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New Details Of Shenzhou And Its Launcher Revealed
Beijing - Apr 01, 2002 Perhaps as a sign of further maturity of the Chinese manned space program, new details of the Shenzhou manned spacecraft and its Changzheng-2F (Long March-2F) launcher appears in the March 27 issue of the Chinese-language weekly aerospace publication China Space News. Chinese space officials have claimed all along that the Descent Module of Shenzhou is the largest among similar capsules from the former Soviet Union and the U.S. However, there has been scant official information on the dimensions of the Shenzhou spacecraft and the CZ-2F rocket. In appearance, the Shenzhou-3 (SZ-3) spacecraft looks the same as its two predecessors. But on the SZ-3 mission, there are more systems installed and tested than the two previous flights. The focus of the SZ-3 mission is to test systems that would ensure the safety of yuhangyuans ("astronauts"). This includes assessing the functionality, reliability and safety of each manned spaceflight system; coordination among different systems; the spacecraft environment for manned flight; the effectiveness of the improved measures that have been implemented; the escape and emergency life support systems; and the capability of the launcher's redundant control system. Testing of spacecraft application projects is also on the mission. Space officials have said that Shenzhou can carry out primary missions lasting longer than 20 days. The 7.8-tonne (7,800-kg) Shenzhou spacecraft has three sections: an Orbital Module, a Descent Module, and a Propulsion Module. The forward section of Shenzhou is the Orbital Module where yuhangyuans ("astronauts") live and work in space as well as a payload storage area. The module is 2.8 meters long with a diameter of 2.25 meters. At both ends of the module are access hatches where yuhangyuans can enter the adjacent Descent Module or a space station. Attached to the exterior of the module is a pair of deployable solar array of 12 squared meters, solar sensors, communications antennae, and docking structures. Many of the science experiments, including those of life and material sciences, are mounted in the Orbital Module that will stay in orbit for about six months after the Descent Module returns to Earth. The middle section of the spacecraft is the tightly sealed Descent Module where yuhangyuans sit during ascent and reentry. At the front of the module is a hatch through which yuhangyuans enter the Orbital Module next door. The Descent Module is 2.059 meters long with the largest diameter at the base at 2.5 meters. The entire exterior surface is covered with ablation material, which forms the heat shielding structure of the module. There are three reclining seats in the Descent Module. Forward to the lower end of the seats are instrument panels, a hand controller and an optical sight.
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