Shenzhou program
Encyclopedia
The Shenzhou program is a manned spaceflight initiative by the People's Republic of China
. The program put the first Chinese citizen, Yang Liwei
, into orbit on 15 October 2003.
Development began in 1992, under the name of Project 921-1. The Chinese National Manned Space Program was given the designation Project 921 with Project 921-1 as its first significant goal. The plan called for a manned launch in October 1999, prior to the new millennium.
The first four unmanned test flights happened in 1999, 2001 and 2002. These were followed with another manned launch on 12 October 2005. It is launched on the Long March 2F
from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
. The command center of the mission is the Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Center
. The China Manned Space Engineering Office
provides engineering and administrative support for the manned Shenzhou missions.
The name is variously translated as "Divine Craft", "Divine Vessel" or similar, but is also a reference to a literary name for China
with the same pronunciation (神州; literally "Divine Land").
started in 1968 with a projected launch date of 1973. Although China did launch an unmanned satellite in 1970 and has maintained an active unmanned program since, the manned spaceflight program was cancelled due to lack of funds and political interest.
The current Chinese human spaceflight program was authorized on 1 April 1992 as Project 921-1, with work beginning on 1 January 1993. The initial plan has three phases:
In 1994, Russia sold some of its advanced aviation and space technology to the Chinese. In 1995 a deal was signed between the two countries for the transfer of Russian Soyuz spacecraft technology to China. Included in the agreement was training, provision of Soyuz capsules, life support systems, docking systems, and space suits. In 1996 two Chinese astronauts, Wu Jie and Li Qinglong, began training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia. After training, these men returned to China and proceeded to train other Chinese astronauts at sites near Beijing and Jiuquan. The hardware and information sold by the Russians led to modifications of the original Phase One spacecraft, eventually called Shenzhou, which loosely translated means “divine vessel.” New launch facilities were built at the Jiuquan launch site in Inner Mongolia, and in the spring of 1998 a mock-up of the Long March 2F launch vehicle with Shenzhou spacecraft was rolled out for integration and facility tests.
The chief designers include Qi Faren
and Wang Yongzhi
. The first unmanned flight of the spacecraft was launched on 19 November 1999 after which Project 921-1 was renamed Shenzhou, a name reportedly chosen by Jiang Zemin
. A series of three additional unmanned flights ensued. The Shenzhou reentry capsules used to date are 13 percent larger than Soyuz reentry capsules, and it is expected that later craft will be designed to carry a crew of four instead of Soyuz's three, although physical limitations on Astronaut size, as experienced with earlier incarnations of Soyuz, will likely apply.
The fifth launch, Shenzhou 5
, was the first to carry a human (Yáng Lìwěi
) and occurred at 9:00 CST (UTC +8) on 15 October 2003.
Like similar space programs in other nations, Shenzhou has raised some questions about whether China should spend money on launching people into space, arguing that these resources would be better directed elsewhere. Indeed, two earlier human spaceflight programs, one in the mid-1970s and the other in the 1980s were cancelled because of expense. In response, a number of justifications have been offered in the Chinese media. One is that the long term destiny of humanity lies in the exploration of space, and that China should not be left behind. Another is that such a program will catalyze the development of science and technology in China. Finally, it has been argued that the prestige resulting from this capability will increase China's stature in the world, in a similar manner to the 2008 Olympics.
On 17 October 2005, following the success of Shenzhou 6
, Chinese media officially stated that the cost of this flight was around $110 million USD, and the gross cost of Project 921/1 in the past 11 years was $2.3 billion USD. These values are lower than the cost of similar space programs in other nations.
The Chinese media has heavily promoted the experiments undertaken by Shenzhou, particularly exposing seeds, including some from Taiwan
, to zero gravity and radiation. Most scientists, however, discount the usefulness of this type of experiment – instead relying upon crop modification at the genetic level for future productivity benefits.
The experience during the 1960s of both the United States with the Manned Orbiting Laboratory
and the Soviet Union with the Almaz
space station suggests that the military usefulness of human spaceflight is quite limited and that practically all military uses of space are much more effectively performed by unmanned satellites. Thus while the Shenzhou orbital module could be used for military reconnaissance there appears to be no military reason for incorporating such as system in a manned mission, as China could use purely unmanned satellites for these purposes. Yet, the nature of space exploration, with different nations trying successively to achieve the same goals (e.g., the original U.S. – Soviet "space race", current efforts to duplicate GPS and GLONASS
with Galileo
), implies that China may well be walking down this route as others have before them.
resembles the Russian Soyuz
, although it is substantially larger, and unlike the Soyuz, it features a powered orbital module capable of autonomous flight.
Like Soyuz, Shenzhou consists of three modules: a forward orbital module
(轨道舱), a reentry capsule
(返回舱) in the middle, and an aft service module
(推进舱). This division is based on the principle of minimizing the amount of material to be returned to Earth. Anything placed in the orbital or service modules does not require heat shield
ing, and this greatly increases the space available in the spacecraft without increasing weight as much as it would if those modules were also able to withstand reentry
. Thus both Soyuz and Shenzhou have more living area with less weight than the Apollo CSM
.
This is similar to the process used by the Soviet Union in their early Soyuz program which was intended to test procedures for future Lunar flights.
in Russia.
In July 2007, plans were announced to select up to 14 men for another group of Shenzhou astronaut candidates.
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. The program put the first Chinese citizen, Yang Liwei
Yang Liwei
Yáng Lìwěi is a Chinese major general and military pilot and a CNSA astronaut. He was the first man sent into space by the Chinese space program and his mission, Shenzhou 5, made China the third country to independently send people into space.-Background:...
, into orbit on 15 October 2003.
Development began in 1992, under the name of Project 921-1. The Chinese National Manned Space Program was given the designation Project 921 with Project 921-1 as its first significant goal. The plan called for a manned launch in October 1999, prior to the new millennium.
The first four unmanned test flights happened in 1999, 2001 and 2002. These were followed with another manned launch on 12 October 2005. It is launched on the Long March 2F
Long March 2F
The Long March 2F , also known as the CZ-2F, LM-2F and Shenjian, is a Chinese manned orbital carrier rocket, part of the Long March rocket family. Designed to launch manned Shenzhou spacecraft, the Long March 2F is a man-rated two-stage version of the Long March 2E rocket, which in turn was based...
from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center is a People's Republic of China space vehicle launch facility .The facility is part of Dongfeng Aerospace City , and is located in the Gobi desert, Ejin Banner , Alxa League , Inner Mongolia, situated about 1,600 km from Beijing.- History :It was founded in 1958,...
. The command center of the mission is the Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Center
Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Center
Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Center is a command center for the Chinese space program which includes the Shenzhou missions. The space center is supervised and managed by the government of the People's Republic of China. BACCC's primary functions include supervision, telemetry, tracking...
. The China Manned Space Engineering Office
China Manned Space Engineering Office
The China Manned Space Engineering Office provides engineering and administrative functions for the human spaceflight effort of the People's Republic of China. CMSEO is a special department within the General Armaments Department of the People’s Liberation Army...
provides engineering and administrative support for the manned Shenzhou missions.
The name is variously translated as "Divine Craft", "Divine Vessel" or similar, but is also a reference to a literary name for China
Names of China
In China, common names for China include Zhonghua and Zhongguo , while Han and Tang are common names given for the Chinese ethnicity. Other names include Huaxia, Shenzhou and Jiuzhou...
with the same pronunciation (神州; literally "Divine Land").
History
China's first efforts at human spaceflightHuman spaceflight
Human spaceflight is spaceflight with humans on the spacecraft. When a spacecraft is manned, it can be piloted directly, as opposed to machine or robotic space probes and remotely-controlled satellites....
started in 1968 with a projected launch date of 1973. Although China did launch an unmanned satellite in 1970 and has maintained an active unmanned program since, the manned spaceflight program was cancelled due to lack of funds and political interest.
The current Chinese human spaceflight program was authorized on 1 April 1992 as Project 921-1, with work beginning on 1 January 1993. The initial plan has three phases:
- Phase 1 would involve launch of two unmanned versions of the manned spacecraft, followed by the first Chinese manned spaceflight, by 2002.
- Phase 2 would run through 2007, and involve a series of flights to prove the technology, conduct rendezvous and docking operations in orbit, and operate an eight-ton spacelab using the basic spacecraft technology.
- Phase 3 would involve orbiting of a 20-ton space station in the 2010–2015 period, with crews being shuttled to it using the eight-ton manned spacecraft.
In 1994, Russia sold some of its advanced aviation and space technology to the Chinese. In 1995 a deal was signed between the two countries for the transfer of Russian Soyuz spacecraft technology to China. Included in the agreement was training, provision of Soyuz capsules, life support systems, docking systems, and space suits. In 1996 two Chinese astronauts, Wu Jie and Li Qinglong, began training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia. After training, these men returned to China and proceeded to train other Chinese astronauts at sites near Beijing and Jiuquan. The hardware and information sold by the Russians led to modifications of the original Phase One spacecraft, eventually called Shenzhou, which loosely translated means “divine vessel.” New launch facilities were built at the Jiuquan launch site in Inner Mongolia, and in the spring of 1998 a mock-up of the Long March 2F launch vehicle with Shenzhou spacecraft was rolled out for integration and facility tests.
The chief designers include Qi Faren
Qi Faren
Qi Faren is the chief designer for Chinese spacecraft since the launch of the prototype Shenzhou manned spacecraft in 1999. He was born in 1933 and graduated from the Beijing Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 1957...
and Wang Yongzhi
Wang Yongzhi
Wang Yongzhi , born in Changtu County, Liaoning, China, is an aerospace scientist and academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering. He is notable for being the general architect and designer of China's first manned spacecraft Shenzhou 5 and Shenzhou 6...
. The first unmanned flight of the spacecraft was launched on 19 November 1999 after which Project 921-1 was renamed Shenzhou, a name reportedly chosen by Jiang Zemin
Jiang Zemin
Jiang Zemin is a former Chinese politician, who served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of China from 1989 to 2002, as President of the People's Republic of China from 1993 to 2003, and as Chairman of the Central Military Commission from 1989 to 2005...
. A series of three additional unmanned flights ensued. The Shenzhou reentry capsules used to date are 13 percent larger than Soyuz reentry capsules, and it is expected that later craft will be designed to carry a crew of four instead of Soyuz's three, although physical limitations on Astronaut size, as experienced with earlier incarnations of Soyuz, will likely apply.
The fifth launch, Shenzhou 5
Shenzhou 5
Shenzhou 5 — was the first human spaceflight mission of the People's Republic of China , launched on October 15, 2003. The Shenzhou spacecraft was launched on a Long March 2F launch vehicle. There had been four previous flights of unmanned Shenzhou missions since 1999...
, was the first to carry a human (Yáng Lìwěi
Yang Liwei
Yáng Lìwěi is a Chinese major general and military pilot and a CNSA astronaut. He was the first man sent into space by the Chinese space program and his mission, Shenzhou 5, made China the third country to independently send people into space.-Background:...
) and occurred at 9:00 CST (UTC +8) on 15 October 2003.
Like similar space programs in other nations, Shenzhou has raised some questions about whether China should spend money on launching people into space, arguing that these resources would be better directed elsewhere. Indeed, two earlier human spaceflight programs, one in the mid-1970s and the other in the 1980s were cancelled because of expense. In response, a number of justifications have been offered in the Chinese media. One is that the long term destiny of humanity lies in the exploration of space, and that China should not be left behind. Another is that such a program will catalyze the development of science and technology in China. Finally, it has been argued that the prestige resulting from this capability will increase China's stature in the world, in a similar manner to the 2008 Olympics.
On 17 October 2005, following the success of Shenzhou 6
Shenzhou 6
Shenzhou 6 was the second human spaceflight of the People's Republic of China, launched on October 12, 2005 on a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The Shenzhou spacecraft carried a crew of Fèi Jùnlóng and Niè Hǎishèng for five days in low Earth orbit...
, Chinese media officially stated that the cost of this flight was around $110 million USD, and the gross cost of Project 921/1 in the past 11 years was $2.3 billion USD. These values are lower than the cost of similar space programs in other nations.
The Chinese media has heavily promoted the experiments undertaken by Shenzhou, particularly exposing seeds, including some from Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, to zero gravity and radiation. Most scientists, however, discount the usefulness of this type of experiment – instead relying upon crop modification at the genetic level for future productivity benefits.
The experience during the 1960s of both the United States with the Manned Orbiting Laboratory
Manned Orbiting Laboratory
The Manned Orbiting Laboratory , originally referred to as the Manned Orbital Laboratory, was part of the United States Air Force's manned spaceflight program, a successor to the cancelled Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar military reconnaissance space plane project...
and the Soviet Union with the Almaz
Almaz
The Almaz program was a series of military space stations launched by the Soviet Union under cover of the civilian Salyut DOS-17K program after 1971....
space station suggests that the military usefulness of human spaceflight is quite limited and that practically all military uses of space are much more effectively performed by unmanned satellites. Thus while the Shenzhou orbital module could be used for military reconnaissance there appears to be no military reason for incorporating such as system in a manned mission, as China could use purely unmanned satellites for these purposes. Yet, the nature of space exploration, with different nations trying successively to achieve the same goals (e.g., the original U.S. – Soviet "space race", current efforts to duplicate GPS and GLONASS
GLONASS
GLONASS , acronym for Globalnaya navigatsionnaya sputnikovaya sistema or Global Navigation Satellite System, is a radio-based satellite navigation system operated for the Russian government by the Russian Space Forces...
with Galileo
Galileo positioning system
Galileo is a global navigation satellite system currently being built by the European Union and European Space Agency . The €20 billion project is named after the famous Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei...
), implies that China may well be walking down this route as others have before them.
Shenzhou spacecraft
The Shenzhou spacecraftShenzhou spacecraft
Shenzhou is a spacecraft developed and operated by the People's Republic of China to support its manned spaceflight program. The name is variously translated as "Divine Craft," "Divine Vessel of God," "Magic Boat" or similar and is also homophonous with an ancient name for China...
resembles the Russian Soyuz
Soyuz spacecraft
Soyuz , Union) is a series of spacecraft initially designed for the Soviet space programme by the Korolyov Design Bureau in the 1960s, and still in service today...
, although it is substantially larger, and unlike the Soyuz, it features a powered orbital module capable of autonomous flight.
Like Soyuz, Shenzhou consists of three modules: a forward orbital module
Orbital module
The orbital module is a portion of spacecraft used only in orbit. These have developed from the Soviet Soyuz spacecraft.-Soyuz orbit module:The orbit module is a spherical part of Soviet-Russian Soyuz space ship series...
(轨道舱), a reentry capsule
Reentry capsule
A reentry capsule is the portion of a spacecraft which returns to Earth following a space flight. The shape is determined partly by aerodynamics; a capsule is aerodynamically stable falling blunt end first, which allows only the blunt end to require a heat shield for atmospheric reentry. Its shape...
(返回舱) in the middle, and an aft service module
Service module
A service module is a spacecraft compartment containing a variety of support systems used for spacecraft operations. Usually located in the uninhabited area of the spacecraft, the service module is jettisoned upon the completion of the mission, and usually burns up during atmospheric reentry...
(推进舱). This division is based on the principle of minimizing the amount of material to be returned to Earth. Anything placed in the orbital or service modules does not require heat shield
Heat shield
A heat shield is designed to shield a substance from absorbing excessive heat from an outside source by either dissipating, reflecting or simply absorbing the heat...
ing, and this greatly increases the space available in the spacecraft without increasing weight as much as it would if those modules were also able to withstand reentry
Atmospheric reentry
Atmospheric entry is the movement of human-made or natural objects as they enter the atmosphere of a celestial body from outer space—in the case of Earth from an altitude above the Kármán Line,...
. Thus both Soyuz and Shenzhou have more living area with less weight than the Apollo CSM
Apollo Command/Service Module
The Command/Service Module was one of two spacecraft, along with the Lunar Module, used for the United States Apollo program which landed astronauts on the Moon. It was built for NASA by North American Aviation...
.
Missions launched
- Shenzhou 1Shenzhou 1Shenzhou 1 launched on November 19, 1999, was the first unmanned launch of the Shenzhou spacecraft. The spacecraft used was not equipped with a life support system or an emergency escape system. After orbiting the Earth 14 times, the command for retrofire was sent by the Yuanwang 3 tracking ship...
– 19 November 1999 – unmanned test flight - Shenzhou 2Shenzhou 2Shenzhou 2 launched on January 9, 2001, was the second unmanned launch of the Shenzhou spacecraft. Inside the reentry capsule were a monkey, a dog and a rabbit in a test of the spaceship's life support systems...
– 9 January 2001 – carried animals - Shenzhou 3Shenzhou 3Shenzhou 3 launched on March 25, 2002, was the third unmanned launch of China's Shenzhou spacecraft. This was the first Shenzhou spacecraft launched that could have actually carried a human and as such the main objective of the mission was to test the systems required to support a human in space...
– 25 March 2002 – carried a test dummy - Shenzhou 4Shenzhou 4Shenzhou 4 launched on December 29, 2002, was the fourth unmanned launch of the Chinese Shenzhou spacecraft. Carried on board were two dummy astronauts to test the life support systems....
– 29 December 2002 – carried a test dummy and several science experiments - Shenzhou 5Shenzhou 5Shenzhou 5 — was the first human spaceflight mission of the People's Republic of China , launched on October 15, 2003. The Shenzhou spacecraft was launched on a Long March 2F launch vehicle. There had been four previous flights of unmanned Shenzhou missions since 1999...
– 15 October 2003 – 14 Earth orbits carrying Yang LiweiYang LiweiYáng Lìwěi is a Chinese major general and military pilot and a CNSA astronaut. He was the first man sent into space by the Chinese space program and his mission, Shenzhou 5, made China the third country to independently send people into space.-Background:... - Shenzhou 6Shenzhou 6Shenzhou 6 was the second human spaceflight of the People's Republic of China, launched on October 12, 2005 on a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The Shenzhou spacecraft carried a crew of Fèi Jùnlóng and Niè Hǎishèng for five days in low Earth orbit...
– 12 October 2005 – 5 day mission with Fei JunlongFei JunlongColonel Fei Junlong is a Chinese military pilot and an astronaut. He flew on the second manned spaceflight of the Shenzhou program....
and Nie HaishengNie HaishengColonel Niè Hǎishèng is a Chinese military pilot and CNSA astronaut .-Military career:Nie was born in Yangdang town of Zaoyang, Hubei Province. After graduating from high school he joined the People's Liberation Army Air Force and became a fighter pilot. During his training at the PLAAF's No... - Shenzhou 7Shenzhou 7- Backup crew :Of the back-up crew, only Chen Quan had not previously flown in space.- Mission highlights :The Long March 2F rocket launched the Shenzhou 7 into an initial elliptical orbit of 200 x 330 kilometres inclined at 42.4 degrees on 25 September 2008. About seven hours later the spacecraft...
– 25 September 2008 – three-man crew with Zhai ZhigangZhai ZhigangZhai Zhigang is an officer in the People's Liberation Army Air Force and a CNSA astronaut. During the Shenzhou 7 mission in 2008, he became the first Chinese citizen to carry out a spacewalk.-Early career:...
(who conducted China's first spacewalk), Liu BomingLiu BomingLiu Boming was an educator and philosopher.Liu Boming is the first Chinese receiving doctor's degree in philosophy. He finished his work The Theory of Chinese Mind Nature in 1913, and The Philosophy of Taoism in 1915 when he was a Doctoral candidate at Northwestern University in America. He...
and Jing Haipeng - Shenzhou 8Shenzhou 8Shenzhou 8 was an unmanned flight of China's Shenzhou program, launched on October 31, 2011 UTC, or November 1 in China, by a modified Long March 2F rocket which lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center....
– 31 October 2011 – unmanned mission, which rendezvoused and docked with Tiangong 1Tiangong 1Tiangong-1 is a Chinese space laboratory module, and is an experimental testbed to demonstrate the rendezvous and docking capabilities needed to support a space station complex. Launched unmanned aboard a Long March 2F/G rocket on 29 September 2011, it is part of the Tiangong program, which aims...
.
Planned missions
- Shenzhou 9Shenzhou 9Shenzhou 9 is a planned, probably manned flight of China's Shenzhou program that is scheduled for launch in March or April 2012, following the unmanned Shenzhou 8 mission in 2011. The aim of the mission will be to perform a docking with the Tiangong 1...
– 2012(?) – manned mission, will dock with Tiangong 1Tiangong 1Tiangong-1 is a Chinese space laboratory module, and is an experimental testbed to demonstrate the rendezvous and docking capabilities needed to support a space station complex. Launched unmanned aboard a Long March 2F/G rocket on 29 September 2011, it is part of the Tiangong program, which aims...
after Shenzhou 8Shenzhou 8Shenzhou 8 was an unmanned flight of China's Shenzhou program, launched on October 31, 2011 UTC, or November 1 in China, by a modified Long March 2F rocket which lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center....
. - Shenzhou 10Shenzhou 10Shenzhou 10 is a planned manned spaceflight of China's Shenzhou program that is scheduled for launch in 2012. This conventional Shenzhou will carry a crew of three astronauts...
– 2012(?) – manned, will dock with Tiangong 1Tiangong 1Tiangong-1 is a Chinese space laboratory module, and is an experimental testbed to demonstrate the rendezvous and docking capabilities needed to support a space station complex. Launched unmanned aboard a Long March 2F/G rocket on 29 September 2011, it is part of the Tiangong program, which aims...
after Shenzhou 8Shenzhou 8Shenzhou 8 was an unmanned flight of China's Shenzhou program, launched on October 31, 2011 UTC, or November 1 in China, by a modified Long March 2F rocket which lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center....
and Shenzhou 9Shenzhou 9Shenzhou 9 is a planned, probably manned flight of China's Shenzhou program that is scheduled for launch in March or April 2012, following the unmanned Shenzhou 8 mission in 2011. The aim of the mission will be to perform a docking with the Tiangong 1...
This is similar to the process used by the Soviet Union in their early Soyuz program which was intended to test procedures for future Lunar flights.
November 1996 trainer selection
There were two astronaut trainers selected for Project 921. They trained at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonauts Training CenterYuri Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Center
The Yu. A. Gagarin State Scientific Research-and-Testing Cosmonaut Training Center is a Russian training facility responsible for training cosmonauts for their space missions...
in Russia.
- Li QinglongLi QinglongLi Qinglong is a Chinese pilot selected as part of the Shenzhou program.-Biography:Li Qinglong was born in Dingyuan, Anhui province, China. In 1987 he graduated from the People's Liberation Army Air Force Missile College and later the PLAAF Flight College...
– born August 1962 in Dingyuan, Anhui Province and PLAAF interceptor pilot and space instructor at Star CityStar City, RussiaStar City is a common name of an area in Moscow Oblast, Russia, which has since the 1960s been home to the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center... - Wu JieWu JieWu Jie is a Chinese military pilot and astronaut selected as part of the Shenzhou program.-Biography:He was born in Zhengzhou, Henan province, China. In 1987 he graduated from the People's Liberation Army Air Force Engineering College and later the PLAAF Flight College...
January 1998 Shenzhou astronaut candidate selection
- Chen QuanChen QuanChen Quan is a Chinese pilot selected as part of the Shenzhou program.Chen was born in Suining, Sichuan, China.He joined the People's Liberation Army Air Force and became a fighter interceptor pilot and later as a regiment commander in the PLAAF....
- Deng QingmingDeng QingmingDeng Qingming is a Chinese pilot selected as part of the Shenzhou program. He was born in the Jiangxi province of China. A fighter pilot in the People's Liberation Army Air Force, he was selected to be an astronaut in 1998.-References:...
– from Jiangxi Province and PLAAF pilot; - Fei JunlongFei JunlongColonel Fei Junlong is a Chinese military pilot and an astronaut. He flew on the second manned spaceflight of the Shenzhou program....
– second Chinese astronaut, commander of Shenzhou 6Shenzhou 6Shenzhou 6 was the second human spaceflight of the People's Republic of China, launched on October 12, 2005 on a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The Shenzhou spacecraft carried a crew of Fèi Jùnlóng and Niè Hǎishèng for five days in low Earth orbit... - Jing Haipeng – born October 1966 and PLAAF pilot, astronaut of Shenzhou 7Shenzhou 7- Backup crew :Of the back-up crew, only Chen Quan had not previously flown in space.- Mission highlights :The Long March 2F rocket launched the Shenzhou 7 into an initial elliptical orbit of 200 x 330 kilometres inclined at 42.4 degrees on 25 September 2008. About seven hours later the spacecraft...
- Liu BomingLiu Boming (astronaut)Liu Boming is a Chinese pilot selected as part of the Shenzhou program. A fighter pilot in the People's Liberation Army Air Force, he was selected to be an CNSA member in 1998.-CNSA career:...
– born September 1966 and PLAAF pilot, astronaut of Shenzhou 7Shenzhou 7- Backup crew :Of the back-up crew, only Chen Quan had not previously flown in space.- Mission highlights :The Long March 2F rocket launched the Shenzhou 7 into an initial elliptical orbit of 200 x 330 kilometres inclined at 42.4 degrees on 25 September 2008. About seven hours later the spacecraft... - Liu WangLiu WangLiu Wang is a Chinese pilot selected as part of the Shenzhou program. He was born in the Shanxi province of China and was a fighter pilot in the People's Liberation Army Air Force. He was selected to be an astronaut in 1998.-References:* at the Encyclopedia Astronautica. Accessed 23 July 2005.*...
– born in Shanxi Province and PLAFF pilot - Nie HaishengNie HaishengColonel Niè Hǎishèng is a Chinese military pilot and CNSA astronaut .-Military career:Nie was born in Yangdang town of Zaoyang, Hubei Province. After graduating from high school he joined the People's Liberation Army Air Force and became a fighter pilot. During his training at the PLAAF's No...
– flight engineer on Shenzhou 6Shenzhou 6Shenzhou 6 was the second human spaceflight of the People's Republic of China, launched on October 12, 2005 on a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The Shenzhou spacecraft carried a crew of Fèi Jùnlóng and Niè Hǎishèng for five days in low Earth orbit...
, back up in Shenzhou 5Shenzhou 5Shenzhou 5 — was the first human spaceflight mission of the People's Republic of China , launched on October 15, 2003. The Shenzhou spacecraft was launched on a Long March 2F launch vehicle. There had been four previous flights of unmanned Shenzhou missions since 1999... - Pan ZhanchunPan ZhanchunPan Zhanchun is a Chinese pilot selected as part of the Shenzhou program. He was a fighter pilot in the People's Liberation Army Air Force and was selected to be an astronaut in 1998.-References:...
- PLAAF pilot - Yang LiweiYang LiweiYáng Lìwěi is a Chinese major general and military pilot and a CNSA astronaut. He was the first man sent into space by the Chinese space program and his mission, Shenzhou 5, made China the third country to independently send people into space.-Background:...
– first man sent into space by the space program of China, and his mission, Shenzhou 5Shenzhou 5Shenzhou 5 — was the first human spaceflight mission of the People's Republic of China , launched on October 15, 2003. The Shenzhou spacecraft was launched on a Long March 2F launch vehicle. There had been four previous flights of unmanned Shenzhou missions since 1999...
, made the PRC the third country to independently send people into space - Zhai ZhigangZhai ZhigangZhai Zhigang is an officer in the People's Liberation Army Air Force and a CNSA astronaut. During the Shenzhou 7 mission in 2008, he became the first Chinese citizen to carry out a spacewalk.-Early career:...
– back up in Shenzhou 5Shenzhou 5Shenzhou 5 — was the first human spaceflight mission of the People's Republic of China , launched on October 15, 2003. The Shenzhou spacecraft was launched on a Long March 2F launch vehicle. There had been four previous flights of unmanned Shenzhou missions since 1999...
, commander of Shenzhou 7Shenzhou 7- Backup crew :Of the back-up crew, only Chen Quan had not previously flown in space.- Mission highlights :The Long March 2F rocket launched the Shenzhou 7 into an initial elliptical orbit of 200 x 330 kilometres inclined at 42.4 degrees on 25 September 2008. About seven hours later the spacecraft... - Zhang XiaoguanZhang XiaoguanZhang Xiaoguang is a Chinese pilot selected as part of the Shenzhou program. He was born in Liaoning province and was a squadron commander in the People’s Liberation Army Air Force when he was selected to be an astronaut in 1998. He had accumulated 1000 flight-hours as of 2004.-References:* at the...
– born in Liaoning Province and PLAAF pilot - Zhao ChuandongZhao ChuandongZhao Chuandong is a Chinese pilot selected as part of the Shenzhou program. A fighter pilot in the People's Liberation Army Air Force, he was selected to be an astronaut in 1998.-References:...
– PLAAF pilot
In July 2007, plans were announced to select up to 14 men for another group of Shenzhou astronaut candidates.
See also
- Long March rocketLong March rocketA Long March rocket or Chang Zheng rocket as in Chinese pinyin is any rocket in a family of expendable launch systems operated by the People's Republic of China. Development and design falls under the auspices of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology...
- Tiangong
- Space program of China
- China National Space AdministrationChina National Space AdministrationThe China National Space Administration is the national space agency of the People's Republic of China responsible for the national space program. It is responsible for planning and development of space activities...
- Beijing University of Aeronautics and AstronauticsBeijing University of Aeronautics and AstronauticsBeihang University, previously known as Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics is a major research university located in Beijing, China....
External links
- Flickr: Photos tagged with shenzhou, photos likely relating to Shenzhou spacecraft