Shenzhou-9 in final testing stage before launch
- By Zhang Junmian
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E-mail China.org.cn, June 14, 2012
Key points you can't miss:
1. The crew of the mission could include one women for the first time.
2. The astronauts will dock Shenzhou-9 manually with the orbiting Tiangong-1 space lab module,
3. The mission will be the first time that China launches a manned spacecraft in Summer.
Shenzhou-9 is now in the final testing stage before its scheduled mid-June launch to take on China's first manned space docking mission.
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Shenzhou-9 is now in the final testing stage before its scheduled mid-June launch to take on China's first manned space docking mission. [Chinanews.com] |
Chinese scientists are conducting the last round of tests with astronauts and on the spacecraft, the launch rocket and other systems at the Jiuquan space center in Northwestern China.
The crew of the mission could include one women for the first time. Liu Yang and Wang Yaping, selected for their superior pilot skills and psychological qualifications, are among six candidates for the three-person crew. Should either be chosen, she would be the first Chinese woman to go into space.
The astronauts will dock Shenzhou-9 manually with the orbiting Tiangong-1 space lab module, which was launched last September and completed China's first space docking with the unmanned Shenzhou-8 spacecraft in November.
Experts hoped that the mission could help the country to test its manual docking technology, which may involve high working intensity for the astronauts under variable light conditions that could affect their vision and the precision of their work.
The crew will then board the Tiangong-1 lab and conduct experiments there. The spacecraft is scheduled to be in orbit for about 13 days, longer than all previous manned missions from China. It will stay docked with Tiangong-1 for 10 days.
The mission will also be the first time that China launches a manned spacecraft in June. This launch window will test the space program's ability to manage the launch against adverse summer weather conditions, such as thunder and high temperatures. China previously kept its launch schedules in the fall and winter seasons since its Shenzhou-1 launch in 1999.
Li Xingdong, director of the meteorological department at the Jiuquan space center, said that thunder and lightning are the worst weather conditions that could affect the launch of manned spacecrafts.
Weather data between 1981 and 2011 indicate that thunder occurs at a frequency of about 2.6 times per month during the summer, and there is rarely such a condition during the fall or winter.
Li said: "This kind of weather, though with small probability of occurrence, may possibly lead to disastrous consequences." There are nearly 30 staff working to secure a safe launching time.
High temperature poses another threat to the launch, which may cause the rocket propellant to overheat and fail. According to experts, prevention measures include cooling down the propellant tanks to lower the initial temperature of the fuel.
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