Special Report: Third MannedSpaceMission
Backgrounder: Chinesefootprints inouterspace
BEIJING, Sept.27(Xinhua) -- China willstartthesecond round of astronauts selection to replenish amoredemandingmission that will complete orbiter docking, saidDengYibing, chiefengineer of the astronaut training center onSaturday.
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Thevideo grab taken on Sept.27, 2008 in Beijing, China,shows Chinesetaikonaut Zhai Zhigang isoutside the orbital module.(XinhuaPhoto) |
The selection will startaftertheShenzhou-7missionends, which accomplished China's firstspacewalk Saturdayafternoon.Excellent candidates from the freshteam may be involvedin theShenzhou-10 mission, which will seek abreakthrough in theorbiterdocking technology, a more demanding job,Deng toldreporters in thenews center of the Shenzhou-7 mannedspaceprogram.
China picked the first batchof14astronauts in 1998 in preparation for the country'smannedspaceflights. The country sent its first man into space in2003 intheShenzhou-5 spacecraft. Two years later, two men orbitedtheearthin Shenzhou-6. The current Shenzhou-7 missioncarriedthreeastronauts.
Some of the first 14 astronautsarestillcapable of fulfilling the Shenzhou-10 mission as theiragesandskills will not be a problem," said Deng.
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The video grab takenonSept.27, 2008 in Beijing, China, shows Chinese taikonautZhaiZhigangwaves after opening the door of the orbitalmodule.(XinhuaPhoto)
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But some of them will havetoretirebecause of age, said Huang Weifen, deputy designerofShenzhou-7'sastronaut system, on Saturday. The retiredastronautswill join thetraining programs or the management team,according toDeng.
To master the orbiterdockingtechnology,China's second step before the ultimate goalofbuilding a permanentspace station, is a very complicated job,andhas higher demands onastronauts, Deng said.
As the docking has to bepartlyassistedby manual operation of astronauts, Deng said, theyshouldbeselected "very cautiously" and they have to gothrough"rigorous"training to qualify the mission.
The docking technology willfirstbetested on the unmanned Shenzhou-8 andShenzhou-9spacecraft.The manned mission will be launched if everything goeswell, said LiYuqing, a consultant of the spacecraft system of theShenzhou-7mission.
Aerospace expertmayalso have the chanceto fly aboard Shenzhou-10, andthephysical requirement for them willbe less tougher than thatforastronauts, said Huang Weifen.
