China's Long March 2F rocket ready for trip to launch center

2008-07-19 19:44:28 [ Big Normal Small ]    　Comment

Launch team members promise they would try every means to ensure the success and safety of the launch. The Long March 2F rocket designed to carry China's third manned spacecraft into space will be sent to Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest Gansu province in a few days, officials with the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) said Saturday. (Xinhua Photo)
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BEIJING, July 19 (Xinhua) -- The Long March 2F rocket designed to carry China's third manned spacecraft into space will be sent to Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest Gansu province in a few days, officials with the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) said here Saturday.

The rocket was coated in red, a color to show that it was ready to fulfill its mission, said Jing Muchun, chief designer of the spacecraft, adding that further testing will be conducted to ensure 100 percent safety after the rocket arrives at Jiuquan.

Launch team members promise they would try every means to ensure the success and safety of the launch. The Long March 2F rocket designed to carry China's third manned spacecraft into space will be sent to Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest Gansu province in a few days, officials with the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) said Saturday.(Xinhua Photo)
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About 10 days ago, Shenzhou VII, China's third manned spacecraft, arrived at Jiuquan. It is expected to be launched in October. CALT head Li Hong, together with 200 launch team members, promised they would try every means to ensure the success and safety of the launch.

In 2003, China became the third country to send an astronaut into space in its own spacecraft. The United States and the former Soviet Union (now Russia) are the others to have done so.

Shenzhou VII ready for final test

  BEIJING, July 2 -- The team that developed Shenzhou VII, China's third manned spacecraft, will begin the final test at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu province in a few days.

  Zhang Bainan, chief designer of the spacecraft, said on Tuesday that the research and development team of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC) will leave for Jiuquan early this month.

China's 1st spacewalk mission to launch in October

  BEIJING, June 12 (Xinhua) -- China's Shenzhou VII manned space mission, which will include the first spacewalk by a Chinese "taikonaut," is to launch in October, said a spokesman of the China manned space engineering office here on Thursday.

He would not give the exact date of the launch, but said a day would be selected in October.

Space mission equipment passes test

A virtual image of an astronaut spacewalking outside the Shenzhou VII spaceship. (Photo: Chinadaily.com, File Photo)
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BEIJING, Feb. 21 -- An airlock module for the Shenzhou VII spaceship and an extravehicular spacesuit - key elements of China's first spacewalk mission scheduled for later this year - have passed initial ground tests, a top scientist said yesterday.

"Both the airlock module and the extravehicular spacesuit passed the tests, which simulated the zero-gravity environment of space," Yang Baohua, head of the China Academy of Space Technology, said.

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