Xinhua News Agency reported on October 11 that on the morning of October 12, China will launch the Shenzhou 6 spacecraft carrying 2 astronauts into space to stay and work there for 6 days.
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| Shenzhou 6 spacecraft before being launched into space |
According to Xinhua, the Shenzhou spacecraft will be launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, located in the northwest of Gansu Province. This is China’s second crewed spaceflight.
The first launch occurred in October 2003. The spacecraft was in space for 21 hours, and astronaut Yang Liwei became the first Chinese person to be sent into space.
Wang Yongzhi, the chief person responsible for the crewed space program, stated that tonight or early tomorrow morning, a team of top space experts will select 2 out of 6 carefully trained astronauts to accompany Shenzhou 6 into space.
However, according to leaked sources, Zhai Zhigang and Nie Haisheng are the two strongest candidates among the astronauts who will be sent into space.
| Shenzhou 6 will be launched into orbit at an inclination of 42.4 degrees and at an altitude of 200 km above the Earth. After reaching the necessary altitude and making adjustments, the spacecraft will begin to orbit the Earth. At the end of the journey, the spacecraft and crew will land at a location in the central region of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. |
Xinhua reported that the two astronauts will live and work under much more favorable conditions than astronaut Yang Liwei did before. Food, drinking water, and other necessary supplies have also been loaded into the spacecraft. Furthermore, Shenzhou 6 is equipped with a food heating device that allows astronauts to enjoy hot meals in space.
According to China’s space development plan, the crewed spacecraft program will be carried out in three phases, culminating in the construction of a space laboratory.
So far, China has completed the first phase of the program by successfully launching both uncrewed and crewed spacecraft into low Earth orbit. The launch of Shenzhou 6 marks the beginning of the second phase, which involves sending humans into space for more than one day.
Top Chinese leaders are expected to witness the launch of the Shenzhou 6 spacecraft into space. In 2003, President Hu Jintao also witnessed the launch of Shenzhou 5.
Pham Tuyen (According to Xinhuanet)
