ShengzhouSpacecraft.doc

Shengzhou SpacecraftChinas man space program began in secrecy. There was no live coverage of the launch. The first time the Chinese public knew of the event was a half hour after they had a man in space. Even his name was a mystery, but pictures were taken. Now they can be shown. China took a great leap forward when it launched a man into space. It was a remarkable journey. This morning, Chinas first astronaut came back to earth. He had been launched into space the day before and completed 14 orbits. It was a historical moment. The nation collectively held its breath. China became a member in an exclusive club. It was only the third nation to cross the final frontier.Chinas journey to space began more than 30 years earlier. Its first step had been shrouded in secrecy. In 1971, the best pilots in China were called up for a secret mission. They came from all over China. They were the elite pilots in the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force. Only the best would do. In 1971, the space race was in full swing, but so far there were just 2 runners. The Soviet Union had taken an earlier lead when in 1957 they put the first satellite in space. In 1961, the Soviet extended the lead by launching the first man in space. But the Americans stormed from behind to take the lead when they put a man on the moon in 1969. Late out of the gate, China had a lot of territory to make up.30 years ago, China created its first space program. The elite of China s air force were told to report for a secret mission. They were kept in the dark. They didnt even know where they were going. All they knew was the code name of the mission. It was called “DAWN”. They couldnt even tell their wives what they would be doing.It was the height of the Cultural Revolution when the thoughts of Chairman Mao were believed to surmount all obstacles. 88 pilots were ordered to report to a military hospital in Beijing. Armed with their copies of Maos little red book, they didnt know what to expect.The pilots were completely isolated from other patients in the hospital. They went through rigorous medical and physical examinations. Their psychology was tested. Instruction began in an unusual way.The thoughts of Chairman Mao drove Chinas first space program. His little red book was more important than any instruction manual, strength or skill.In April, air force commander Xue Lun received a classified telex. It ordered him to report to Beijing .The first team of astronauts was formed on May 15th 1971. The original plan was to launch Chinas first manned spacecraft in just 2 years. A secret space city was built in remote western China. It was to be the home of the new space program. Progress was fast until disasters struck. In September 1971, the leader of the army was implicated in a coup attempt against Mao. He died while fleeing China. His supporters were purged, and their pet project - China s space program ground to a halt, the team dismissed.It would be more than 20 years before China would again attempt to put a man in space.In 1992, the Chinese manned space program was relaunched. It had a new code name - Project 921. The search began to find Chinas first astronaut. The goal was to find a few good men. They would live and train in a new space city, built on the outskirts in Beijing. An initial field of 1504 candidates was progressively narrowed down. It would take 8 years to find and train the right candidate. He would be Chinas first man in space.Chinas space program is controlled by the military. It was the air force that selected astronaut candidates. And since its the third largest air force in the world, they had a lot of pilots from which to choose. Candidates need to be under 35 years old and have over 600 hours flying experience. The crammed conditions in the spacecraft meant that there were further selection criteria. Astronauts have to be a certain size and shape. To be able to fit into the space capsule, they must be less than 170 centimeters and weigh less than 70 kilograms.The selection criteria even specified what the pilots looked like. Candidates were told only those who were decent-looking could apply. There was even a regulation on how the candidates snored. The selection and training of the Chinas first astronauts took place in a specially built facility in a restricted area of Beijing district. Being an astronaut requires more than just superior piloting skills. Astronauts are required to have extraordinary levels of physical and mental fitness.Over 1500 candidates met the original criteria. They were first cut down to 600. Then they were trained and tested again and again. By 1998, the candidates had been whittled down to just 14 . They would be Chinas first astronaut core.The selection process was long. To find the best candidates, balance, motor skills, physiology and psychology were tested relentlessly.Nutritionists keep strict control of the astronauts diets. The 300 items of food on the menu were carefully chosen and even more carefully monitored. It was weighed as if left the kitchen and leftovers were weighed coming back. The nutritionists even claim to have secret recipes to enhance performance.It took 5 years to make an astronaut. The candidates were subject to constant barrage of mental, physical and psychological tests. Their workload was intense. They spent 1600 hours just in the classroom, They spent even more time in training and in tests, working from early morning to late at night.Even more demanding was the physical side of the training. Astronauts practiced how to fly their space craft in many conditions, while they were weightless and when they were subject to excessive gravitational force. In order to prepare them for any eventuality, they had to learn how to cope with the excessive noise, strong libration and oxygen deficiency. Just getting out of the capsule required special training.The intended landing zone for the space capsule is on land. But there is always a chance the capsule will land on water. The emergency drop zone is on the Sea of Japan. So the astronauts had to train to touch down both on land and on water.Before leaving the spacecraft, the astronaut must change out of his space suit and into a special survival suit. It is designed to protect the astronaut for at least 12 hours if he has to abandon his craft. The space capsule is buoyant. When it lands on water it floats like a bottle. Its safe, but not comfortable.The astronauts continued flying too. Around the world, astronauts are selected from pilots. Not just because fighter pilots are in superb physical condition. Already are trained in flying mode, they are experienced in making accurate decisions with split-second timing.The astronauts were trained to parachute as well. Not because they were expected to leap out of the space capsule in an emergency, but because parachute training was a test of stamina and character.Some of the most important training was also some of the shortest. Weightlessness training is central to learning how to function in space. The Chinese astronauts had to go to Russia to get it. The Russians artificially recreate the weightless space in a specially modified airplane. By flying in steep parabolas, brief periods of weightlessness are created. The plane glides in free fall from a height of 10000 meters. Each parabola creates a period of weightlessness, lasting 25 to 28 seconds. Each training flight consists of around dozens of parabolas and each astronaut went on 4 flights spending around totally only 25 minutes in weightless flight in the 5 years of training.What looks like fun is actually a test of endurance. The alternation of extreme G-forces with weightlessness wears out both trainers and astronauts.While the astronauts were going through intensive tests and training, so too was the hardware that would carry them into space. Although China had successfully launched satellites into space, launching a manned space vehicle was all altogether different. Satellites only weigh couples of hundred kilos. A mannd orbital vehicle weighs 8 tons and it has to return to earth. The first successful flight attempt was in November 1999. But more tests still lay ahead before astronauts could be launched into space. The astronauts durability had to be tested as well. Even with its parachute, a space capsule falls at 8 meters per second. Thats the same as a car hitting a wall at 28 kilometers per hour. It takes special training to survive the jolt. Like airline passengers, astronauts are taught the brace position. But unlike airline passengers, they have to use it for every landing.The forces of impact are huge. Those forces are replicated in training. The astronauts are tested 15 times normal impact. To ensure their safety, trainers first went through a 17 times impact test.Astronauts were training for every eventuality. On survival courses, they learn how to defend by themselves in hostile conditions. Astronauts have a gun and a knife in the re-entry module, they need them.Survival ability was paramount. Russia and United States had lost 14 astronauts in their race to space. China learnt from their mistakes. A special escape rocket provided an extra margin of safety. It goes off with a bang, shooting the astronauts capsule far from harms way.The rocket that will carry China s first astronaut into space has been years in development, called the “Long Match-2F ”. It is the cutting edge of Chinas rocket program. Its a brute of a rocket, capable of lifting 8 tons manned spacecraft into orbit speed at more than 8 kilometers per second. Yet it is also a precision instrument. Its 50, 000 mechanical parts must function perfectly as it has no second chance. Astronauts had a Beijing home visit before the launch.The field of the astronaut candidates has been narrowed to the final 3. All are top flight air force pilots. But only one will have the honor of being the first Chinese astronaut. Photogenic Zhai Zhigang was not only a top gun in his unit, he was also a poster boy for the air force. His picture was used on the cover of the air force magazine.Yang Liweis mother says that he dreamt to be a pilot since he was a child. When he was a little boy, he also said that one day he would marry a woman who can drive a train. Today he is one of the China s elite pilots and his wife is a school teacher.Astronaut Nie Haisheng was so important to his unit that his commanding officer tried to get him to turn down astronaut training. Nies wife was also opposed to his becoming an astronaut. She even threatened to divorce him. Nie won them both over and today he is one of the last 3 candidates to be China s first man in space.The selection of which candidate will going into space will be made just one day before the launch. The physical and medical condition of the candidates is monitored until the last minute. In the end, only a few points separate the candidates. Centrifugal training is central to the astronauts preparation for space. The spinning machine creates a G-force up to 15 times Earth gravity, During the launch, an astronaut undergoes 4 Gs. Thats about the same as the maximum reached on a roller coaster. But on a roller coaster, its only a few microseconds. Reaching orbit takes 10 minutes. The astronauts may be exposed to even great G-forces and an uncontrolled descent can reach 11 Gs and in an emergency abort, it may reach 17Gs.Astronauts were trained in a mock-up spacecraft before they ever enter the real thing. It has two chambers, a large orbital module and below it a smaller command capsule in which the astronaut sit during the launch and re-entry.The command module which can hold up three astronauts is just six cubic meters. The orbital module is, by comparison, a relatively spacious 8cubic meters. Together they are like a two-room house. The astronaut sits in the command module during take-off and landing. Along missions, experiments would take place in the orbital module, but on China s first manned mission into space, the orbital module will not be used. The astronaut will spend the entire journey in the command module.Soon, the practice module will be replaced by the real thing .Although there has been speculation in the press, there was no public announcement before the candidates make one last trip.On October 12, the finalists fly to Gansu , in northwest China , for the date with destiny. The Jiuquan, satelliate launch center has been putting satelliates into space for 20 years. But this will be their first attempt to put a man into space. The astronauts still do not know who it will be. China is in the midst of the SARS epidemic. The astronauts take special precautions to protect their health. At the vehicle assembly building, the man space craft is joined to the main rocket. Its housed in a protective sheet called fairing that will protect it on its way into space. During the launch, the astronaut travels blind, his spacecraft completely enclosed in the fairing. The fairing will be blown off only when the vessel is in outer space. Then, the man module emerges like a butterfly from a cocoon to orbit the earth.The last piece to be assembled is an escaped rocket. It is attached to the top of the man spacecraft stage. Its for emergency use only. In tests, its shown that if something goes wrong during the launch, it can lift the manned module to safety, rising 1.5 kilometers in just 3 seconds. It like yanking a man up by pulling his hair. It wont get the astronaut into space, but it could save his life.last for some relaxations. While the last 3 candidates play, others are hard at work. There can only be one winner in this race for space. In a few hours, one candidate will learn that he has been chosen to be China s first man into space. There is no relaxation at the landing site. The weather conditions here will determine the launch date. The spacecraft cant be launched until it is safe to land.The 9 recovery teams, 4 helicopters and 5 mobile medical units are trained and trained again. Their job is to get to the astronaut quickly, get him out of the re-entry capsule and get him to safety. Just finding him in the vast grasslands of the Inner Mongolian landing zone will be a challenge.After 5 years of training, the end is in sight. The rocket is ready, training is complete. From a start of 1500 candidates, there are now just 3 finalists. Tomorrow, one will go on the ride of his life. The astronauts have had one last home visit, Its time to say goodbye, perhaps for the last time. Now its time to return to the launch center.The candidates have come a long way since they first volunteered to become astronauts. They have seen 1500 of their comrades fail to make the grade. Now there are just 3. Theyll all fly to the launch center, but they still dont know which one will fly into space. At the astronauts residence, tension mounts.When word comes through, its Yang Liwei, that has been selected to be China s first man into space. With 4 hours to go before launch, its time for one last meal before China s first astronaut embarks on his mission. The launch is not televised live. The cameras do record it for posterity. Its a great event in the history of China . 50 years ago, chairman mao complained,” how can China called itself a Great Nation, if it cant even put a potato in space.Now China is poised to do what only 2 nations have done before. It is not a potato that China will launch into space, but a man. Although the public does not know that China is about to enter the age of manned flight, no less a personage than the president of China has flown through the night to bid a personal farewell to astronaut Yang. Astronaut Yang will enter the rocket at around 6 am. President Hu flew to the launch center after attending the third plenum of the 16th communist party of congress. Its an important moment for him and for China .The waiting is over. 5 years has been spent training for the next few moments. Delegations from the three astronauts home cottages are there to see them off.Astronaut Yang has bussed the 1.5 kilometers to the launch town.Its a perfect launch. Television screens distort the reality of the launch. The rocket will reach a speed of 11 km per second, to escape the earth gravity. Yang Li Wei is not moving, the technicians cannot tell whether the monitor is frozen, or something has happened to Yong. When the visual link to spacecrafts interior is restored, there is relief all around. China will officially enter the exclusive club of nations that have put astronauts into space when Yang becomes weightless. The scientists calculate that will be 600 seconds after lift-off. As the seconds tick away, the excitement grows.Yang Liwei wasnt just along for the ride , he