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China plans spacewalk

— Photo: Xinhua

Chinese astronauts in this file photo.

JIUQUAN (Gansu): China’s manned spacecraft Shenzhou-7 would be launched between September 25 and 30 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in Gansu Province, a spokesman has said.

The crew had conducted drills and their controlling over the system was “skilled” and they were in “good” physical and mental state, he added. The announcement came at a meeting held at the mission headquarters set up to accomplish the first spacewalk by Chinese astronauts — also known as taikonauts.

The propellant was installed into the spacecraft on Sunday. Then the spacecraft would be integrated with the rocket and transferred into the launch area for the final check. The main tests for the spacecraft, the Long-March II-F rocket, suits for the spacewalk have also been readied, said the spokesman.

When Shenzhou-7 enters orbit, one of the three taikonauts would conduct a spacewalk, said Zhao Changxi, a senior scientist with the project.

He said cameras would be mounted outside and inside of the spacecraft for live broadcast. While the last mission of Shenzhou-6, with a crew of two, was aimed at multiple days of manned flight, this time the task might be more stringent as one of its main goals is the spacewalk, he added.

Earlier reports said a crew of six had been chosen for the mission, with three manning the spacecraft and three substitutes. On April 12, China launched a new space tracking ship to serve the Shenzhou-7 spacewalk mission.

The new space tracking ship is the sister ship of the Yuanwang-5, which was put into use a year ago. The two vessels would play a key role in the Shenzhou-7 mission.

China successfully put two manned spacecraft into orbit in 2003 and 2005, respectively, becoming the third country to send an astronaut into space. — Xinhua

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