China to launch Shenzhou VI October 12-15 (chinadaily.com.cn) Updated: 2005-10-11 07:58
China will launch its second manned space mission between October 12 and 15,
an aerospace official said Tuesday.
The final launch time will depend on the weather conditions.
Shenzhou VI, a
spaceship to carry two astronauts into orbit, sits atop of the LM-2F
carrier rocket at the launching pad in Jiuquan satellite launch center in
northwest China October 7, 2005. It is widely reported that China's second
manned spaceship will be launched on October 13. [Nanfang
Daily] | The Shenzhou VI aircraft will carry two
astronauts into the sky from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, the Xinhua
News Agency quoted the official with the headquarters for China's manned space
mission as saying.
The craft is expected to land at a site in central Inner Mongolia
Autonomous Region, the official said, adding that the preparations for the
launch are going smoothly.
AFP Monday quoted an anonymous official from the technical department of the
Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center as saying that "It (launch time) is October
12 at 9 am."
A travel agent taking domestic tourists to witness the launch said he had
been advised to be at the site early Wednesday morning.
The six astronauts shortlisted for the two-member mission have arrived at the
launch pad in Inner Mongolia and Zhai Zhigang and Nie Haisheng are favorites to
pilot the mission, reports said.
Wang Yongzhi, chief designer of China's manned spaceflight program, said the
two astronauts on Shenzhou-6 will for the first time enter into the orbital
module from the re-entry capsule and live and work several days under
microgravity conditions, Xinhua said.
They will also for the first time carry out "scientific experiments with
human participation in its real sense" in space, said Wang without deliberation.
Liu Yu, commander in chief of the rocket system, said the rocket for
Shenzhou-6 has much improvement in reliability and safety compared with the one
for Shenzhou-5.
"We have confidence in the quality of this rocket. We have the conditions and
capability to fulfill this mission," said Liu.
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