Shenzhou 7

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Shenzhou 7
COSPAR ID2008-047A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.33369Edit this on Wikidata
Crew
Members3
 

Shenzhou 7 (Chinese: 神舟七号; pinyin: shén zhōu qī hào) will be the third Chinese human spaceflight. This mission will start the second phase of Project 921.

The mission will use the Shenzhou spacecraft and was initially expected to be launched in October 2008 on a Long March-2F (CZ-2F) launch vehicle.[2] The mission is scheduled to last 3 to 5 days.[3] The spacecraft has already been flown to Jiuquan. [4][5] The CZ-2F carrier rocket has been assembled and is ready to be sent to the launch center. [6]

According to a controversial Wenhui Journal report, unlike previous missions, China has for the first time brought forward the launch window. The launch of Shenzhou Ⅶ is now expected to take place between the end of the Beijing Paralympics on September 17th and China's National Day on October 1st. [7] In this regard, Yang Liwei, one of the candidate for the mission said he also learned the news by reading the newspapers, adding:


消息来源以新华社发布的为准。 Xinhua News Agency is the most authoritative source of official informations.

— CNSA Astronaut Major General Yang Liwei[8]

Thus, the official announcement by the Chinese space program spokesman reported by Xinhua revealed on September 6th, that the new launch window was set between September 25th and 30th. The fuelling process of the Shenzhou spacecraft was also started. [9]


New breakthroughs

China's first three-person mission

Among the highlights of the mission will be the first three-man crew of a Chinese spacecraft.[10] A total of six astronauts have currently been trained, three for conducting the mission and three others as a backup. The crew of the flight has not been announced. Yang Liwei, Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng, the first three indigenously launched Chinese people, are all in training for the flight. According to Yang, they could possibly be chosen.[11]

Recently, on a single day on three different Chinese websites, three astronauts have been singled out as the likely crew: Wu Jie, Zhai Zhigang and Fei Junlong. [12][13] The first spacewalker might be Fei Junlong. [14]

According to recent internet sources, commemorative stamps and envelopes revealing the astronauts identities have already been printed ready to be sold after completion of the mission. Although the images where intentionally blurred, Zhai Zhigang, Liu Boming and Wu Jie (some sources claiming he looks more like Jing Haipeng) could still be recognized. [15]

China's first EVA spacesuits

New spacesuits for the extra vehicular activity (舱外航天服) will be used, made with "advanced synthetics."[16] June, 2007, reports in Chinese media indicated that 300 square meters of spacesuit material, with "characteristics such as fire and radiation resistance that meet spacewalk requirements", had been made.[17] The suit is designed for a spacewalk mission of up to seven hours.[16] The suits will provide a breathable atmosphere and also allow the venting of astronaut wastes.[16] The price of each suit is reported to exceed 160 millions RMB. [18] First pictures of the spacesuits have been published in the Chinese media. Although China has already imported the Russian Orlan-M Haiying (海鹰号航天服), for interface compatibility with the spacecraft and liability in case of unexpected outcomes reasons, the indigenously developed Chinese-made Feitian space suit (飞天号航天服) will be used for the EVA. The second astronaut remaining in the Orbital module should wear the Orlan-M spacesuit. [19][20][21][22] Early reports indicated that the spacewalk would use suits with small propulsion units.[17] But it is clear now that this technology has only been developed on American suits and neither used in the Chinese-made nor the Russian-made ones. The astronauts had been training with space suits since July 2007. Movements are seriously restricted in the suits as each weighs more than 110 kilograms.[23]

October 2006 reports quote Sun Laiyan, head of CNSA as saying that "our foremost concern is safety and reliability."[24] Later, November 2007, reports quote China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) researcher Pang Zhihao that the spacewalk suits have a belt and tether to the orbital module. The tether will "conduct communications and provide oxygen".[25] The belt and tether combination are considered "safer" than alternatives.[26]

Nonetheless, the first spacewalk should use second generation EVA suits without the need of any tether. [27]

After three years of development, the space tether to be used with the Feitian space suit was reverse engineered by a Hunan company (华菱线缆公司). [28]

According to recent internet sources, commemorative stamps and envelopes already printed, ready to be sold after completion of the mission showed clearely a tether, a red striped Feitian space suit with "飞天" written in red on the right arm and a lone spacewalker. [15]

First use of a small monitoring satellite

A hand launched small monitoring satellite (“伴星”) will be released. The CCD stereo camera (CCD立体相机) is similar to the one aboard Chang'e 1. This will provide 3D images of the spacecraft and spacewalking astronaut. [29]

China's first spacewalk

The mission will conduct the first Chinese extra-vehicular activity. Two astronauts will enter the orbital module wearing EVA suits,[30] but only one of them will actually spacewalk and conduct scientific experiments, while the second one will carefully monitor him from the Orbital module. [18] In case of emergency, the second astronaut should provide help to the spacewalking astronaut. [31][32][33] The third astronaut will remain in the pressurised Return module. The spacewalking astronaut will perform tasks such as installing equipment and "tightening screws".

The total duration of this first spacewalk should last less than one hour once outside the Orbital module. [34]

China's first water training pool

Pictures of a large pool filled with water containing the entire Shenzhou spacecraft used for the EVA training have been published in the Chinese media.[35][36][37]

China's first extraterrestrial Communist Party branch

According to Yang Liwei, the crew members may convene an extraterrestrial orbital Communist Party of China (CPC) branch.[38] A remote locality with three or more Chinese Communist Party (CPC) members, such as a Shenzhou capsule with a full complement aboard, may conduct the business of a CPC branch.[38]

Other modifications and additions

Space toilets

Tailor made compact size foldable space toilets will allow to recycle the collected urine to be reused as drinking water for the astronauts. [39]

Modifications of the CZ-2F carrier rocket

Special attention has been given to solve vibration problems encountered at the 120 seconds of the Shenzhou-5 mission, vibrations described by Yang Liwei as hard to endure. First corrective mesures have already been implemented for the Shenzhou-6 mission but further improvements have been added to the carrier rocket, and to the pipes of the second stage. More than thirty other modifications have also been added. Finaly, the entire flight will be broadcasted due to the addition of one more camera. [6]

Modifications of the spacecraft

The Orbital module will be modified and its solar panels removed in order to allow the EVA experiment. For this same reason, contrary to previous Shenzhou missions, it will not remain in space after its separation with the departing crew in the Return module. [40] Handrails have been added to the external wall of the Orbital module to allow the space walking astronaut to reach specific experiment areas. [31]

More cameras will be installed on the spacecraft than on the Shenzhou 6 vessel, in addition to those covering the Orbital module and the Return module. Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).

Data relay satellite

China launched its first ever data relay satellite (数据中继卫星) Tianlian I (天链一号) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on a Long March-3C carrier rocket on April 25, 2008. Specially developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation to increase the communication time between the Shenzhou VII spaceship and the ground, it will also improve the amount of data that can be transferred. The Tianlian I satellite alone can cover 50 percent of the orbit of Shenzhou 7 while the Yuanwang space tracking ships along with China's over ten ground observation stations have a coverage of only 12 percent, thus increasing the total coverage to about 60 percent.[41]

New space tracking ships

Two new Yuanwang-class space tracking ships, Yuanwang-5 and Yuanwang-6 recently commisioned will play a key role in the Shenzhou 7 mission.[42]

See also

References

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  21. ^ "我们的仓外宇航服暴光了". 虚幻军事天空. March 9, 2008. Retrieved April 24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
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External links

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