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January 2001
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China's unmanned spacecraft returns safely
China's unmanned Shenzhou II spacecraft returned safely to Earth on Tuesday.
State television said the capsule landed in the country's inner Mongolian region at 1122 GMT after circling the planet 108 times.
The mission, part of China's programme to put astronauts in space, was the second major test for the Shenzhou craft.
The capsule is understood to have carried animals and microbial cells on the flight.
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Source: Space Daily
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The official Xinhua News Agency gave a mid-mission progress report over the weekend, stating that the craft had performed "hundreds of sophisticated manoeuvres".
The agency said the craft flew 13 oval orbits before being directed into a circular orbit on the 14th pass around the planet.
China made its first test flight of Shenzhou - it means "Divine Ship" - in November 1999.
The Shenzhou I mission lasted just 21 hours. Another success with Shenzhou II should pave the way for further test flights and a manned mission within two years, western commentators believe.
Shenzhou II was launched on 10 January from the Jiuquan Satellite Centre in the northwestern province of Gansu.
China has orbited its unpiloted Shenzhou spaceship in a practice shake-out of hardware that will eventually carry Chinese "taikonauts" into space.
The Shenzhou-2 lifted off from the South Launch Center early Wednesday morning local time from a newly developed rocket complex at the Jiuquan Satellite Center in Gansu province. Shenzhou rose skyward atop a Chinese Long March 2-F booster. Problems in launching the space vehicle last week is reported to have delayed it's January 5 liftoff.
This is the second test flight of the Shenzhou (meaning God Vessel, Divine Ship or Magic Vessel). The maiden voyage of the craft was November 19, 1999, looping around the Earth 14 times before it landed under parachute within Inner Mongolia, 21 hours after liftoff.
China space watchers expect a more rigorous testing of the Shenzhou this trip.
A longer trek would put the Shenzhou-2 - a forward orbital section, a descent module, and a rear instrument/propulsion module -- through an extensive checkout while whisking through space. Pairs of solar panels adorn the forward and rear sections of the Shenzhou.
One or two more unpiloted tests are expected before a human-rated Shenzhou is ready to take flight. Published reports a few months ago stated that China's first generation of astronauts are now undergoing intensive training.
By rocketing humans into orbit, China would enter an elite club. It would become the third nation after Russia in 1961 and the United States in 1962 to place a person into Earth orbit.
"I expect that when it begins manned operations, the Shenzhou program will progress relatively quickly compared with other Chinese programs, and also with the early years of Soviet and U.S. manned flights," said noted space analyst, Phillip Clark, of Molniya Space Consultancy in Great Britain.
The test flight is expected to last between five and seven days depending on how smoothly the tests go. A series of scientific tests will be conducted on the spacecraft. A number of animals and microbial cells provided by the Chinese Academy of Sciences are aboard the spacecraft are on board to test the environmental system. Other tests are expected to test the guidance and re-entry systems. China announced the second launching shortly after it occurred and provided more information about the craft and rocket. The second Shenzhou capsule includes structure and technology improvements over its predecessor. The spacecraft was unmanned, but carried the technology and equipment designed for manned spaceflight, such as the escape system. The Shenzhou appears to be similar in design to the Russian-built Soyuz spacecraft. However, the Chinese capsule is 13% larger than the Soyuz spacecraft. It can carry two to three, perhaps four people. The Long March rocket included upgraded troubleshooting and safety systems. The spacecraft was made by the Chinese Research Institute of Space Technology and the Shanghai Research Institute of Astronautical Technology, with experimental equipment provided by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of Information Industry.
| Shenzhou 2 |
| SPACECRAFT |
| Int'l Designation |
2001 001A |
launched |
| Owner / Sponsor |
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| Mission |
Test flight unmanned spacecraft |
| Manufacturer / Model |
Research Institute of Space
Technology |
Shenzhou |
| Launch Mass |
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| Dimensions |
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| Mission Orbit |
LEO |
45.28° |
| Design Life |
5 to 7 day flight test |
| Power (EOL) |
|
| LAUNCH |
| Launch Vehicle Model |
Long March 2F |
| Date / Time (UTC) |
2001 January 9 |
17:00 |
Long March 2F
A Long March 2F launched Shenzhou 2 from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 1700 UTC on January 9. Shenzhou 2 was launched into a 197 km (106 nmi) by 335 km (181 nmi) orbit, inclined at 42.58 degrees with a period of 89.83 minutes. It was a chilly morning at the launch site, with a temperature of minus 13°C (9°F). The test flight is expected to last between five and seven days depending on how smoothly the tests go. The launch vehicle was build by China Great Wall Industries.
| Launch |
| Int'l Designation |
2001 001 |
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| Launch Vehicle Model |
Long March 2F |
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| Date/Time (UTC) |
2001 January 9 |
17:00 |
| Spaceport/pad |
Jiuquan Satelite Launch Center |
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| Satellite(s) |
| Name |
Shenzhou 2 |
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