The successful launch of China's first manned spaceship
Wednesday morning represents a pride of the whole Chinese nation
noted for its industriousness and independent development.
Just as Chinese President Hu Jintao said after the successful
launch that China has surprised the world by using its own rocket
and spaceship to send a man into space and this is something the
1.3 billion Chinese people are proud of.
The success after decades-long efforts by thousands of
innovative and creative Chinese space scientists and engineers.
Zhang Qingwei, general manager of China Aerospace Science and
Technology Corp. (CAST), manufacturer of the spacecraft and the
carrier rocket, said the series of major breakthroughs made over
the past decades have contributed to the successful launch.
"The 13 key technologies applied in making the spacecraft are
all developed on our own and they are comparable with the most
advanced levels in the world," said Zhang.
"Ten key technologies we applied to the 'Long March 2F', the
carrier of the spaceship, are also the most advanced in the world,"
said the general manager, who used to be a rocket expert before he
took up the present post two years ago.
The manned spaceship is designed and made by Chinese scientists
entirely on their own, Chief Designer Qi Faren said in an exclusive
interview with Xinhua. "The five orbital modules of the spaceship
are also the first in the world that are capable of remaining in
orbit for half a year as a lab for carrying out scientific
experiments."
The Long March series of rockets, which have made many
successful launches, including commercial launches, have won
international approval for their reliability and
cost-effectiveness.
China did consider importing technologies for the fairing of the
rocket from Russia, a key component that enables rocket to fly
steadily, Zhang recalled. "But Russia's offer of US$10 million is
too much for us. We have to rely on ourselves."
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Huang Chunping, commander-in-chief of the rocket system of
China's manned space flight program, said "Long March 2F" was
developed on the basis of "Long March CZ-2 E," according to the
technical requirements for manned space flight.
With unique fault detection systems and escape systems, the
rocket measures 58.3 meters in length and has a takeoff payload of
479.8 tons. It is the longest and heaviest rocket China has ever
developed, said Huang.
Since 1970, the Long March rockets have made 71 launches,
sending 52 Chinese satellites, 27 foreign satellites and five
"Shenzhou" spaceships into orbit, and there were only six failures,
with a success rate that has made China one of the leading launch
vehicle-making nations in the world.
Yang Liwei, China's first astronaut put into space, was locally
trained, though two Chinese instructors received training in
Russia.
(Xinhua News Agency October 15, 2003)
