Shenzhou-5 re-entry capsule passes to research institute ( 2003-10-17 21:46) (Xinhua)
The re-entry capsule of Shenzhou-5, which carried China's first astronaut Lt.
Col. Yang Liwei to and returned from the space between Oct. 15-16, was handed to
the Chinese Research Institute of Space Technology here Friday. The capsule,
which landed safely in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 6:23
a.m. Thursday, just 4.8 kilometers off the pre-set target, arrived in Beijing
Friday afternoon on a special train. After a primary inspection, experts
concluded that the buffer engines of the capsule operated normally before the
landing and the entire capsule remained intact. Shenzhou-5, measuring 9.2
meters in length and weighing 7,790 kilograms, consists of the orbit, re-entry
and propulsion modules. The capsule will soon be opened and the data
collected by the scientific apparatus onboard will be studied.
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