Space Today Online - Chinese astronauts called yuhangyuans fly in Shenzhou capsules 2003 solo flight and 2005 flight of two were successful... Three Chinese Astronauts Orbited in 2008 Two of the Astronauts Walked in Space Plans for Space Station in 2010 and Landing a Man on the Moon in 2017 Chinese artist concept of a Shenzhou in orbit above Earth The Peoples Republic of China, the world's most populous nation, sent three men to space in one ship on September 25, 2008. In space, two of the astronauts, known as taikonauts or yuhangyuans, exited the Shenzhou 7 capsule briefly on September 27 for China's first-ever spacewalks. China's human transport spacecraft are called Shenzhou, which means Divine Vessel in Chinese. Transport capsules identified as Shenzhou 8, Shenzhou 9 and Shenzhou 10 are under development for launch in 2009-2010. The Asian nation hopes to launch the three Shenzhou capsules to form a space station.

Shenzhou 8 and 9 would ferry equipment for a space station to be erected in Earth orbit, according to Chinese newspaper reports in 2005. That would be China's first space station. It would be composed of the Shenzhou 8 and 9 capsules joined together in orbit. Shenzhou 10, then, would ferry people up to live and work in the space station. Shenzhou 10 would dock at the space station. All three spacecraft – Shenzhou 8, 9 and 10 – would be launched within the same month. Later, China would send astronauts to land on the Moon in 2017. That would be three years ahead of NASA's planned landing of astronauts on the Moon in 2020. The flights: Shenzhou 1-4 » Shenzhou 5 » Shenzhou 6 » Shenzhou 7 » Long Range Plan The one-man flight in 2003 and the two-person flight in 2005 were early landmarks in the Asian nation's long-range plan.

China then launched in 2007 an unmanned two-ton satellite called Chang'e to orbit the Moon for a year and record 3D images of the lunar surface. In 2008, two Chinese astronauts performed spacewalks during the Shenzhou 7 three-person flight. Next, China wants to: in 2009-2010, build a space station in orbit. in 2010-2011, land an unmanned probe on the Moon. by 2013, launch a rocket with triple the lifting power of the nation's largest. It would be able to carry a payload of 27 tons to space, three times today's nine tons. in 2015-2016, land another unmanned probe on the Moon to collect soil samples and return them to Earth in preparation for a human moon base. in 2017, land a man on the Moon. Chinese astronauts on the Moon in 2017 could set up an astronomical telescope and measure the abundance of helium-3, which could be used back on Earth as a non-polluting fuel source.

China's third piloted space flight China sent three men to space in one Shenzhou capsule on September 25, 2008. In space, two of the astronauts went outside the Shenzhou 7 capsule briefly on September 27 for China's first-ever spacewalks. The astronauts. The mission commander was Zhai Zhigang. He made the first spacewalk. Astronaut Liu Boming floated outside briefly. He gave Zhai a Chinese flag that he had waved at a camera. Jing Haipeng, the third crew member, watched over the spacecraft from inside the re-entry module. The spacewalk was carried live on state television CCTV. While outside, Zhai was tethered to handles attached to the orbital module's exterior. He remained outside for 13 minutes, then climbed back inside and closed the hatch. Five years later. The Shenzhou 7 flight came five years after China had launched its first piloted space mission, Shenzhou 5, back in 2003. At that time, China had become the third country after the United States and Russia to launch a person into space.

A Chinese official was reported to have said Russian technicians assisted with the Shenzhou 7 spacewalk. Chinese food. Chinese food available to the astronauts in space included kung pao chicken, shrimp and dried fruit, according to the official Xinhua News Agency said. The Shenzhou 7 capsule, composed of three modules, flew in a circular orbit 213 miles above Earth. A sub-satellite. Two hours after Zhai returned inside the Shenzhou capsule, a small 88-lb. satellite was released to circle independently around the orbiter and send back images to mission control on the ground in China. The small satellite was equipped with two cameras that could capture images at distances of four meters to two kilometers (km) from Shenzhou 7. The satellite observed and assisted the main capsule with communication, scientific experimentation, and Earth and astronomy observation. It provided Chinese ground controllers a chance to observe and control two objects in relative motion in space in preparation for orbiter dockings in future flights. China will need orbiter docking techniques for its next manned spaceship Shenzhou-8, which will be a step toward the building of a permanent space laboratory.

The Shenzhou 7 capsule itself was to return to land on the Inner Mongolian steppe on September 28. China's second piloted space flight China sent its second manned spacecraft, called Shenzhou 6, to Earth orbit on October 12, 2005. The Shenzhou 6 capsule carried two men – Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng – on a five-day flight 210 miles above Earth. Shenzhou 6 blasted off at 9 a.m. local time (0100 UTC) . Some 115.5 hours later, the pilots landed by parachute on October 17 in China's northern grasslands at Siziwangqi, Inner Mongolia. Second anniversary. It was almost exactly two years after China's first manned flight on October 15, 2003. China already is the third nation able to send a man into space after that October 2003 launch of Yang Liwei aboard Shenzhou 5. He orbited Earth 14 times and landed by parachute in the northern grasslands at Siziwangqi. Today, Yang is a celebrity helping train the former fighter pilots for Shenzhou 6.

Fei and Nie now also are celebrities. Click to enlarge Xinhua photo of Long March lofting Shenzhou 6 Live TV. The Chinese government was so confident of success before the Shenzhou 6 launch that it telecast the rocket lift-off live. Fei and Nie were seen inside as their Shenzhou capsule raced upward toward orbit, which it reached 23 minutes after launch. Fei was heard to say he was "feeling pretty good." The relative importance of the spaceflight to the nation was revealed when the nation's leaders tuned in. Chinese President Hu Jintao was seen on TV watching the launch from the Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Center. Later, on October 15, he talked with the orbiting astronauts by radio from the Beijing center. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao was at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert in the northwestern province of Gansu. Yang Liwei also was at the launch site. Record setting. Shenzhou 6 traveled around Earth at about 17,528 mph at an altitude of 210 miles. The craft flew two million miles in 115 hours 32 minutes in space.

Nie and Fei easily set a new Chinese space endurance record on October 13 when they passed the 21.5 hours of time Yang Liwei had spent in orbit. Chinese government video screen capture photo of astronauts Fei and Nie in Shenzhou 6 Click to enlarge: image 2 Science. While orbiting, Fei and Nie looked down at Earth's atmosphere and the vegetation on land surfaces. They also looked at the oceans for pollution. The information they collected about land, sea and air was of use to scientists on the ground. Landing. After five days in space, Fei and Nie returned to Earth in the re-entry capsule portion of Shenzhou 6, leaving the orbital capsule behind in space. Back safely on the ground, they ate noodles and chocolate, drank tea, and then flew off to Beijing where they received heroes' welcomes. Who could have flown? Fourteen male military pilots were trained for the Shenzhou 6 mission. They were divided into seven pairs. Their number was reduced when three pairs were selected from the pool in December 2004. Chinese space officials picked the final pair shortly before the flight.

Two men had been strong candidates along with Yang for the Shenzhou 5 flight – Zhai Zhigang and Nie Haisheng. Before the flight, they were said to be among the strongest candidates for the Shenzhou 6 flight. In the end, however, Fei Junlong made the flight with Nie Haisheng. China's first piloted space flight The Peoples Republic of China launched a piloted spacecraft to Earth orbit on October 15, 2003. Inside the Shenzhou 5 capsule was Yang Liwei, 38, a lieutenant colonel in the People's Liberation Army (PLA). The spacecraft was atop a Long March 2F rocket blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwestern province of Gansu at about 9 a.m. local time. The flight made China the third nation able to send a man to space, following a trail blazed by Russia and the United States. Flags, food, phone calls. Comfortably piloting his capsule through space, Yang unfurled a small version of China's five-star national flag as well as a small United Nations flag to underscore his country's interest in peaceful exploitation of space.

About eleven hours into his flight, Yang spoke with his wife and eight-year-old son by radio, saying he felt "very good" and that the view 200 miles above Earth "looks extremely splendid around here." Yang ate two space meals and took a three-hour nap. Typical Chinese dishes packed in his capsule included spicy-and-sour shredded pork and sliced chicken, and traditional desserts like Eight Treasure Rice. He drank Chinese herbal tea. Future Chinese space pilots will have at hand some 20 Chinese dishes plus rice. For instance, they might eat the shredded pork with garlic sauce and drink green tea. The Shenzhou galley will offer canned fish and meat, dehydrated rice, curry rice, seafood such as prawns, and stir-fried chicken. Yang Liwei entering, flying, and exiting Shenzhou 5 click individual image to enlarge credit: xinhua news agency Safe landing. Some 21 hours after launch, when the Shenzhou capsule had carried Yang around Earth 14 times, the Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Center sent a radio command ordering the capsule's re-entry module to separate from the orbital module and then ignite retro rockets to slow down.

That caused the module with Yang inside to re-enter the atmosphere where it floated down under a parachute. It landed on the grasslands of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of north China at 6:23 a.m. October 16. Shenzhou 5 touched down within three miles of the landing target. The flight had lasted 21 hours 23 minutes. Meanwhile, the Shenzhou orbital module remained in space for six months to carry out automated research. Prepared for the worst. Yang had been equipped in advance for an off-target landing. Shenzhou designer Qi Faren was quoted by a government newspaper before the flight as saying, "The craft may land in the ocean or in the forests in a hostile environment. "For the safety of astronauts, they will take a lot of things with them like a pistol, knife and other rescue equipment including a tent and liferaft so they will be able to deal with wild beasts, sharks and other dangerous animals or enemies." Long March lofts Shenzhou 5 First choice. Yang was selected from 14 People's Liberation Army (PLA) air force jet fighter pilots who had been in training for the mission for years.

Traveling almost 400,000 miles during his flight, Yang was the 241st human to go to space. The 5 foot 6 inch Yang is the son of a teacher's family in Suizhong County in Liaoning Province of northeast China. Zhang Yumei, Yang's wife, is employed at China Space City outside Beijing. National hero. After landing, Yang left the re-entry module in good condition. Looking only slightly pale after his extraordinary experience, he waved to hundreds of cheering, dancing people who had gathered to welcome him back. "It is a splendid moment in the history of my motherland and also the greatest day of my life," Yang said, according to Xinhua News Agency. [Xinhua] As people across China saw highlights of the flight and landing on television, Yang immediately became a hero of the nation. A space official in Beijing told Xinhua that Yang "is both a space hero and a national hero of China." Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao proclaimed China's first mannned spaceflight a "complete success." In the museum.

Today, Yang's spacesuit, samples of the special food he ate, and the Shenzhou 5 landing parachute and landing capsule are displayed for the public in China's International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition Centre at Zhuhai. Shenzhou Test Flights A Shenzhou launch Preparing to ferry Chinese yuhangyuans up to orbit, China launched a series of four unmanned Shenzhou capsules on new Long March 2F (CZ-2F) rockets from the Jiuquan spaceport from 1999-2002. The last three Shenzhou test flights stayed in space for about seven days. The test flights went so well the first manned flight was able to blast off in October 2003. Shenzhou 1 on November 19, 1999, made 14 orbits around Earth carrying a dummy yuhangyuan, experimental seeds, commemorative stamps, national flags, and a banner with signatures of participating engineers and scientists. The descent module landed on November 20 in Inner Mongolia.

Shenzhou 2 on January 9, 2001, completed 107 orbits around Earth carrying a monkey, a dog, a rabbit, some snails, gamma ray burst detectors, and 64 scientific payloads. The craft maneuvered in orbit three times, and came down after seven days, landing on January 16 in Inner Mongolia. Shenzhou 3 on March 25, 2002, made 107 orbits around Earth carrying a dummy yuhangyuan, maneuvered in orbit, , and came down after seven days, landing on April 1 in Inner Mongolia. Life science experiments on the flight included a box of eggs of black-bone chicken from the Taihe County of Jiangxi Province, tightly packed two days after being laid. The eggs, of top quality breed free of industrial pollution, were hatched after their return to Earth. Black-bone chicken is a traditional breed of high economic value in China. The experiment aimed to studied the influence of the space environment on embryo growth, inheritance and breed selection.

Shenzhou 4 on December 29, 2002, completed 108 revolutions around Earth carrying a dummy yuhangyuan and 52 science payloads, and came down after seven days, landing on Jan. 5 in Inner Mongolia. The official Xinhua News Agency said Shenzhou 4 housed all of the facilities necessary to accommodate three people in manned flight. The program is an important prestige project for the communist government, which touts the flights as proof of the communist system's technical prowess. The government uses the flights to gather respect abroad and popular support at home. Back in the 1960s, the U.S.-Soviet space race had the same effect for those nations. Yuhangyuans While men and women who fly in American spacecraft are known as astronauts, and those who fly in Russian spacecraft are cosmonauts, those who fly in Chinese spacecraft are known as yuhangyuans or sometimes taikonauts. The word yuhangyuan is Chinese for space navigator. It is the name used by official media when reporting on the nation's astronauts. The word taikonaut is derived from taikong, the Chinese word for space.

The term is believed to have been used first by a Singapore website. The Beijing Youth Daily newspaper reported in 2005 that China plans to recruit more men and women for future flights since all 14 of the nation's male military-pilot yuhangyuans are more than 30 years old. After the Shenzhou 6 flight, Tang Xianming, director of the China Space Engineering Office, said the nation wants to add female astronauts. He also said they want to move beyond merely developing spaceflight vehicles to spacewalks and rendezvous and docking with multiple spacecraft. Training in Russia China's activity for more than a decade had suggested the Asian nation was developing a manned spaceflight capability, but the government had not confirmed it. Two Chinese yuhangyuan trainers were sent to Russia's cosmonaut training school just outside Moscow to learn how to pilot a space ship. They completed training in 1997 and returned to China without becoming part of a crew to the Russian space station Mir. The government controlled Yangcheng Evening News reported the two who trained in Russia were training others for space flights. SARS.

The Communist Party newspaper, People's Daily, had announced in May 2003 that the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in China would not be allowed to delay the nation's first piloted space flight. The newspaper said space officials had taken preventive measures so SARS would not affect the launch of Shenzhou 5. At the time, the nation's Health Ministry was reporting that SARS had killed 230 and infected 5,000 persons across China. The Shenzhou Transport Capsule China's human transport spacecraft are called Shenzhou, which in Chinese means either Divine Vessel, Sacred Vessel, Magic Vessel, Vessel of the Gods, Divine Craft or Divine Mechanism. Shenzhou also is a play on a literary name for China – Divine Land – with the same pronunciation. The spacecraft were named by former Chinese President Jiang Zemin. The National Manned Space Program has been referred to by the Chinese as Project 921 . Including its orbital, re-entry and propulsion modules, Shenzhou 5 was about 30 feet long and weighed about 17,000 lbs. or 8.5 tons.

The shape of Shenzhou 6 is just like Shenzhou 5. However, the state-run China News Service reported more than 100 technology changes so the yuhangyuans aboard Shenzhou 6 can carry out more elaborate science experiments. In space, the yuhangyuans will take off their 22 lb. space suits. They will be able to move around between the orbiter capsule and the re-entry capsule as they conduct their science experiments. The yuhangyuans will wash, rest in sleeping bags and heat their food. Copy of a copy of a copy. The dome-shaped Shenzhou design looks much like a Russian Soyuz capsule, which originally was designed in the early 1960s. Even then, that early Soyuz design in 1962 was said to be similar to the General Electric Company's proposal for America's Apollo capsule. Russia uses the Soyuz capsule to carry cosmonauts and astronauts to and from the International Space Station. A complete Shenzhou spacecraft includes a forward orbital module, a re-entry capsule, and an aft service module. The orbital module has a hatch where yuhangyuans can exit for a spacewalk (EVA).

Shenzhou is a bit larger that a Soyuz, which can seat up to three persons. China may intend, eventually, to fly four yuhangyuans in Shenzhou capsules. Shenzhou capsules have flown at altitudes ranging from 122 to 207 miles (196-334 km). The capsules are built by the state-run China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. They are precursors for an eventual Chinese space station. At the end of future flights, the orbital modules could remain in space as additional elements of a space station. Crop seeds from Taiwan also were flown aboard Shenzhou 5. Chief designer. Shenzhou's chief designer was Qi Faren, who had been one of the designers of China's first satellite and who had been appointed the general designer of Chinese spacecraft in 1992. Cost billions. China said after Yang's flight that it had spent US$2.17 billion (18 billion yuan) on the man-in-space program over eleven years from its start in 1992.

Each of the first four test flights of unmanned Shenzhou capsules prior to Shenzhou 5 cost less than US$120 million (one billion yuan), China reported. Desert Launch Site Chinese spaceports Shenzhou spacecraft are blasted off from the isolated Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest Gansu province in the Gobi Desert a thousand miles west of the capital city of Beijing. In ancient times, Jiuquan was an oasis on the Silk Road. In modern times, Jiuquan became China's first launch site, built in the Gobi desert north of Jiuquan City in the 1960s. Back then, it was limited to southeastern launches into 57-70 degree orbits to avoid overflying Russia and Mongolia. Western nations had called the site Shuang Cheng Tzu. Many Long March space rockets and atmospheric sounding rockets have been fired from Jiuquan. The base is used for recoverable Earth observation and microgravity missions. However, due to the site's remote geographical location, most Chinese commercial spaceflights take off from other spaceports. Manned flights take off from Jiuquan.

Launches and landings from Jiuquan occur during northern hemisphere autumn and winter months (southern hemisphere spring and summer) because the seas are calmer then for the Yuanwang tracking ships stationed on oceans around the world. Sea conditions are poor during the southern hemisphere autumn and winter months. Mission control center. In preparation for piloted flights, the Chinese built a new mission control center 30 miles northwest of the capital city of Beijing as well as a large vehicle assembly building at the Jiuquan spaceport in the Gobi Desert. The mission control center is known as Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Centre. Engineering labs for assembling and testing the manned capsules have been built at sites around Beijing. After assembly, spacecraft and rockets travel by train west to Jiuquan in the northwestern Gansu Province. Xi'an Satellite Monitoring Center in the central Chinese province of Shaanxi is in charge of a re-entry module's recovery. Landings are on the vast Inner Mongolian plain where winter temperatures can reach below minus 22 degrees Farenheit (-30 degrees Celsius). Tracking Shenzhou Chinese space tracking ship There are four ocean vessels in the spacecraft tracking fleet, named Yuanwang 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Yuanwang means "Long View." The Chinese refer to the fleet as "maritime aerospace survey vessels" carrying "transoceanic aerospace observation and control technology." They are large ships with arrays of receiving and transmitting antennas and satellite tracking dishes. Each ship weighs 21,000 tons when fully loaded. Newest of the space tracking ships, Yuanwang 4, was the former scientific survey ship Xiang Yang Hong refurbished by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation for the China Satellite Launch and Tracking Control General. All of the ships were overhauled at the end of the 1990s in preparation for piloted flight operations. They then tracked the unmanned flights of the Shenzhou capsules between November 1999 and January 2003. Chinese government-controlled television and the official Xinhua News Agency reported the ships were been assigned to the western Pacific Ocean, southern Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean west of Australia, and southern Atlantic Ocean to track and control the Shenzhou spacecraft. That was a pattern similar to Russian deployment before piloted flights.

Their recent trips to track the unmanned Shenzhou flights were the first time four Chinese space tracking ships had sailed simultaneously and the first time the tracking fleet had operated outside the Pacific Ocean. Namibia tracking station. In addition, a tracking, telemetry and command station has been constructed at the South Atlantic coastal town of Swakopmund in central Namibia in east Africa. The station has an administration building and two antennas. China's Xi'an Satellite Control Centre in the central Chinese province of Shaanxi operates the Swakopmund ground station. Other tracking stations are in Pakistan and at the Jiuquan spaceport. Landing sequence. When the time comes to land, a Shenzhou capsule begins the re-entry phase of its flight over Namibia on its way down to a landing site in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. First, the Swakopmund ground control station transmits an order for a spacecraft to fire its retro rockets. Then, the Shenzhou capsule flies over Africa, the Arabian peninsula coast line, and Pakistan, before beginning to descend over Tibet. Eventually, its drogue parachute would deploy at an altitude of around 20 miles followed by a main chute.

The heat shield would be jettisoned and then rockets to soften the landing would fire about five feet off the ground as the capsule lands in Inner Mongolia. China in Space Back in 1970, China became the fifth nation in the world to launch an artificial moon to orbit above Earth. That satellite, Mao-1, rode atop a Long March-1 rocket from Jiuquan. [more about Chinese satellites] China has successfully launched dozens of its Long March booster rockets. The new Long March rocket used to launch Shenzhou capsules is comparable to the United States' powerful Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle ( EELV ), which are Delta-4 and Atlas-5 rockets. Long March rockets have been used for years to ferry to Earth orbit satellites built by the People's Republic of China and other countries. Chinese officials had hoped to launch a manned craft in time for the October 1999 50th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic. That goal was not met. However, the National Day parade on October 1 displayed models of rockets, including a Chinese version of a U.S. space shuttle. Only the United States and Russia launched manned space missions in the 20th century.

They launched capsules carrying one, two and three astronauts throughout the 1960s and later. Their multi-person flight crews included astronauts and cosmonauts from numerous countries. In the beginning, the USSR sent Yuri Gagarin in Vostok 1 to orbit on April 12, 1961. Just 23 days later, Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space. Shepard traveled less than one orbit nine months before John Glenn carried the U.S. flag for three orbits on Feb. 20, 1962. Project Apollo dropped the first Americans on the lunar surface back in 1969. A dozen astronauts visited the lunar surface between 1969 and 1972. No other nation has sent men to the Moon. NASA said in 2005 it plans to return astronauts to the Moon by 2018. In the 21st century, Shenzhou is part of a larger Chinese program to build and occupy an independent space station and to land yuhangyuans on the Moon. China is not part of the current 16-nation International Space Station consortium led by NASA.

Project 921 The manned-flight launch pads, rockets, capsules and yuhangyuans have been labeled Project 921. So far, China has used Long March 2F rockets to launch the Shenzhou capsules. That version of a Long March can loft 10 metric tons to orbit. In a few years, China is expected to have a bigger rocket that will be able to lift 70 metric tons of payload to Earth orbit. That would be sufficient capacity to put a space station into orbit or take human beings to the Moon. Docking in space. After the first manned flight, a later Shenzhou flight of two spacecraft could demonstrate docking in space. That level of development would be compared with U.S. one-person Mercury capsules flown from 1961-63 and two-person Gemini capsules flown in 1965-66. The Soviet Union flew cosmonauts on similar flights starting in 1961. China purchased a Kurs docking system from Russia. That hardware would allow two spacecraft to come together in space, suggesting an orbital docking by two ships is planned. Such a docking could involve two Shenzhou capsules, or a capsule and a space station. Failure.

China has suffered space-related disasters. For instance, an unmanned Long March 3B rocket veered off course seconds after liftoff in February 1996. It crashed in the nearby town of Xichang. Photographs showed large-scale devastation and officials announced that six people had died. Learn More About China in Space Shenzhou 7 with Zhai Zhigang, Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng: China's 'Space City': Meet the crew of the Shenzhou-10 - CNN.com 1 of 13 Photos: Shenzhou-10: China's longest crewed space mission The crew for this mission included a woman, Wang Yaping, and two male astronauts, Nie Haisheng and Zhang Xiaoguang. Hide Caption 2 of 13 Photos: Shenzhou-10: China's longest crewed space mission Nie, Zhang and Wang discuss technical issues during training in April 2012, a year before the 15-day mission. Hide Caption 3 of 13 Photos: Shenzhou-10: China's longest crewed space mission The astronauts had to undergo a series of tests in their pressure suits prior to the mission.

Hide Caption Photos: Shenzhou-10: China's longest crewed space mission Wang undergoes a cardiovascular endurance test a few weeks before the mission. Hide Caption Photos: Shenzhou-10: China's longest crewed space mission Nie undergoes an isokinetic muscle test. Hide Caption Photos: Shenzhou-10: China's longest crewed space mission Zhang practices entering the return capsule on May 31, 2013. Hide Caption Photos: Shenzhou-10: China's longest crewed space mission Zhang, left, Nie, center, and Wang, right, during a training session in the return capsule. Hide Caption Photos: Shenzhou-10: China's longest crewed space mission Nie, Zhang and Wang wave to onlookers the day before the start of the mission. Hide Caption 9 of 13 Photos: Shenzhou-10: China's longest crewed space mission The Shenzhou-10 spacecraft is transferred to the launch site at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on the day of the launch.

Hide Caption Photos: Shenzhou-10: China's longest crewed space mission Hours before launch, the Shenzhou-10 spaceship arrives at the launch site. Hide Caption 11 of 13 Photos: Shenzhou-10: China's longest crewed space mission After the 15-day mission, the Shenzhou-10's return capsule landed successfully in Inner Mongolia on June 26, 2013. Hide Caption Photos: Shenzhou-10: China's longest crewed space mission After emerging from the return capsule, the astronauts wave to people on the ground. Hide Caption Chinese Astronauts Undock from Orbiting Module Ahead of Thursday Landing Chinese Astronauts Undock from Orbiting Module Ahead of Thursday Landing Mike Wall Pin it Share This still from a CNTV bradcast shows the view from a camera aboard China's Shenzhou 9 space capsule shows the spacecraft just after it was manually docked to the Tiangong 1 space lab by astronaut Liu Wang on June 24, 2012.

More Three Chinese astronauts undocked their spacecraft from an orbiting robotic module Wednesday (June 27) and began preparing to return to Earth Thursday night. China's Shenzhou 9 vehicle separated from the unmanned Tiangong 1 space lab Wednesday evening, according to China's state-run Xinhua news agency . The mission's three taikonauts, as Chinese astronauts are known, returned to Shenzhou 9 to begin the maneuver at 6 p.m. EDT (2200 GMT; 6:00 a.m. Thursday Beijing time). The spaceflyers are expected to land around 10 p.m. EDT Thursday (June 28; 10 a.m. Friday Beijing time), Xinhua reported. Their touchdown, in northern China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, will wrap up a historic mission that has marked a big step forward in China's ambitious space plans. "Chinese astronauts have their own home in space now," Shenzhou 9 commander Jing Haipeng told Chinese president Hu Jintao during a congratulatory space call Tuesday (June 26), according to Xinhua.

"We are proud of our country!" [ Photos of Shenzhou 9 Mission ] Shenzhou 9 launched on June 16 carrying three taikonauts, including 33-year-old Liu Yang, the nation's first woman in space . The mission aimed to pull off China's first-ever manned space docking, and it succeeded — twice. The vessel hooked up with Tiangong 1 via remote control on June 18 and then again June 24 with the taikonauts at the wheel. China thus became just the third country to performed a manned docking in orbit. The United States and Russia first accomplished the feat in 1966 and 1969, respectively. Shenzhou 9's flight is testing technology and techniques needed to build a permanently staffed space station in Earth orbit. Chinense officials have said the nation hopes to have a 60-ton station up and running by 2020. For comparison, the $100 billion International Space Station weighs about 430 tons. The huge orbiting lab is run by a consortium of more than a dozen countries, but China is not among them. China's space dreams don't end in low-Earth orbit.

The nation has said it wants to return lunar samples to Earth with a robotic spacecraft by 2016 or so, and it plans to put a taikonaut on the moon sometime after the space station is built. Shenzhou 9's other taikonaut is Liu Wang, 42, who steered Shenzhou 9 away from Tiangong 1 Wednesday evening. Jing, 46, also flew on China's last manned spaceflight, the Shenzhou 7 mission in 2008. Shenzhou 9 is China's fourth manned space mission, with the other three flights coming in 2003, 2005 and 2008. The nation plans to launch another crew to Tiangong 1 soon, perhaps by the end of the year. Tiangong 1 has been circling Earth since September 2011, and in November it linked up with the robotic Shenzhou 8 vessel, achieving China's first unmanned space docking. Follow SPACE.com senior writer Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall or SPACE.com @Spacedotcom . We're also on Facebook and Google+.

Chinese Astronauts Undock from Orbiting Module Ahead of Thursday Landing Chinese Astronauts Undock from Orbiting Module Ahead of Thursday Landing By Mike Wall, Space.com Senior Writer | June 28, 2012 02:12am ET MORE This still from a CNTV broadcast shows China's Shenzhou 9 space capsule just after it was manually docked to the Tiangong 1 space lab by astronaut Liu Wang on June 24, 2012. Credit: CNTV/CCTV Three Chinese astronauts undocked their spacecraft from an orbiting robotic module Wednesday (June 27) and began preparing to return to Earth Thursday night. China's Shenzhou 9 vehicle separated from the unmanned Tiangong 1 space lab Wednesday evening, according to China's state-run Xinhua news agency . The mission's three taikonauts, as Chinese astronauts are known, returned to Shenzhou 9 to begin the maneuver at 6 p.m. EDT (2200 GMT; 6:00 a.m. Thursday Beijing time). The spaceflyers are expected to land around 10 p.m.

EDT Thursday (June 28; 10 a.m. Friday Beijing time), Xinhua reported. Their touchdown, in northern China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, will wrap up a historic mission that has marked a big step forward in China's ambitious space plans. "Chinese astronauts have their own home in space now," Shenzhou 9 commander Jing Haipeng told Chinese president Hu Jintao during a congratulatory space call Tuesday (June 26), according to Xinhua. "We are proud of our country!" [ Photos of Shenzhou 9 Mission ] Shenzhou 9 launched on June 16 carrying three taikonauts, including 33-year-old Liu Yang, the nation's first woman in space . The mission aimed to pull off China's first-ever manned space docking, and it succeeded — twice. The vessel hooked up with Tiangong 1 via remote control on June 18 and then again June 24 with the taikonauts at the wheel. China thus became just the third country to performed a manned docking in orbit. The United States and Russia first accomplished the feat in 1966 and 1969, respectively.

Shenzhou 9's flight is testing technology and techniques needed to build a permanently staffed space station in Earth orbit. Chinense officials have said the nation hopes to have a 60-ton station up and running by 2020. For comparison, the $100 billion International Space Station weighs about 430 tons. The huge orbiting lab is run by a consortium of more than a dozen countries, but China is not among them. China's space dreams don't end in low-Earth orbit. The nation has said it wants to return lunar samples to Earth with a robotic spacecraft by 2016 or so, and it plans to put a taikonaut on the moon sometime after the space station is built. Shenzhou 9's other taikonaut is Liu Wang, 42, who steered Shenzhou 9 away from Tiangong 1 Wednesday evening. Jing, 46, also flew on China's last manned spaceflight, the Shenzhou 7 mission in 2008.

Shenzhou 9 is China's fourth manned space mission, with the other three flights coming in 2003, 2005 and 2008. The nation plans to launch another crew to Tiangong 1 soon, perhaps by the end of the year. Tiangong 1 has been circling Earth since September 2011, and in November it linked up with the robotic Shenzhou 8 vessel, achieving China's first unmanned space docking. Follow SPACE.com senior writer Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall or SPACE.com @Spacedotcom . We're also on Facebook and Google+. Editor's Recommendations Chinese Astronaut Took 'Electronic Secretary' to Space Chinese Astronaut Took 'Electronic Secretary' to Space A set of instruments, known as the "electronic secretary", in China 's first manned spacecraft provided detailed data and spoken instructions for the country's first astronaut in space. Experts with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, manufacturer of the spacecraft, described the system, which included three display panels, six meters, a computer system and a group of buttons. , China 's first astronaut, returned to the Earth safe and sound on Oct.

16 after orbiting the planet 14 times in a Chinese-made spacecraft. The electronic assistant provided him with data coming from inside and outside the capsule and alert messages in Chinese characters and voice instructions. Graphics like the world map and the position of the spacecraft were available on the display panel at the push of a button. The data included the altitude, speed, flight time, temperature and humidity and status of various systems inside the capsule as well as the physical condition on the astronaut. The electronic device would alert the astronaut in both Chinese characters and short, clear and artificial mezzo-soprano voice instructions if data were not up to preset standards. A stand-by electronic assistant was installed in the capsule, including a display panel and a computer system, said the experts. A video monitor system in the capsule was also capable of providing much of the data if the two computer systems failed. China Achieves Manually Space Docking with Shenzhou 9 Credit: China Manned Space Engineering Earlier today, the astronauts undocked the two spacecraft and flew Shenzhou 9 about 1,300 feet (400 meters) away.

They then maneuvered their capsule by hand, with Liu Wang at the helm, back into docking configuration with Tiangong 1 at 12:48 p.m. China Standard Time, or 12:48 a.m. EDT (0448 GMT). "The success of the manual rendezvous and docking mission represents another important phase achievement of the Shenzhou 9 and Tiangong 1 rendezvous and docking mission," Wu Ping, spokeswoman of the China Manned Space Program, said during a press briefing following the docking. "The three astronauts will once again enter the orbiting module of Tiangong 1 to carry out scientific experiments." The mission's docking maneuvers are a milestone in the development of China's manned space program, which flew its first astronaut in space in 2003. Tiangong 1 (which means "Heavenly Palace" in Chinese) is a prototype for China's first manned space station, which officials say will be functional by 2020. China is the third country after Russia and the United States to fly astronauts into space.

After today's docking, the Shenzhou 9 astronauts (known as taikonauts) received a message from a group of Chinese oceanauts who are setting records not above the ground but below it. "We wish for a great success of the manual docking and brilliant achievements in China's manned space and manned deep-sea dive causes," read a message sent by three crewmembers aboard the Chinese submersible Jiaolong, 7,015 meters (23,000 feet) beneath the Pacific Ocean in the Mariana Trench, the deepest spot on Earth, state-run newspaper Xinhua reported. Talk:Chinese astronaut walks in space - Wikinews, the free news source Talk:Chinese astronaut walks in space From Wikinews, the free news source you can write! Review[ edit ] Revision 700755 of this article has been reviewed by DragonFire1024 ( talk · contribs ) and has passed its review at 16:41, 27 September 2008 (UTC). Passed Comments by reviewer: None added.

The reviewed revision should automatically have been edited by removing {{ Review }} and adding {{ Publish }} at the bottom, and the edit sighted ; if this did not happen, it may be done manually by a reviewer . Revision 700755 of this article has been reviewed by DragonFire1024 ( talk · contribs ) and has passed its review at 16:41, 27 September 2008 (UTC). Chinese astronauts complete successful docking at space lab | World news | The Guardian China Chinese astronauts complete successful docking at space lab China's first female astronaut, Liu Yang, among Shenzhou 9 crew looking to move country towards building first space station Liu Yang, the first Chinese woman in space. Photograph: Quirky China News/Rex Features Tania Branigan in Beijing and agencies Monday 18 June 2012 09.28 EDT First published on Monday 18 June 2012 09.28 EDT Close This article is 4 years old Chinese astronauts carried out the country's first manned docking mission on Monday, taking it one step closer to building a space station within the decade.

The saturation coverage of the trip in state media had previously concentrated on its other first: Liu Yang, the youngest of the three astronauts, is the first Chinese woman to go into space. The trio entered the Tiangong 1 laboratory module around three hours after it linked up with their spacecraft, the Shenzhou 9, led by their commander, Jing Haipeng. The docking was shown live on television. The Tiangong 1 is a prototype, rather than a component, of the space station that China hopes to build in the next 10 years. But the rendezvous and docking practice is an important step towards constructing a full space laboratory. Although China is technically still far behind the United States and Russia, it is progressing fast, while the US has pulled back on its space programme. The astronauts will spend around 10 days working and sleeping on board Tiangong 1. Liu has a separate toilet and bedroom, Chinese space experts have said. The module includes an exercise bike and the astronauts will be able to recharge their laptops using solar energy, allowing them to listen to music and play games, state media has said. They will also be able to hold live video chats with their family.

Liu's inclusion has created a new burst of interest in the space programme. "Arranging for women astronauts to fly is not only a must for the development of human spaceflight, but also the expectation of the public," the space programme spokeswoman Wu Ping said before the launch. Chen Shanguang, director of the Astronaut Research and Training Centre of China, said: "Space exploration activities would be incomplete without participation of female astronauts." But while many celebrated the news as a stereotype-busting step forward for Chinese women, not everyone seemed to have got the memo. The first sentence of one report by the state news agency Xinhua read simply: "She is a wife." It went on to point out that she was also a good cook and "proficient homemaker". Pang Zhihao, a researcher with the China Academy of Space Technology, said Liu was even allowed to take cosmetics into space, although it is not clear if she availed herself of the opportunity. Although she is far less experienced than her colleagues – starting her training as an astronaut only two years ago – they have said she quickly caught up.

"Despite starting her training late, she is now on the same page as us, which exceeded our expectations," said the Jing in an interview before the launch. As a child, the 33-year-old wanted to become a bus conductor. But instead she joined the air force, where she became known for her patriotic speeches – winning a military speaking competition in 2010 – as well as calmness in crises. She also showed a steely resolve and independent streak, reportedly once writing to her parents: "Under the protection of the family, baby eagles can never fly high." Chinese officials had previously said they would only send mothers into space, in case the experience might affect fertility, but state media reported that Liu does not have a child. Around 50 women have gone into space, but only eight nations have produced female astronauts and China is only the third to send a woman into space, having first put an astronaut into space in 2003. The first woman into space was the Soviet Union's Valentina Tereshkova in 1963.

Nasa did not put a woman into space until Sally Ride's mission in 1983 – more than 20 years after Alan Shepard became the first American man. •Additional research by Cecily Huang Three Chinese astronauts have manually docked the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft with the orbiting Tiangong 1 module, in a first for the emerging space nation Published: 25 Jun 2012 Capsule carrying China's first female astronaut and two male colleagues docks with Tiangong 1 module Published: 18 Jun 2012 Liu Yang becomes first Chinese woman in space in step towards country's ambition to build its own space station Published: 16 Jun 2012 Liu Yang and two male astronauts take off from Gobi desert on mission to help build space station within decade Published: 16 Jun 2012 Astronaut Vienna music campaign 2014 Target: To strengthen the image of Vienna, "The capital of music", we aim to inspire the audience to think of Vienna when hearing "Blue Danube" or thinking about European music. To establish Vienna as being a cut above the rest and the first and most sought after destination of choice for Chinese travellers.

Insight: As the music capital of the world, Vienna is the birthplace of numerous classical music pieces. The Vienna Tourist Board had to strengthen the impression of Vienna through creating an online campaign in China. Astronaut created a viral video and invited users to join in the campaign on the Chinese musica app PaPa. Fans could upload their imitated music segment of “Blue Danube” to participate in the campaign and shared it with their friends. The preferred data of the users on the campaign website was stored in the backend Spayz of Astronaut. Finally Vienna Tourist Board selected the winner of the campaign to be awarded a musical tour to Vienna. Description: It is known to all that “Blue Danube” is a Viennese masterpiece. However, whilst most of the Chinese audience know the rhythm of it, they are unaware of its creative background and composer. So Astronaut made “Blue Danube” the cornerstone of the campaign and created an integrated marketing plan to make Vienna the first choice of destination to travel for Chinese tourists. Outcome: The campaign got a total of 1,068,392 exposure on the PaPa platform and 4,572,000 exposure in Sina Weibo platform.

The total advertising exposure was 28,647,417! Service China Launches 1st Female Astronaut and 2 Men to Space Lab China Launches 1st Female Astronaut and 2 Men to Space Lab Mike Wall Share View photos China's Shenzhou 9 spacecraft launches into space atop a Long March 2F rocket on June 16, 2012 carrying the country's first female astronaut. More This story was updated at 9:29 a.m. ET. China launched three astronauts into space Saturday (June 16), kicking off an ambitous test mission that marks the country's first attempt to dock a manned spaceship in orbit and its first flight of a female astronaut. The Chinese astronauts rode into orbit aboard the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft , which lifted off atop a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China's northern Gansu province at 6:37 p.m. local time (6:37 a.m. EDT; 1037 GMT).

If all goes according to plan, Shenzhou 9 will soon link up with the unmanned Tiangong 1 space lab , and China will become the third nation — after the United States and Russia — to perform a manned docking in Earth orbit. The mission is considered a key step in China's ambitious space plans , which include the construction of a permanently staffed space station by 2020 and a manned moon landing sometime after that. "The launch of the Shenzhou 9 is a highly influential event that marks an important milestone for the development of China's space technology," Cui Jijun, director of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, said Wednesday (June 13), according to the nation's state-run Xinhua news agency. [ Liftoff! Launch Photos for China's Shenzhou 9 Mission ] Historic mission Once Shenzhou 9 reached orbit, cheers rang out at China's launch control center and Chang Wanquan, China's manned spaceflight program chief, declared the liftoff a success. China's president Hu Jintao commended the launch in a letter from Denmark, where he is currently paying a state visit to Copenhagen.

"I feel very glad to hear the success of launching the Shenzhou 9 manned spacecraft," Hu said in the letter, which was read by China state councilor Liu Yandong at the Jiuquan launch center shortly after liftoff. The three taikonauts, as Chinese astronauts are known, include Jing Haipeng, Liu Wang and Liu Yang. The astronauts, clad in spacesuits, offered a salute as their rocket launched into space, then waved to cameras after reaching orbit. Jing is China's first taikonaut to launch to space twice. He also flew on the Shenzhou 7 mission in 2008, which featured the country's first spacewalk. Liu Wang is a senior colonel in the People's Liberation Army making his first spaceflight. Like her two male colleagues, Liu Yang, 33, is a former pilot with the People's Liberation Army and a member of the Communist Party of China. Liu Yang is China's first female astronaut , and she blasted off on a historically appropriate anniversary.

Forty-nine years ago today, on June 16, 1963, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space ; she ended up orbiting Earth nearly 50 times during her three-day mission. The United States didn't launch a female astronaut until 1983, when Sally Ride flew on the space shuttle Challenger's STS-7 mission. The Shenzhou 9 crew will remain in space for 13 days, Chinese space officials have said. During this time, they'll perform at least two separate dockings with Tiangong 1, a prototype space module that launched last September. The first docking will be automated, but then the two vehicles will separate to give the taikonauts a chance to drive. "Then the astronauts will control the spaceship autonomously and realize manual rendezvous and docking with the target vehicle and form the complex again," said Wu Ping, spokeswoman for China's Manned Space Engineering Office, which oversees China's human spaceflight program. The crewmembers will also "conduct scientific experiments, technological experiments, exercise and rest in Tiangong 1 target vehicle" during the mission, she added.

While Shenzhou 9's flight is China's first attempt at a crewed space docking, the nation has successfully linked up two robotic spacecraft in orbit. In November, the unmanned Shenzhou 8 craft docked twice with Tiangong 1 before returning safely to Earth. The various Shenzhou docking missions are seen as important steps along the path to building a permanent space station in orbit. China hopes to have a 60-ton station up and running by 2020. (For comparison, the $100 billion International Space Station weighs about 430 tons.) China's big space plans The space-station effort is part of China's bold human spaceflight plans. It's just the third country, after Russia and the United States, to develop spacecraft capable of flying humans to space and back. Before today, China had launched three manned space missions, one each in 2003, 2005 and 2008. And China's space ambitions don't end in Earth orbit. The country also hopes to land a taikonaut on the moon sometime after its space station becomes operational, officials have said. China is also ramping up its unmanned space activities and capabilities.

In December, for example, the country joined the United States and Russia as the only nations with operational homegrown satellite navigation systems. China's Beidou system is somewhat rudimentary at the moment, consisting of just 13 satellites and providing incomplete coverage. However, China envisions a global system with more than 30 satellites by 2020. The country hopes Beidou's emergence will make it far less dependent on the GPS constellation, which is operated by the United States military and is currently the world's dominant satellite navigation network. Follow SPACE.com senior writer Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall or SPACE.com @Spacedotcom . We're also on Facebook and Google+.

Question: A chinese astronaut is known as what?
Answer: Taikonaut