Chinese Manned Space Launch (live thread as situation develops)

MSNBC/AP ^ | 10-14-03 | AP

[bonesmccoy]

Thumbs up for China’s space launch

But Beijing decides against live telecast; preparations veiled in traditional secrecy

JIUQUAN, China, Oct. 15 — Keeping his identity secret, China prepared its first astronaut for space travel Tuesday and loaded his rocket with fuel — but said the public and the world would have to wait to learn whether the flight succeeds. The Communist Party newspaper People’s Daily said the launch would “most probably” happen Wednesday morning, which translates to Tuesday evening ET.

STATE TELEVISION scrapped plans for a live broadcast of the launch. A Hong Kong newspaper said the cancellation was prompted by fears of the “political risks” of something going wrong. A successful flight would make China the third nation to put a human into space on its own — a propaganda prize in which communist leaders have invested 11 years of secretive preparation and untold resources. Communist leaders hope the history-making launch will boost China’s standing abroad and, more important, help the party’s image among a populace weary of corruption and other abuses. The three finalists to become China’s first “taikonaut” (TYE’-koh-nawt) were reportedly waiting at a Gobi Desert launch base near this dusty city of concrete apartment buildings in the remote northwest. Security was tight around the remote base, some 175 miles (280 kilometers) northeast of Jiuquan: Cars were turned back and phone calls to the base were blocked. “It’s a big thing for the country,” said Zhang Ming, a man buying a leather jacket in Jiuquan on Tuesday.

WHO WILL FLY? The astronaut candidates, all fighter pilots, were to undergo final tests as little as one hour before the flight, state media said. The government’s Xinhua News Agency has said the “No. 1 astronaut” among them would go up — the strongest sign yet that the flight will carry only one person. People’s Daily said the Shenzhou 5 capsule had completed its own final tests and, on Tuesday, was “sitting on the launch pad with more fuel being injected.” It said top Chinese leaders, including President Hu Jintao, were to attend the launch.

“The launch of Shenzhou 5 is long-awaited by the Chinese people,” said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue. She said the flight was a key step in the “peaceful development of space” — a reflection of China’s effort to reassure the world that its military-linked program is benign. The Shenzhou, or “Divine Vessel,” is based on the three-seat Russian Soyuz capsule, though with extensive modifications. China also paid Moscow to train at least two astronauts. But Beijing insists everything sent into space will be developed and made in China. State media, trying to dispel suggestions that its triumph depends on foreign know-how, refer to Shenzhou as “China’s self-designed manned spaceship.” Xinhua quoted space officials Tuesday assuring the public that the astronauts’ spacesuits were safe and the Long March CZ-2 F booster was China’s “best rocket.”

CONFIDENCE AND CONCERN After months of official silence, the government showed growing confidence over the past week, announcing that the flight would blast off sometime between Wednesday and Friday and splashing pictures of the once-secret launch base across newspapers. Advertisement

But the decision to cancel a live broadcast suggested leaders might be unnerved by the thought of the propaganda disaster that an accident could produce. The People’s Daily Web site gave no explanation for the decision to cancel. China used to broadcast satellite launches live, but stopped in 1995 after a rocket blew up moments after liftoff, reportedly killing six people on the ground. The Shenzhou 5 launch comes after four test launches of unmanned capsules that orbited the Earth for nearly a week before parachuting back to China’s northern grasslands. State media say the manned flight is expected to last 14 orbits or about 20 hours. State television planned to broadcast taped scenes of the launch only if it succeeds, the Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post said, citing “media sources.” State-run China Central Television would not confirm the report. “There might be a live broadcast, or there might not,” a CCTV spokeswoman, who refused to give her name, told The Associated Press. “CCTV employees aren’t allowed to answer that question.”

DECISION CRITICIZED Dozens of messages left on Chinese Web sites taunted officials for their decision and demanded that the government show its people the historic launch as it happens. Such sites are monitored by censors who enforce official rules on content and sometimes erase postings, which suggested the negative postings were genuine. “The decision is very idiotic and reflects our nation’s lack of confidence,” said a note on the popular Sina.com Web site, signed Flyying111. The Gansu Daily, published in the provincial capital, Lanzhou, welcomed the imminent launch. “Finally,” it said, “the time has come to realize the 1,000-year dream of flying dreamed by the sons and daughters of China.”

[Calpernia]

Tidbit:

China invented gunpowder and legend holds that a Ming dynasty (1368-1644) official named Wan Hu attempted the world's first space launch. He strapped himself to a chair with kites in each hand as 47 servants lit 47 gunpowder-packed bamboo tubes tied to the seat.

When the smoke had cleared, Wan was found to have been obliterated. But the dream was not.

[Hunble]

You are doing an outstanding job of providing breaking news.

[Calpernia]

I thank you; but, bonesmccoy is the creator of the thread.

[Hunble]

Anyone that posts the most recent information, gets my thanks.

[Calpernia]

Past history:

Tuesday, January 09, 2001

According to China's Xinhua news agency China launched a second Shenzhou spacecraft early Wednesday morning. Shenzhou II was launched from the Jiuquan range in northwestern China. The configuration of the vehicle is identical to that which will be used to carry humans into space. Some unspecified research animals are also being carried aboard the spacecraft. While no date for a human mission has been given this flight is designed to flight qualify the vehicle for human use.

FAST FORWARD:

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.

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.

[Hunble]

A low Earth orbit takes approximately 90 minutes. If the launch was just over 1 hour ago, he should be passing over China once again in the about 25 minutes.

[Calpernia]

About Yang Liwei

Chinese media reported earlier that the government had chosen Yang Liwei, a pilot since 1983.

"I will not disappoint the motherland. I will complete each movement with total concentration. And I will gain honor for the People's Liberation Army and for the Chinese nation," Sina.com quoted Yang, 38, as saying.

Sina quoted his older sister as saying he was an athletic child who enjoyed swimming and ice skating.

He works for the Aviation Military Unit of China's People's Liberation Army, Chinese media said.

People's Daily said the Shenzhou 5 capsule had completed its own final tests and, on Tuesday, was "sitting on the launch pad with more fuel being injected."

After months of official silence, the government showed growing confidence over the past week, announcing that the flight would blast off some time between Wednesday and Friday and splashing pictures of the once-secret launch base across newspapers.

But the decision to cancel a live broadcast suggested leaders might be unnerved by the thought of the propaganda disaster that an accident could produce. The People's Daily wb site gave no explanation for the decision to cancel.

China used to broadcast satellite launches live, but stopped in 1995 after a rocket blew up moments after liftoff, reportedly killing six people on the ground.

The Shenzhou 5 launch comes after four test launches of unmanned capsules that orbited the Earth for nearly a week before parachuting back to China's northern grasslands. State media say the manned flight is expected to last 14 orbits or about 20 hours.

State television planned to broadcast taped scenes of the launch only if it succeeds, the Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post said, citing "media sources."

State-run China Central Television would not confirm the report.

"There might be a live broadcast, or there might not," a CCTV spokeswoman, who refused to give her name, told The Associated Press. "CCTV employees aren't allowed to answer that question."

Dozens of messages left on Chinese wb sites taunted officials for their decision and demanded that the government show its people the historic launch as it happens.

Such sites are monitored by censors who enforce official rules on content and sometimes erase postings, which suggested the negative postings were genuine.

"The decision is very idiotic and reflects our nation's lack of confidence," said a note on the popular Sina.com Web site, signed Flyying111.

The Gansu Daily, published in the provincial capital, Lanzhou, welcomed the imminent launch.

"Finally," it said, "the time has come to realize the 1,000-year dream of flying dreamed by the sons and daughters of China." (Compiled from wire reports)

[bonesmccoy]

thank you for posting to the thread. the fact that I created the thread is irrelevant. You and starsnstripes did a great job tonight.

Unfortunately, as I suspected, the launch occurred during a local civics meeting that I was monitoring.

Still, the info is out there due to the vigilance of FR.

[Calpernia]

Hey RA, wouldn't we have any Mission Display Channels to see this flight?

[bonesmccoy]

I wonder if the ground track takes it over the US at any point?

[Hunble]

To my knowledge, this is THE ONLY source of information about tonight's launch.

I still want to know why I am not allowed to view channel 455 on DirectTV! It this a local authorization issue?

[Calpernia]

Hi bones! Thanks!

Some fun NASA/ISS Cams I can't imagine that our Public Eye isn't watching...I hope/wish we can.

[Calpernia]

Doesn't look it:

[RadioAstronomer]

Hey RA, wouldn't we have any Mission Display Channels to see this flight?

Not that I am aware of.

[SierraWasp]

"I'm going to settle for being a looner colonist."

Doesn't that depend on if the loon... oops, I mean moon is half full, or half empty???

[RadioAstronomer]

I would like to see all 20 or so orbits. Remember, the Earth is turning underneath.

[Calpernia]

Notes from 1/03. I'll assume the same path will be followed, JMO

Ground track of SZ-4 and its role in a hypothetical rendezvous

Phillip Clark has shrewdly observed that the ground track is nicely stabilized so that another object launched from JSLC can easily rendezvous with it. Is this a rehearsal for a future space station? Here are the numbers as I can make them out:

The zero-orbit north-bound equator crossing longitude (NBECL) for SZ-4 was about 2.5 deg W at 1619:03 UT on 29 December (20 m 57 s before lift-off). Presently the orbit ground track is stabilized so that the NBECL is 0.8 deg W. This means that, if the present SZ-4 orbit is designed to be an orbit for a rendezvous target, a chaser must be launched so that the chaser crosses the equator (2.5 - 0.8)*4 = 6.8 minutes later than the target. In this way the orbital planes of the two vehicles coincide. The difference in orbital periods between the target and the chaser orbit is approximately (91.1 - 89.6) = 1.5 minutes. This means that it will take 4-5 orbits to make up the 6.8 minutes phase difference. Thus, the orbit of the chaser needs to be raised after this interval.

[Hunble]

Calpernia, where are you getting these images from? I tried to back-track your links, but could not find the information on that website.

HELP!

[Light Speed]

To bad the Chinese went anal and kept the launch from their people...why would they be so ashamed of what they have achieved?

Nasa has been rather quiet for some time now on vision issues ie space exploration....some comment that the Gov of the U.S. is at fault for not holding Nasa's feet to the fire and setting an agenda for them to follow thru on.

NASA..JPL...DARPA....DOD..they have stuff from decades ago that could be the answer to solve many technical issues..but one thing holds it all back...and that thing is;
the working speed of our computers.

Nuclear drive gets you power..but it needs shielding and there's no way this can be some metal wall containment..it must be a generated Feild containment.

this concept of Feild generation would apply to hull strength/integrity.....energy conduit controll and integrity....protection from radiations which move thru space.

They can pull this off now..but only for short time intervals...but soon..soon the computer speeds will increase..enough to generate containment feilds.

The last 2 Shuttle missions were micro gravity tests....NASA doing their part.

I used to run a CNC Underwater cut Plasma gantry ..big scale steel for oil facility construction.
the Plasma used Cryogenic Nitrogen gas....computer controlled the sequencing solenoids...the plasma stream was set thru a sheilding conduit..with an exit stream that cut thick steel like butter.

Boeing Deep space 1 Ion Drive Engine

This engine uses Xenon Gas..where my Plasma used Cryo nitrogen.

The technologies are similar..in that the *Sheilding is physical...its a metal alloy..with a computer contolling mixing .

Soon..Computers will allow NASA and others to create sheild containment..and sequencing.

They will be able to generate such speeds that inertial dampeners will be needed..or you will become a smudge mark of ooze on a bulk head...here again..the computer speeds will enable science to work the chalkboard in reality.

[Calpernia]

This is notes of their last flight. I am only assuming similar steps are being taken with this launch. I don't know half the stuff I'm reading here...this is your strength, help me out. Tell me what to look up.