[FPSPACE] more details of the Shenzhou 7 mission

[Chen Lan]

Sorry, there is a CORRECTION: the subsat is still unnamed. The mentioned name should be Tianlian-1 or TL-1, the data relay satellite launched early this year. The journalist used a wrong Chinese character after attending the media briefing yesterday as they sounds similarly, and made the wrong name to the subsat.

SZ-7 will use TL-1 for the first time in the manned program. As a result, there is no Yuanwang at the Indian Ocean. But this time the fleet has more ships than before. The new Yuanwang 5 and 6 are now at north Pacific Ocean to cover the EVA. Meanwhile Yuanwang 1 and 2 at East Pacific Ocean and Yuanwang 3 at the Atlantic Ocean, together with 12 ground tracking stations (4 of them are overseas, in Karachi,  Namibia, Santiago and Malindi)

Chen Lan


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chen Lan" <chenlan at singnet.com.sg>
To: <fpspace at friends-partners.org>
Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 9:10 PM
Subject: [FPSPACE] more details of the Shenzhou 7 mission


>- There will be two EVA suits onboard. The EVA taikonaut will wear the Chinese made Feitian suit and another member inside the OM will wear the Russian Orlan-M. These two suits are with slight differences, judging from available photos. China signed the agreement with Russia in April 2004 to purchase 9 Orlan suits, among which 3 flight suits, 4 neutral pool training suits and 2 low-pressure training suits.
> - Solar panels, 16 thrusters, all sub-systems used for independent flight are removed. New additions include five gas bottles and the subsatellite on top of the OM, two external cameras, handrails, as well as an exposure experimental device to be retrieved by the taikonaut.
> - The contingency plan includes the single person EVA. 
> - The subsatellite is called "Tiannian-1". It weighs 40kg and with diameter of 40cm. It will be released after the EVA. After photographing SZ-7, it will move away to a distance about several kilometers, and will test "satellite fleet" technology with the OM in next a few month.
> - China will launch Tiangong-1, 2, 3 spacecraft between 2010 and 2015. TG-1 will be the docking target (probably a modified OM) and TG-2 and 3 will be the 8t class mini-station, or the Spacelab. There will be two unmanned vehicles (SZ-8 and 9) and 5 manned ships to visit these TGs during this period.
> 
> All above are official ! (except for that with "probably")
> 
> Chen Lan
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