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Shenzhou 6
was China's second manned
space flight. It carried two Taikonauts (Chinese Astronauts) Nie Haisheng
and Fei Junlong
and
was a milestone for China's space program and proof that the
country is completely capable of carrying out its own space
program independently.
The
successful spaceflight demonstrated:
1. The progress of China's space technology.
2. Enhanced China's prestige in the world and promoted China's
economic, scientific and national defense capabilities.
3. Inspired patriotism and national cohesiveness.
4. Fostered the interests of people in China's vast rural regions on
science and technology.
5. Chinese scientists mastered the technology for
a multi-person, multi-day space mission.
6. Marked China's commitment to becoming a global space power.
7. Shenzhou 6 mission was a major step forward in China's
ambition of building a space station and probing the moon.
Shenzhou spacecraft is being used to develop manned
spaceflight techniques and in the future may serve as a ferry to Chinese space
stations and as a lunar orbital and landing spacecraft.
The Mission
Chinese
astronauts Fei Julong and Nie Haisheng were launched into space
on China's second
manned spacecraft
at 9:00 am October 12, 2005 (Chinese local time) from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
on a
Long March 2F.
It was the 88th launch and the 46th consecutive successful
lift-off of China's Long March rockets series.
The two Chinese Astronauts
conducted a series of experiments on
the spacecraft, including manoeuvres between the orbital module and
re-entry capsule, taking on and off space suits, using a space
toilet and a blood pressure self-test.
The experiments and data returned were useful in exploring and
understanding how astronauts adapt to the spaceflight
environment for future human space exploration. The Shenzhou
6 spacecraft orbited the Earth in a 213 miles (343 km) orbit.
The Taikonauts nearly spent five days
(4 days, 19 hours, 32 min)
in space during their mission and completed 76 circles around
the earth.
The total flight time of Shenzhou 6 was 115 hours
and 32 minutes. It ran more than five times that of the Shenzhou 5
mission of 2003 (two years before), which put the first Chinese
Taikonaut in space.
Shenzhou 6 Taikonauts (Chinese
Astronauts)
The two Chinese Astronauts, both were former fighter pilots.
Nie Haisheng
Nie Haisheng, the Chinese astronaut
was born in Yangdang town of Zaoyang, Hubei Province on October
13, 1964. After graduating from
high school he joined the People's Liberation Army Air Force,
became a fighter pilot and has reached the rank of Lieutenant
Colonel. In 1998 he was selected for the astronaut program.
He was one of three astronauts who were part of the final group
to train for the Shenzhou 5 flight. Yang Liwei was picked for
the flight.
He is married to Nie Jielin and has a daughter.
Fei Junlong
Fei Junlong was born 1965 in Suzhou, Jiangsu province
of China. He joined the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF)
in 1982 at the age of 17 and was a fighter pilot. He was selected to be an astronaut in 1998.
He married Wang Jie in 1991 and has one
son.
Shenzhou Spacecraft
China's Shenzhou spacecraft uses a basic design from Russia's
Soyuz spacecraft, but is tailored with new systems and
equipment. The spacecraft consists of a primary crew-carrying re-entry
capsule, an orbital module and a service module. China spent 110 million US dollars (900 million Yuan) on
Shenzhou 6 spacecraft.
Shenzhou 6's orbital module reportedly contains experiments and
equipment, a food heater and other new equipment to be tested on
this flight. It carried its own solar arrays and could stay in
Earth orbit for a prolonged period. While the
re-entry module and the Shenzhou 6 crew returned to Earth, the
spacecraft's orbital module is still in orbit.
The
following are some key moments during the space mission of
Shenzhou 6:
Wednesday,
October 12, 2005
|
|
05:30 |
An expedition ceremony is held for Fei Junlong and Nie
Haisheng, the two Chinese astronauts for Shenzhou-6
spacecraft, the country's second manned spacecraft. Chinese
Premier Wen Jiabao wishes them success in their mission. |
|
06:15 |
The two Chinese astronauts
board Shenzhou 6 and the spacecraft gets ready for lift-off. |
|
09:00 |
The Shenzhou-6 spacecraft
blasts off from the Jiuquan
Satellite Launch Center. |
|
09:00:04 |
The rocket soars into the sky four
seconds after ignition. |
|
09:09:43 |
The spacecraft
separates from the rocket and enters its orbit at an
altitude of 200 km. |
|
09:09:52 |
The Shenzhou-6 manned
spacecraft enters preset orbit. |
|
09:34 |
Astronauts report normal
physical conditions. |
|
09:39 |
Commander of the spaceflight
Chen Bingde announces success of the launch of the
Shenzhou-6 manned spacecraft. |
|
09:43 |
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao
delivers an important speech at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch
Center. |
|
10:31 |
The Kashi monitoring and
control station detects the Shenzhou 6 spacecraft, which
begins its second round of flight. |
|
11:05 |
Astronauts take their first
meal in space. |
|
15:54 |
The Beijing Aerospace Control
Center gives instructions to the spacecraft to perform orbit
manoeuvre. |
|
16:00 |
Orbit shift succeeds. |
|
17:31 |
Fei Junlong enters the orbital
module and Nie Haisheng gives a thumb-up to the camera. |
|
21:32 |
The two astronauts have
conversations with their family members.
Fei thanked his family for their support and made plans to go
fishing with his son Fei De, who asked how the astronaut felt in
weightlessness.
Nie spoke to his wife and listened to a birthday song from his daughter. |
|
21:39 |
The conversations with family
members come to an end. |
Thursday,
October 13, 2005
|
|
04:16 |
Fei Junlong wakes up from
sleep that lasts seven hours and 8 minutes and returns to
working position in the re-entry capsule from the orbital
capsule. |
|
05:55 |
Nie Haisheng takes off the
pressure suit and puts on the blue uniform again.
|
|
09:17 |
Fei Junlong washes face with a
piece of wet tissue. |
|
19:00 |
Fei Junlong completes the
day's work and enters orbital module for sleep, which lasts
seven hours and 35 minutes. |
Friday,
October 14, 2005
|
|
05:56 |
Shenzhou 6 spacecraft performs
first orbit maintenance during the 30th orbiting after the
orbit shift, which moves itself back to the preset orbit.
|
|
06:19 |
Ground monitoring and
astronauts' report show the orbit maintenance is successful.
|
|
14:36 |
Astronauts video record images
of the earth through the porthole. |
|
16:30 |
Fei Junlong makes somersault
for four times continuously. |
Saturday,
October 15, 2005
|
|
16:28 |
Chinese President Hu Jintao
has conversation with Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng. |
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16:33 |
Hu's conversation with
astronauts ends. |
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18:05 |
Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng
send images of the solar panels of the spacecraft to Beijing
Aerospace Control Center. |
Monday, October 17, 2005
|
|
03:59 |
Astronauts put on pressure
suits and fasten themselves to the seats. |
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04:02 |
Astronauts report that the
spacecraft is working normally and they are feeling good.
|
|
04:07 |
The propulsion module
separates from re-entry capsule successfully. |
|
04:13 |
The spacecraft enters blackout
zone. |
|
04:20 |
The primary parachute is
unfurled and staff aboard search helicopters see the module.
|
|
04:32 |
The module touches down and
Taikonauts report they feel good. |
|
04:33 |
Retro-rockets ignite and the
module lands successfully on the spot that was only one
kilometre away from the pre-planned place.
They landed in the grasslands of north China's Inner Mongolia
Autonomous Region. |
|
04:53 |
Helicopters arrives around
Shenzhou 6's landing spot where the module was standing
vertical. |
|
05:38 |
Taiknonaut Fei Junlong climbs
out of the module, waving his right hand to the cheering
crowd. |
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05:39 |
Taikonaut Nie Haisheng climbs
out of the module. |
|
Note: On the Sunday 16th the Taikonauts prepared to return
back to Earth.
Events after Landing
Fei and Nie climbed out the capsule
with the help of technicians. They were seated for a bouquet of
flower and to get used to Earth's gravity.
They later had several pieces of chocolate and Chinese herbal
tea. Nie seemed to have a very good appetite and had a bowl of
instant noodles.
The two men were then flown to Beijing, where they received big
hugs from their wives, children and colleagues and were greeted
with a grand welcome ceremony attended by senior military
officers and Yang Liwei, the first Chinese taikonaut that
piloted the Shenzhou-5.
Television pictures showed the parents of the two Taikonauts
burst into tears when they saw their sons emerging from the
spacecraft early Monday morning. Jubilant residents in the
hometowns of the Taikonauts set off firecrackers and performed
traditional lion dances. Messages of congratulations were sent
from around the world.
Did
you know?
* China, Russia and the United States are the only
countries that have launched humans into space. China is the third nation to
independently launch a human into orbit.
Shenzhou 7 will be launched in 2008.
* Shenzhou 5, China's first manned
spaceflight launched astronaut Yang Liwei on a 21 hour mission
on October 15, 2003. During the Shenzhou 5 mission, Yang spent the
entire time in the spacecraft's crew compartment and strapped in
his chair as part of the test flight.
* During the first Chinese spaceflight (Shenzhou 5)
in 2003, Lone Taikonaut Yang Liwei never left
his seat in the re-entry module or took off his space suit,
whereas in Shenzhou 6 Fei
Junlong and Nie Haisheng entered the orbit cabin from the
re-entry module, took off their cumbersome space suits and put
on ordinary work clothes that make movement more convenient.
* Fei and Nie had a far wider range of food
available to them on this flight than Yang. About 88
pounds (40 kgs) of food rode into orbit aboard Shenzhou 6 to
provide three meals of up to six dishes each.
While rice was the stable, beef cooked in orange peels and vegetables
were also on the menu along with coffee, green tea, orange juice
and other fruits.
Related Books
- The Chinese Space Programme: From Conception to Future
Capabilities by
Brian Harvey
from
Amazon.com
- The Chinese Space
Program: A Mystery Within a Maze (Orbit: A Foundation Series)
by Joan Johnson-Freese
from
Amazon.com and
Amazon.co.uk
Also try Abebooks in the
space
books section - it is great for second hand books or even
auction sites like
eBay.com
and
eBay.co.uk.
Shenzhou 6
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