very many work in the security and the cost, we took China astronautics scientific and technical worker, our current duty is needs to satisfy the economic development and the national defense development demand, but we also hoped will be able in not far future along with commercialize the development, we will be able also to have an achievement in the independent development in the outer space traveling aspect. (Zhao Yahui, Xie Weiqun)"

Mgr. Antonin Vitek, CSc.

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