China's Space Program News Thread

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The Shenzhou-9 manned spacecraft will return to Earth around 10 a.m. Beijing Time Friday, a spokesperson for China's manned space program announced here Thursday.

A manual operation successfully separated the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft and the Tiangong-1 lab module Thursday morning, according to the Beijing Aerospace Control Center. It was the first time for China's spacecraft and target module to be manually disjoined.

The three Chinese astronauts returned to the Shenzhou-9 from the Tiangong-1 at 6 a.m. Beijing Time Thursday, in order to prepare for the manual separation attempt.

Liu Wang, one of the astronauts, conducted the operation to separate Shenzhou-9 and the orbiting Tiangong-1. He will continue to manually operate and direct the spacecraft to a safe distance from the lab module.

During their stay in the Tiangong-1, all experiments and tests were finished as scheduled and produced valuable data, said Chen Shanguang, chief commander of the mission's astronaut system. "These data will help us improve technologies for astronauts' future, long-term stays in a space station," he said.

All data and samples have been moved to the return capsule of the spacecraft, and the lab module has been restored to its pre-docking status, said the control center. The Tiangong-1 will return to its previous orbit and wait for another spacecraft.

The lab module is designed to operate for two years and host six docking procedures. It has been operating for 272 days and undergone four docking procedures with Shenzhou-8 and Shenzhou-9 spaceships, to date.

"Based on current conditions, the service of the Tiangong-1 can be extended," said He Yu, chief commander of the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft. "It has consumed less than one-fourth of its fuel and no back-up systems have been used."

If the systems were improved and its operation was under careful monitoring and control, the service could be much longer, he said.
"If Tiangong-1 was in perfect shape, it could work side by side with the Tiangong-2, which will be launched in the future," he said.

Video of hatch closure at 22:37 UTC on June 27:

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Qian Xuesen The movie

[video=youtube;WwlayRDU3Oo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwlayRDU3Oo[/video]

Qian Xuesen (11 December 1911 – 31 October 2009) a famous scientist in modern China, is a member of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering. He was bornin in Hangzhou City of Zhejiang Province in December 1911. Qian graduated form Shanghai Jiaotong University in 1934. In 1935, he went to the United State for advanced study in MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). After receiving master's degree in MIT, Qian went to study in California Institute of Technology under the supervision of Theodore von Karman, a leading research of areodynamics. In 1939, Qian received PhD degrees of both aerospace and mathematics and left the school to be a teacher, as well as a researcher studying the applied mechanics and rocket and missile theories. After returning to China in 1955, he lead the missle and space program in China. Historical documents in the U. S. commonly refer to him with the earlier family-name last spelling, Hsue-Shen Tsien or H.S. Tsien. Today, it is his 100th birthday. We commemorate his contributions both to China and US.

During the 1940s Qian was one of the founders of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology. During the Second Red Scare of the 1950s, the United States government accused Qian of having communist sympathies, and he was stripped of his security clearance in 1950. Qian then decided to return to China, but instead was detained at Terminal Island near Los Angeles. After spending 5 years under virtual house arrest, Qian was released in 1955, in exchange for the repatriation of American pilots captured during the Korean War. Notified by U.S. authorities that he was free to go, Qian immediately arranged his departure, leaving for China in September 1955, on the passenger liner SS President Cleveland of American President Lines, via Hong Kong.

After his return, Qian has served successively as director-general with the mechanics institute of Chinese Academy of Sciences, deputy director-general and director-general with the fifth research institute of the State Defense Ministry, vice chairman with the Seventh Design and Research Institute The Ministry of Machinery Industry, deputy director-general with the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, president with the 3rd China Association for Science and Technology, vice president with the 6th to the 8th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Qian were the senior consultant with the Commission of Science and Technology of the General Equipment Ministry of the People's Liberation Army, honorary president with China Association for Science and Technology. In 1957, Qian won the first prize of the natural science by Chinese Academy of Sciences, in 1979, the outstanding alumnus prize by California Institute of Technology, in 1985, first prize of national advanced technology awards, in 1989, the title of "World's Celebrity for Sciences and Engineering", and in 1991, China's outstanding scientist with outstanding achievements and the nation's first-grade medal for heroic models.

In 1956, Qian put forward "Proposal on the Development of China's Aviation Industry for National Defense" and assisted Zhou Enlai, the then premiere, and Marshal Nie Rongzheng to prepare the establishment of China's first missile and rocket R&D structure, the Fifth Research Institute of State Ministry of Defense. In October 1956, Qian assumed office of director-general with the fifth research institute. Henceforth, Qian has long been in charge of the chief technological officer with the R&D of China's missile, rocket and spacecraft, and has contributed greatly to the establishment and development of China's missile, rocket and spacecraft undertakings. Qian is a forerunner pioneering the development of China's aerospace science and technology. He has been honored as "Father of China's Missile" and "Father of China's Space Program".

 

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It seems that the super-heavy launcher has been officialised under the reference of CZ-9. Liang Xiaohong (the Party secretary of CALT) said the core stage will have a 8m diameter with 3,5m diameter booster.Total Mass: 3000t. CASC's factory N°7103 begins to make a wooden model of the future engine. There is also a new rocket called CZ-11 with solid propellant dedicated to rapid deployment.

 

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A space fridge designed and manufactured by Haier Group, has been installed in the orbital module of Shenzhou-9.

 

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Chinas space mission reminds me of the Western arms embargo

after 1989 the West put embargos on China and now China has become fully indigenous through hard learned lessons

then they refused China on International Space station and now China has its own

China has the resources and manpower to go things alone, I mean its very tough to have a space programme and its very expensive, but China has poured resources into space programme and fruits are there for all of us to see

with about a 1/10th of NASAs budget China has done so much, Chinese $ goes much further than American $

 

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A manual operation successfully separated the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft and the Tiangong-1 lab module this morning

[video=youtube;qcKoSaBYpQs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcKoSaBYpQs[/video]

Heiping JIANG leaving TG-1

[video=youtube;EV7BQ3Q4tzQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV7BQ3Q4tzQ[/video]

 

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Using satellite telemetry to better coordinate and enhance agricultural production for 7 types of crops (cotton, corn, wheat, rice etc ...)

[video=youtube;X9RM8lGL874]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9RM8lGL874[/video]

 

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It seems that the super-heavy launcher has been officialised under the reference of CZ-9. Liang Xiaohong (the Party secretary of CALT) said the core stage will have a 8m diameter with 3,5m diameter booster.Total Mass: 3000t. CASC's factory N°7103 begins to make a wooden model of the future engine. There is also a new rocket called CZ-11 with solid propellant dedicated to rapid deployment.

OMG I so hope this is true, about time China develop an Apollo thrust rocket.

 

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........then they refused China on International Space station and now China has its own

The reality is that the Chinese station is roughly equivalent to the Russian Salyut 1 and cannot be compared to the ISS by any means. To even develop an orbital module such as Mir will take years of booster development and orbital experience. There are no shortcuts in space

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Salyut 1 with Soyuz

 

[vesicles]

The reality is that the Chinese station is roughly equivalent to the Russian Salyut 1 and cannot be compared to the ISS by any means. To even develop an orbital module such as Mir will take years of booster development and orbital experience. There are no shortcuts in space

I don't think he meant to say China's TG-1 is equivalent to ISS. He's simply implying that China has its own space station, which is a starting point and has the potential to match ISS in the future. Like saying "I now have a house!", but in no way I'm implying that my house matches Bill Gates'.