New Mars Forums

flashgordon

Member

Registered: 2003-01-21

Posts: 314

Re: China second manned launch coverage;

maybe I'm not watching the news channels enough, but they certainly are putting the latest mugging and killing news ahead of the Shenzue launch.

Well, I'm sure the U.S. government is taking note though!

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: China second manned launch coverage;

Sorry already discussing this in the Chinese Space Program? - What if they get there first thread.

Julius Caeser

Member

From: Malta

Registered: 2004-03-25

Posts: 105

Re: China second manned launch coverage;

Looking at the Schenzou 5 looks quite impressive thou one would think its the Russian Soyuz craft!Havent seen the Schenzou 6 model and it should be bigger than the previous one they flew on the first chinese manned flight.Look out for the chinese...they seem to have made huge progress already!

flashgordon

Member

Registered: 2003-01-21

Posts: 314

Re: China second manned launch coverage;

i remember reading a comment from some chinese guy that this launch tests just about everything for the chinese space program; hence, once they have all systems tested, they may put their space program into a higher gear . . .

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: China second manned launch coverage;

astronautix.com shenzhou page

publiusr

Banned

From: Alabama

Registered: 2005-02-24

Posts: 682

Re: China second manned launch coverage;

The media barely reported the Chinese two-man launch.

http://www.cgwic.com/launch/contact.htm
http://www.spacechina.com/espace/
www.orbireport.com
http://www.astronautix.com/craft/shenzhou.htm
http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/cz2f.htm
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/05 … _lnch.html
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/05 … enter.html
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/china-05zzzzzzzzp.html
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/china-05zzzzzzzzl.html
Live broadcast might be found at mms://live.cctv.com/live

More at www.nasawatch.com

So don't feel bad about lack of coverage. MSNBC reported-as a top story, some old creek that flooded out a bit in New Hampshire. Oh, to be sure, Tucker Carlson or Jon Stewart will be smirking out a cutie pie story on the recent launches--bouncing their insipid voices off comsats launched by better men.

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: China second manned launch coverage;

Article chronicals the changes made to each Shenzhou.

Expert Expatiates on Differences between Six Shenzhou Spacecraft

Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

Re: China second manned launch coverage;

*I saw an article yesterday wherein they might trim the mission short by 1 day.

Anyway:

Taikonaut Sightings!

From "Heavens Above."  Register and log on, and it'll show where over Earth the Taikonauts are (among other things).

Two Chinese astronauts--a.k.a. "Taikonauts"--are orbiting Earth onboard the Shenzhou 6 spacecraft. Would you like to see them? It's possible.  The spacecraft shines like a 3rd-magnitude star, and it will be making early-morning flybys of many northern US and Canadian towns this weekend.

Info and link are being hosted by spaceweather.com. 

--Cindy

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We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

flashgordon

Member

Registered: 2003-01-21

Posts: 314

Re: China second manned launch coverage;

it's amazing how much care the chinese put into securing the safety of their spacemen(spacewomen soon?), but they deprive their people and beat them for looking at books!

I went out the other night just to hope for a chance at seeing shenzu; i've seen so many satelites going by just going out randomly; i'm sure plenty of people here have seen satelites sneakilly moving across the nightsky.  Me and my father are looking to check out Mars this weekend; i'm sure we'll look to find shenzu as well!

flashgordon

Member

Registered: 2003-01-21

Posts: 314

Re: China second manned launch coverage;

http://www.nature.com/index.html

China's second flight sticks on "Nature's" front page ever three days after launch!

Ad Astra

Member

Registered: 2003-02-02

Posts: 584

Re: China second manned launch coverage;

While China was more open about media coverage of Shenzhou 6 than it was last time, I'd still like to know a lot more.  The US media deserves admonishment for not making a big deal of it, but it's also true that they have little to report due to the terse nature of the Chinese government.

Most troubling is the news that the capsule's orbit is "slipping" due to earth's gravitational pull  This report from the BBC leaves much to the imagination, and is probably based on an awkward translation from a Chinese news source.  What prompted Chinese space officials to order an orbital correction?  What was the result?  Was the crew ever in danger?  These are questions we deserve answers to.

---

Who needs Michael Griffin when you can have Peter Griffin?  Catch "Family Guy" Sunday nights on FOX.

Eskaloallasteloj

InActive

Registered: 2005-10-15

Posts: 2

Re: China second manned launch coverage;

The craft had a routine orbital correction during its 28th orbit. The mission is broadcasted 24-hours on the CCTV-News Channel. I don't know what the BBC said as it's blocked for me.

Grypd

Member

From: Scotland, Europe

Registered: 2004-06-07

Posts: 1,879

Re: China second manned launch coverage;

The second Chinese manned craft has safely made it to the ground. It touched down by parachute at 4:32 am local time in the Gobi desert. Both Yuhangyuan are fine and the commander Fei Junlong stated "We feel good, our work is going smoothly, and our life is happy"

It was also noted that the Chinese would begin traing women soon to crew the space shuttle. I wonder what they mean by that?

AP article on Shenzou six return

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Chan eil mi aig a bheil ùidh ann an gleidheadh an status quo; Tha mi airson cur às e.

Ad Astra

Member

Registered: 2003-02-02

Posts: 584

Re: China second manned launch coverage;

I had read elsewhere that a female taikonaut would fly aboard Shenzhou 8.  I don't know if the People's Liberation Army Air Force has female pilots; if not, I would dismiss this maneuver as a stunt.

What I'd like to know is if Shenzhou 7 will launch in 2006 or 2007.  With the success of the current mission, China has no excuse (aside from funding priorities) to wait two years until the next mission.  In contrast, NASA launched 10 manned Gemini missions in 1965-6.  Shenzhou is a more advanced craft than Gemini (which may justify some additional time spent on test missions,) but the booster is very similar (hypergolic propellants.  Some have dismissed Long March's predecessor, the DF-5, as a knockoff of the Titan II.)

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Who needs Michael Griffin when you can have Peter Griffin?  Catch "Family Guy" Sunday nights on FOX.

evilcitizen

Member

Registered: 2005-09-18

Posts: 21

Re: China second manned launch coverage;

Ad Astra: you're right, they're planning to have at least one female astronaut on Shenzhou 8, I've seen that on a couple Chinese pages.

I agree about Shenzhou 7 as well, I don't know why they would wait until 2007, unless they plan on doing extensive modifications like they have between every Shenzhou mission 1 to 6. However, I've read in several places that Shenzhou 6 is pretty much the finished design, and they will just optimize it from now on.

I'm also wondering about their space station. I've read quotes from different CNSA people quoting times from "starting in 2010" to "completed by 2020." However, according to their original plans, they were going to build two space stations: an 8-ton temporary station beginning after the Shenzhou missions, and then a 20-ton permanent station after that. Hopefully there will be more announcements soon.

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: China second manned launch coverage;

Finally a cost for the Shenzhou VI tab: US$111m

CHINA has spent 900 million yuan (US$111.2 million) on its successful second manned space mission and has great interest in launching commercial satellites for global clients, a senior official said.

Gee aproximately half that of a delta v and that can not even carry a man to space...

flashgordon

Member

Registered: 2003-01-21

Posts: 314

Re: China second manned launch coverage;

as I was about to post,

http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/story/0 … 58,00.html

in other words, the u.s. has artificially overpriced space technology to keep the competition from gaining the same high ground; only now, civilization is feeling the second law of thermodynamics and has no time to be fucking around with politics; we need to get to space; we need to put political pressure on washington to lower the space activities prices and settle mars.

Eskaloallasteloj

InActive

Registered: 2005-10-15

Posts: 2

Re: China second manned launch coverage;

Shenzhou 7 will leave an orbital module of which Shenzhou 8 will attempt to dock to, creating a mini space station. Both will be launched in the same window, and the spectacle is specially prepared for the 2008 Olympic Games. They are preparing two missions at once, so it takes sometime. Shenzhou 7 will carry three astronauts, and do the first spacewalk. Shenzhou8 will probably carry two astronauta one male, one female, or also 3 (2 male, 1 female), and attempt docking.

-Eskalo

Ad Astra

Member

Registered: 2003-02-02

Posts: 584

Re: China second manned launch coverage;

From all reports I've read, Shenzhou 7 will be a solo mission featuring a spacewalk.  The docking will not occur until missions 8 and 9.

The speculation is that Shenzhou 6 was, more or less, the final form of the Shenzhou spacecraft.  I would hazard a guess that Shenzhou 5 did not have a habitable "Orbital Module," because Yang Liwei never left his seat.  There has been some speculation that the Shenzhou 5 orbital module was really an electronic intelligence payload.  It will be interesting to see what happens with the Shenzhou 6 orbital module, which is still presumably orbiting the earth.

---

Who needs Michael Griffin when you can have Peter Griffin?  Catch "Family Guy" Sunday nights on FOX.

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: China second manned launch coverage;

The images I have seen of the capsule in the background indicate quite alot of heat was seen by it upon reentry. A seen here:

What would there space station look like? Well quite possibly this.

Ad Astra

Member

Registered: 2003-02-02

Posts: 584

Re: China second manned launch coverage;

The space station picture has been around for quite some time, as has the model showing the taikonaut driving a rover on the moon.  When China starts its space station, I doubt that it will resemble the configuration in the picture, as China is learning a lot about space operations that it didn't know in 1999-2000 when the model was displayed.

There has been some confusion on the web, with people passing off pics of the Shenzhou descent and landing as real when they were actually made on a computer.  Only the photos of the capsule after landing are authentic, and even then I suspect that they were taken long after the crew had been recovered.

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Who needs Michael Griffin when you can have Peter Griffin?  Catch "Family Guy" Sunday nights on FOX.

Grypd

Member

From: Scotland, Europe

Registered: 2004-06-07

Posts: 1,879

Re: China second manned launch coverage;

Yes that is one problem with the Chinese space program its inherent secrecy. Still I think the space station that China will fly will certainly be smaller than the pictured one being probably just one cabin living/science area with airlock and power module bolt ons. It does not really need to be more at this stage. Though if I was the Chinese I would also have extremely large solar panels and to make it very visible from Earth. Just so that people can see it going across the night sky.

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Chan eil mi aig a bheil ùidh ann an gleidheadh an status quo; Tha mi airson cur às e.

publiusr

Banned

From: Alabama

Registered: 2005-02-24

Posts: 682

Re: China second manned launch coverage;

More here:
http://www.starshipmodeler.net/cgi-bin/ … hp?t=31434

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: China second manned launch coverage;

China's program is kicking into high gear with its next Three spaceships in three months period with each blast off of Shenzhou VIII, Shenzhou IX and Shenzhou X spacecrafts coming a month after each other.

Shenzhou VIII and IX, both unmanned, will connect with each other to form a space lab, while astronauts will pilot Shenzhou X and enter the lab to work in space,

The current Shenzhou rocket has a maximum capacity of 9.5 tons and they are looking to develope a unit capable of 25 tons. They feel that once the go ahead is given that they could be on a first launch in approximately 6 years time.

They are also planning to do a space walk also during these next launches as well.

China has run its ambitious space programme on a relative shoestring. State media has put the cost of developing the whole Shenzhou programme at about $2.3 billion, a fraction of the $16 billion budget of NASA, the US space agency, for 2005 alone.

Look out once china does do these next launches...

Grypd

Member

From: Scotland, Europe

Registered: 2004-06-07

Posts: 1,879

Re: China second manned launch coverage;

Typical Chinese approach they will wait till they are ready in probably 2007 and create a short term space station which they will trumpet to the world so gaining more national prestige at really no cost to economy.

I cant find it but there was an article that the heavy launcher long march rocket that China needs to be a serious contender for Lunar missions and larger space stations has yet to get the go ahead. It appears that the cost of the development is the major sticking point and I wonder if it does go ahead that we will even be told of its start so that China can surprise the world again.

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Chan eil mi aig a bheil ùidh ann an gleidheadh an status quo; Tha mi airson cur às e.