China has announced the completion of the zoning process of an area designated for the construction of the fourth site for satellite launches to be built near Wenchang City on the island of Hunan in the south of the country (Semion Semyonov and Dr. Ali Shavit)
China's third manned mission will be launched in October 2008. On board the Shenzhou 5 spacecraft there will be 3 Chinese space pilots who will perform, for the first time in China's space program, a spacewalk. * Long March -5, China's new heavy launcher, is expected to be ready in 2013. * China has completed the scoping of the construction area of a new launch site.
China plans to launch the Shenzhou-7 spacecraft (the number indicates the serial number of the mission), its third manned spacecraft, with three space pilots on board in October 2008 - reports the Chinese news agency Xinhua.
According to Pang Zhihao, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Space Technology, the techonauts (a nickname for space pilots in China) will perform a spacewalk that will be broadcast in real time. The tyconauts will be connected to the spacecraft by a strap for the transfer of oxygen and communication, which will allow a distance of up to 5 meters from the spacecraft.
According to previous reports, the cosmonauts will perform several equipment installation jobs in open space. The new space suit for the purpose of off-rail activity is designed for up to seven hours of work.
As you may recall, China was the third country to send a solo astronaut into space in October 2003 in the Shenzhou-5 mission. After two years, Shenzhou-6 was launched with 2 cosmonauts on a five-day flight.
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The online newspaper China Daily reports that a new generation Chinese launcher for launching heavy satellites or space station parts will be ready for launch by 2013. The Long March-5 launcher is manufactured in the Binhai New Area industrial zone, near the city of Tianjin. The newspaper notes that the length of the launcher is 5 meters, the launch weight is 59.4 tons and the thrust is 643 tons. Its diameter is 825 meters, compared to 5 meters of the Chinese launcher of the current generation - Long March-3.35. Long March - 3 carrying capacity of 5 tons for the low orbits (compared to 25 of the current launcher) and 9 tons (compared to 14) for the geosynchronous orbit.
A large base for the construction of launchers is currently being established in Binhai Province, at a cost of approximately 530 million dollars, and the production of the new launchers will begin after the completion of its construction, in December 2009. According to the report, the main technologies in the missile have passed the appropriate tests, and according to the original schedule, the launcher will be ready for launch within 5 years
At the same time as the base for building launchers, China is also building a launch base these days that will be suitable for the launch of Long March 5.
It is also reported that the launcher will likely play an important role in China's lunar program
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And speaking of the new launch base - Wenchang Satellite Launch Center, not long ago it was announced that the zoning of the area intended for its construction had been completed. The base should enter service after 2012 (source - previous article). In addition to the planned base, China has three more launch bases.
China has completed demarcating an area for the construction of a new launch site
By Dr. Ali Shavit, website http://www.satil.com
China has announced the completion of the zoning process of an area designated for the construction of the fourth satellite launch site to be built near the city of Wenchang on Hunan Island in the south of the country.
The area of the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center site will be 20 square kilometers and will include a command center in addition to the launch site itself, buildings for assembling the rockets and a space theme park.
The launch site itself will be located in Longlou Town, a mountainous site located a few minutes' drive from Monchang. The launch tower on the site will be built at a distance of 800 from the nearby beach.
The zoning of the area for the purpose of the new site includes the relocation of approximately 6,100 residents by the end of next year.
The Yinan site was chosen to be used for launching satellites mainly thanks to its geographical location, being the closest place in China to the equator. The site is planned to be used mainly for launching satellites into geosynchronous orbits (GEO), satellites into polar orbits, large space stations and research satellites into space.
China plans to double the lifespan of new satellites
China plans to improve the satellites it manufactures and bring about the fact that the lifespan of new satellites that will be manufactured starting in 2010 will be half that of what is used today.
Su Laiyan, vice minister also in charge of the China National Space Administration, said that China aims to extend the life span of its geosynchronous satellites to 15 years compared to the current average of eight years.
According to him, by the year 2010, locally produced satellites will replace the foreign-made satellites used by the local channels for radio and television broadcasts.
