Chinese astronaut took 'electronic secretary' to space

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, October 20, 2003

Chinese astronaut took 'electronic secretary' to space

A set of instruments, known as the "electronic secretary", in China's first manned spacecraft provided detailed data and spoken instructions for the country's first astronaut in space.

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A set of instruments, known as the "electronic secretary", in China's first manned spacecraft provided detailed data and spoken instructions for the country's first astronaut in space.

Experts with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, manufacturer of the spacecraft, described the system, which included three display panels, six meters, a computer system and a group of buttons.

Yang Liwei, China's first astronaut, returned to the Earth safe and sound on Oct. 16 after orbiting the planet 14 times in a Chinese-made spacecraft.

The electronic assistant provided him with data coming from inside and outside the capsule and alert messages in Chinese characters and voice instructions.

Graphics like the world map and the position of the spacecraft were available on the display panel at the push of a button.

The data included the altitude, speed, flight time, temperature and humidity and status of various systems inside the capsule as well as the physical condition on the astronaut.

The electronic device would alert the astronaut in both Chinese characters and short, clear and artificial mezzo-soprano voice instructions if data were not up to preset standards.

A stand-by electronic assistant was installed in the capsule, including a display panel and a computer system, said the experts.

A video monitor system in the capsule was also capable of providing much of the data if the two computer systems failed.

secret "cargo" revealed

The secret "cargo" on China's first manned spacecraft was revealed at a ceremony where the contents of the spacecraft's re-entry vehicle were shown to the public on Saturday in Beijing.

The items aboard the Shenzhou-V included China's national flag, a flag of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, the United Nations flag, a renminbi note, memorial stamps for China's first manned spaceflight, and memorial envelopes of the manned spaceflight project.

Also on board were crop seeds from China's Taiwan Island, which included 500 grams of plant and vegetable seeds in 36 species such as green peppers, tomatoes and corn, according to China News Service.

The cargo had travelled with China's first astronaut in space, Yang Liwei, for 21 hours and 23 minutes, and were returned to their owners at Saturday's ceremony.

The re-entry vehicle of the Shenzhou-V capsule was taken to Beijing Friday afternoon, after the successful landing in the central Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in North China.

China's successful manned space mission has gained worldwide attention, including a statement from US President George W. Bush.

The president was quoted by Reuters as saying that he did not see China's space programme as a threat, but rather as a sign that the Asian giant is emerging as a sophisticated country.

Chinese space researchers owed the success of the manned space mission to the joint efforts of the astronaut and the others devoted to this project.

"I give Yang Liwei a great deal of credit,'' said Huang Weifen, the astronaut's coach. ''Two hundred operations had been performed accurately in the spaceship by Yang."

The China Space Environment Prediction Centre conducted space environmental tracking and predictions during the Shenzhou-V space craft flight, making preparations for following up and monitoring space environment factors three months in advance.

Safety reports had been provided to the Centre headquarters before the launch, to ensure that the environment in space would not affect the astronaut's safety.

Speaking at a symposium on Saturday, Qi Faren, chief designer of the spacecraft, stressed that the project of the Shenzhou-V benefits the nation by creating valuable wealth in human resources, equipment and culture.

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