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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, October 15, 2003

Comments on China's manned space-engineering achievements and prospect of the industry

The Chinese nation has traversed an air flight road of thousand-year "dreaming", "breeding" and "delivery-expediting" period from the moving legend of the "Goddess Chang'e flew to the moon" to the flying Apsaras (as in the frescoes of the Dunhuang Caves), and from the air flight by thousands of homes in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to the "Dawn" airship...


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The Chinese nation has traversed an air flight road of thousand-year "dreaming", "breeding" and "delivery-expediting" period from the moving legend of the "Goddess Chang'e flew to the moon" to the flying Apsaras (as in the frescoes of the Dunhuang Caves), and from the air flight by thousands of homes in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to the "Dawn) airship. Until 1992, the CPC (Communist Party of China) third-generation collective leadership with Comrade Jiang Zemin at the core, with great foresight in making decision, began implementing China's manned space-engineering project, thereby spreading China's magnificent blueprint for sending man to the outer space. After 11 years of strenuous efforts of tackling difficult problems, the Chinese have finally fulfilled their dream of flying to the Ninth Heaven, or the highest of heavens on the basis of four unmanned test flights. This effort made China become the third country, after Russia and the United States, which independently develops manned space technology. At the same time, manned space-engineering project has also made China become an important member of the international space club, providing China with motive force for sustainable development in the impending implementation of the project of probing into the moon and deep-space exploration.

I. Achievement gained in implementing the manned air flight project
The China Space Sci-tech Group Company undertakes the spaceship system and carrier rocket system development work in the manned space-engineering project. After more than 10 years of construction and development, the company has made tremendous achievements in the manned aerospace field. These are manifested prominently in the following five aspects:

(1) Breakthroughs made in a batch of difficult technical problems recognized by international astronautical circles, and the formation of China's core competitive power in this field.

Manned space flight is one of the most difficult projects in aerospace technology, it requires the solution of the R&D technology of spaceship, highly reliable carrier rocket technology, orbital control technology, recovery technology and other difficult technical problems recognized by international astronautical circles. After many years of independently tackling difficult technical problems, China has mastered a large batch of key technologies with independent intellectual property rights and formed core competitive power in this field.

The "Shenzhou" spaceship is a kind of satellite manned spacecraft developed independently by China, its design scheme demonstrates the optimum and progress of Chinese characteristics and the overall plan, making China's manned spaceship technology reach or excel the level of international third-generation manned spaceship. The "Shenzhou" spaceship adopts the formula of three-cabin and one-section, two pairs of solar battery-wing configurations and lift-control recovery, dome parachute recovery, and is composed of 13 subsystems.

In order to realize manned space flight, a number of new technologies are adopted for the spaceship, 13 key technologies of which reach advanced international level. Compared with advanced international spaceships, China's self-designed spacecraft has three major advantages: First, a high starting-point, putting everything in place at one go, the design of China's spaceship makes it possible to accommodate three persons at one go, a spaceship for three persons within a considerably lengthy period of time. Second, the ship has a strong usability and can serve several purposes. In the three-module formula, the orbital module has the functions of an accommodation cabin and an orbit-retaining testing cabin, after the return of the spaceship, the orbital module can remain on the orbit for several months, continuing space scientific detection and technological test, the multi-adaptability of the orbital module lays a foundation for making a breakthrough in the intersection and docking link of the spaceship and air vehicle-the second step for China's future manned space-engineering construction and implementation. Third, the spaceship has a strong practical applicability and can realize the combined transport of passengers and goods.

Long March II F rocket is China's first manned carrier rocket as well as China's current rocket with the highest reliability and safety. The safety index for astronauts of Long March II F is 0.997. The reliability index has risen from 0.91 of unmanned rocket to 0.97. Both reliability and safety indexes have reached the advanced world level of manned rockets. To meet the high safety and high relaibility requirements, a series of difficult technical points have been solved and 55 items of new technologies have been adopted in domestic rockets for the first time, 10 items of key technologies have reached advanced international level. Trouble-testing, handling and escape systems have been added, a strapdown, redundant control system has been added to the control system on the basis of the original control platform.

The spaceship and carrier rocket adopt the "three vertical" modes-vertical general assembly, vertical testing and vertical overall transport, and long-distance testing and launching technologies. The use of these modes and technologies in China's space field for the first time embodies sci-tech innovation and technical progress and plays a very important role in guaranteeing the high reliability and high safety in manned space flight and shortening of launching time.

(2) The initial formation of the management mode of a space-type project featuring management innovation has interjected new idea into project management of a large space system

Manned space project is a huge system project, through the project practice, the space science and technology group company has established a high-efficiency organizational set-up capable of getting in line with international standards, forming a comprehensive management system with scientifically predicted scheme and plan as well as capable of exercising effective control of the project.

The group company has set up a special manned space project management office, formed a management mode that integrates planned dispatch, expense management and quality management in one entity and closely combines capital construction technical renovation and development, and has improved work efficiency. The China Space Technology Research Institute and the Shanghai Aerospace Technology Research Institute that undertake the spaceship system development have also set up manned space project offices respectively, established a strong commanding and dispatching system and introduced matrix project management, thus providing organizational guarantee for the smooth implementation of the manned space project.

In the process of development, in light of the situation featuring the simultaneous development of various fronts and intersection between different systems, various work units drew up complete and thorough plans, firmly grasped the optimization of technical and planning flow, drew up the network chart, arranged work in a cross, paralleled way under unified command and dispatch and made dynamic scheduling, obtaining brilliant achievement in the primary success of large-scale experiment. The spaceship system persists in the weekly dispatching meeting system all the year round, the general manager and general commander of the carrier rocket department go deep into the forefront of scientific research and production to timely solve problems.

Closely combining project management and whole-process quality control, firmly establishing and intensifying the "manned" awareness and guaranteeing the safety of astronauts have become the common view of all research and development personnel. In the process of development, the group company always adheres to the guideline of "quality first" and "safety first" and success being the absolute principle, sets down the requirements for quality management in light of manned space characteristics from initial design to final test, adopts a quality standard stricter than other types of spaceship, and intensifies the construction of a quality guarantee system. Through "tabular" management and other measures, the group company carries out comprehensive quality management centered on product reliability and safety.

(3) The training and upbringing of a batch of young space science and technology backbone contingent has laid a talent foundation for China to march to the high and sophisticated field of the world space technology. When deciding on the establishment of the project, the Central Committee of the CPC clearly outlined the need to bring up a new generation of space scientific and technical talents through the development of the manned spaceship project. When we cast our eyes on the research fellows who have won successes one after another in launching Shenzhou spaceships, we felt the sudden burst of heroic youthful spirits in them, they are precisely the epitome of the young scientific and technical elite, thousands upon thousands of people who have been working hard for the successful launch of the Shenzhou spaceships.

The 11-year practice has proved that through the development and construction of the project, particularly through strengthening the training and use of young scientific and technical personnel, we have built up a scientific research, production, experiment and management contingent composed mainly of young and middle-aged scientific and technical personnel. The China Space Science and Technology Group Company, currently has about 10,000 scientific and technical personnel engaging in the development of the manned spaceflight project, two-thirds of whom are young people, many young comrades have taken key leading posts. This contingent of technical personnel has gradually entered into the optimum state from Shenzhou I to Shenzhou V. Over the past four years, three key members of the Shenzhou contingent have been awarded the bnonorable title of "10 National Outstanding Youths", 15 key outstanding members have been given National "May Day" Labor Medal. This contingent highly praised by the then President Jiang Zemin as a contingent who "are particularly able to bear hardships, tackle difficult problems, engage in battle and offer dedication, this contingent which is becoming mature day by day has become a contingent capable of fighting hard battles. This has laid a solid foundation for guaranteeing the smooth implementation of the follow-up plan for China's manned space flight, it will also become a talent foundation for China's advance to the world space high, sophisticated technical realm.

(4) A large batch of world advanced space laboratories have been put into use one after another, bringing about a leapfrog development in the capacity and level of space scientific research and production. In the period from the start of the capital construction and technical renovation project construction of the Space Science and Technology Group Company's manned space flight project in line with the general equipment of ensuring the development need of the project up to the present, a large batch of scientific research, production and experiment supportive facilities have been built. The completion of the work of capital construction and technical renovation has strongly supported and guaranteed the implementation of scientific research and production and the parallel development of production as well as scientific research and production, this was something that could not be realized in all previous space projects.

Implementation of the technical upgrading of the manned space flight project constituted a new accelerator for the advancement of Space Science and Technology Group. The work unit which undertook the task of the manned space flight project within the Group has seen great improvement in its infrastructure facilities, many sets of large experimental equipment have been updated and replaced and numerous modern test factories have sprung up from the ground, bringing about a leapfrog rise in the Group's software and hardware conditions. Particularly the completion of the Beijing Space Development and Experimentation Center that integrates the whole process from the processing of components and spare parts and the development of the subsystem to the general assembly and testing of the whole spaceship and large-scale experiment has reached the world's first-rate aircraft development level, thus changing the previous scattered research and construction layout. A large batch of construction projects represented by the KM6 aircraft vacuum test equipment, altitude simulation test run platform have reached advanced international level, filling the domestic blank in the same field. The use of these capital construction projects has laid a solid foundation for the sustainable development of manned space flight project and the science and technology industry.

(5) The establishment of a set of standards and specifications for the manned space flight project with independent intellectual property rights has helped accumulate valuable experiences for the sustainable development of space science and technology

During the 47 years of practice, China's space undertaking has formed a set of fairly complete and effective rules, regulations and standards. But the manned space flight project is a completely new, and pioneering project, it sets higher demands on quality and higher reliability and safety, therefore the original standards and specifications can no longer completely meet these demands. In the practice of the manned space flight project, rich experiences have been accumulated, which have been timely summarized and refined along with the progress of the manned space flight project, and a set of manned space flight standards and specifications with independent intellectual property rights have been established and formed, this constitutes an important achievement in the development of the manned space flight project and a major contribution to the development of the space industry.

II. Opportunity for and Challenge to the Development of Manned Space Flight Project
The Chinese government published the White Paper entitled "China's Aerospace" in November 2001, introducing the near-term and long-term development goals of China's space undertaking to people at home and abroad, of which, the goal concerning the manned space flight project includes: the short-term (in the period of the next decade or slightly longer time) development goal: Realizing manned space flight, establishing an initial supporting development and experiment system for the manned space flight project; developing space science and carrying out deep space exploration. Long-term (in the period of the next two decades or slightly longer time) development goal: establishing a China manned space system

In the 21st century, China's manned space technology has ushered in a new period of vigorous development which is also an important period of strategic opportunity. The first manned space flight has made the Chinese nation's thousand-year dream of flying to high heavens come true, it is of a historical moment of milestone significance.

The development of the new century space technology has shown the state of world integration. A panoramic view of the whole globe shows that over 60 countries are engaged in the study of space technology. At present, foreign manned space industry is developing mainly in five directions, for China, this is both a rare opportunity and a huge challenge.

(1)Touring the outer space

After 61-year-old Dennis Tito, an American who rode in the Russian Federation TM32 to fly to the international space station became the first outer space tourist on April 28, 2001, the term "touring the space" became the topic of discussion among people. At present, many enterprises of Russia, the United States, Japan, etc. have put forward various kinds of plans for sub-orbital spacecraft of low cost and reuse and have stepped up their development. Many adventurers and space tour lobbyists show keen interest in this. At present, raising safety and dreucing cost are two crucial problems needing solutions. It can be predicted that in the next 20 years, more people will enter into the outer space in the capacity of tourists, space tourist industry will finally become an industry.

(2) International space station

The international space station assembly work started in November 1998 is proceeding smoothly in the main and is predicted to be completed in 2007. The space station, after completion, will weigh 420 tons, its service life will extend 10 to 15 years, it can accommodate at most six to seven astronauts, the international space station consists of six experimental cabins capable of providing 40 research racks and 110kw electric energy, transport supplies are undertaken by Russian Federation TM manned spaceship, Progress Freighter, US spacecraft and the automatic transfer vessel (ATV) developed by the European Space Bureau. The research realm of the international space station covers micro-force of gravity processing, life science, space science, earth science and the conduction of engineering and technical experiment and the development of commercial products.

(3) Heaven-based space flight

The unique nature of the earth synchronous orbit determines that the use of such orbital satellites will provide the most effective application to the service for humankind on earth, the way to the full use of the orbital location resources is the development of large satellite. It is extremely difficult to develop antenna technology of such ultra-large high precision on the ground, and the cost is very high. Developing the large space station into a space aeronautical base, assembling large satellites in the space and then using the orbital maneuvering spacecraft to send the satellite into earth synchronous orbit. In accordance with this line of thought, it will be easy to bring about a space power station centered on solar energy generating position with a diameter of 5 km. The use of the space aeronautical base makes it possible to carry out maintenance and repair of the satellite and guarantee its stable, long-term operation. The key to bringing about heaven-based space flight is the low-cost carrier rocket and a reuse transport system, after breakthrough is made in key technology, the heaven-based spacecraft now under research and development will provide forceful guarantee for the development of heaven-based space technology.

(4) Moon base

Because the moon is a celestial body nearest to the earth, the environment of the moon has the characteristics such as small gravitational force, vacuum, germ-free, small magnetic field, a big temperature difference, a long alternating period between day and night, and being within the earth optical line, plus the special geological condition of the moon, and its possession of earth raw and semi-finished material resources, the entire moon looks like a huge stable platform, making it suitable for carrying out scientific research and observation of the celestial body. The above special environment and condition have made the building of a moon base become very attractive, given this, the moon base is likely to become the first center of activity set up by human beings in the planet outside the earth.

After the US Apollo moon-landing plan in the early 1970s, human moon-landing activity was suspended for a while. Over the past 10 years, the voice of returning to the moon has become louder, the lunar plan has become many countries' important goal for the development of space industry, it is predicted that in the next two decades, humankind will return to the moon. Humankind uses space aeronautical base to carry out the assembly and maintenance of earth-moon orbital transport and finally set up a lunar base.

(5) Manned Mars-landing

Manned Mars-landing will be the most salient symbol of humans' exploration spirit in the 21st century. Humans began the research on manned Mars flight in the 1960s, because the Mars is far from the earth, it takes more than 170 days to fly to the Mars with the most advanced propulsion technology, furthermore, there is only one-time launching window in every other 26 months in the earth, it takes 450 days to fly to the Mars and return from which to the earth, in this process there can only be one-time launching window, therefore, it takes two years and three months to fly to and come back from the Mars. The Mars-landing time is long, the foodstuffs, water, air needed in the two years of the astronauts' space flight to the Mars, as well as the facilities and equipment necessary for living and working in the Mars weigh several hundred tons, in addition, the spaceship returning from the Mars orbit to the earth needs to be sent to the orbit around the Mars, for this reason, numerous difficult technical problems, such as the choice of the flying plan, the development of high-performance and reliable conveyor as well as the influence of long-time flight on the astronauts, the prevention and treatment of disease and keep-fit, all need to be resolved.

The United States and Russia have currently reached an agreement on Mars exploration and have drafted a plan for manned space flight to the Mars, aiming to realize manned Mars-landing in about 30 years.

A panoramic view of the whole situation shows that manned space flight has received high attention from the governments of various principal countries around the world, they spend huge amounts of money to develop the project in different forms; secondly, international cooperation in manned space flight is developing in depth and breadth; thirdly, they develop space application technology in a big way, providing an arena for the research of material, life and space science. It can be predicted that along with the development of space technology, human beings' ability to use outer space resources will be enhanced continuously, they will bring about a leapfrog development through exploration and development of the new realm of the outer space.

Developing manned space flight and setting up a space station are an important content of the space sector of various big countries around the world, their aim of doing so is to keep an eye on the potential application of it in the field of national defense, as well as humans' long-term plan for developing the space frontiers. If China wants to maintain and consolidate its position as a large, influential country in the world, and take part in the action of human beings who leave the cradle and fly to the outer space, it has to maintain the sustainable development of manned space flight and establish its due position in the technology of manned space flight.

III. Prospect for the development of China's manned space industry
When it approved the manned space flight project in 1992, the CPC Central Committee, with great foresight, clearly set the blueprint for the development of China's manned space sector, and set forward the three-step strategic plan for the development of China's manned space industry, thus charting the direction of advance for this endeavor. In line with the established plan, China will, on the basis of the manned spaceship project, develop the space laboratory project and occupy a niche in this hi-tech field.

After completing manned space flight, China will begin the second-step plan for the manned space flight project, i.e., the space laboratory project, through breakthroughs made in intersection and docking technologies and the astronauts' space traveling technology, thereby completely mastering the basic technology of manned space flight; through developing and launching manned spaceship and space laboratory, China will expand the existing large engineering system, further understand and grasp the technologies related to astronauts' living and conducting research and experiment in space, expand the scale of spatial application, and at the same time explore and study new channels for heaven-based service; through developing more economical and reliable means of transportation, and the development and launch of the space station, China will establish its own perigee orbit and heaven-based service infrastructure facilities, it will integrate the application satellites and space stations in various kinds of orbits and give maximum play to their efficiency, laying a technical foundation for deep space exploration and providing a platform of operation.

In the 21st century, profound changes are taking place in the world's political, economic, scientific and technical and military fields. Science and technology are developing and changing with each passing day, the knowledge economy has arisen quietly, manned space flights are in the ascendant. There exist both difficulty and hope and both challenge and opportunity, the new generation astronauts will seize the opportunity and meet the challenge, take up the heavy mission entrusted to them by history, comprehensively carry out the second-step task for manned space fight project focused on the development of space laboratory and its new carrier rocket, breaking out the cabin activity and the intersection and dock technologies, promote the sustainable development of China's manned space industry, render new meritorious services for the construction of a well-off society in an all-round way and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation!



(This article was written by Zhang Qingwei, general manager of the China Space Science & Technology Group Company and deputy general commander of the China Manned Space Flight Project, and translated by People's Daily Online.)


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