China is set to launch manned spacecraft Shenzhou-7 at an appropriate time between Sept.25 and 30. It is China's third manned space mission, which will accomplish the first spacewalk by Chinese astronauts. The information, revealed by the headquarters of the mission sited in Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern Gansu Province, has since captured the renewed world attention to China, becoming the forefront of the media focus, in the wake of the Beijing Olympics. The space mission has also been dubbed by some foreign media as another splendor to be presented by China following the Olympic Games.
The BBC reports referred to China's first spacewalk as a remarkable achievement in astronautics, which deserves the international attention. One of their reports even recounted China's astronauts chosen for the Shenzhou-7 mission, and Zhai Zhigang, a crew member expected to conduct the space walk. Reuters cited the Chinese media coverage on the preparatory work for launch as saying all the major systems involved in the launching are now in the final preparation, and the main tests for the spacecraft, the Long-March II-F rocket, suits for the space walk and a satellite accompanying the fly have also been finished. The news agency based in London also said that the space odyssey to be made this time would be China's showcase of its strength in science and technology following the unfolding of its sport strength in the Olympics by leading the gold medal tally.
AFP, Agence France-Presse, sent a report on Sept.23 from Beijing, saying the ground control system is fully prepared, including the launch site, the landing site, and the communication for observation and control. When Shenzhou-7 enters its orbit, one of the three astronauts will conduct a space walk, which marks a large step forward to China's construction of its first space laboratory and space station.
Japan Economic News published an article entitled 'Shenzhou-7 will establish China's status as a space power', saying that China has successfully put two manned spacecraft into orbit in 2003 and 2005 respectively, becoming the third country to send an astronaut into space after the United States and Russia. The third space mission will again convey a clear message to the world that China is rising in its international status as well as in its national strength.
Meanwhile, the article stated that by the year 2010, all the U.S spacecraft will have to retire, and in view of the ongoing U.S-Russia confrontation brought about by the unsettled Georgian conflicts, the U.S will be unable to continue sending supplies to the International Space Station. Therefore, some analysts believe that the U.S will have to enhance its cooperation with China in the manned spaceflight area in a bid to keep an access in future to plying its space station with regular supplies.
By People's Daily Online
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