Shenzhou VI Mission Thread

[ace5]

How spacious is Shenzhou. Seems much more cosier than Soyuz. Note the knee-protection straps holding them. And SZ doesnt seems to have any periscope like Soyuz.

 

[tmccort]

CNN? They are just showing something about Martha Stewart

 

[robotical]

Ah good, an external shot. They're 420 seconds into the launch. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[bpcooper]

So CNN International shows it, but in the US Martha is more important.<br /><br />UGH. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>-Ben</p> </div>

 

[robotical]

Final state seperation.<br /><br />Some nice pictures of Earth.<br /><br />Msnbc is the only online news service I see mentioning it. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[yurkin]

I just missed it.<br />I thought they weren’t launching until tomorrow!<br /><br />Glad to hear its been launched. I only hope that someday the US news media learns of its success.

 

[kane007]

WHAT A RUSH!<br /><br />God that was exciting.

 

[ace5]

A seemingly perfect launch. Carried live, and I saw it on CNN here in Brazil.<br />Perfect. Some delays in image retransmission, but a nice coverage. Images of the boosters, and technicians comemorating after orbital insertion.

 

[redgryphon]

No video streams for me. <img src="/images/icons/frown.gif" /><br /><br />Perhaps spaceflightnow will have captured the launch...

 

[kane007]

Plus brilliant of the Chinese to include those exterior shots + the crew cabin - in top quality video as well. What a coup.

 

[robotical]

Congratulations to the Chinese! The more in space the merrier. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[toothferry]

I guess they're in orbit now<br /><br />another ditto.. Congratulations to the third space faring nation<br /><br />

 

[tmccort]

<br />That's some mission control they got there <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" />

 

[bobw]

I saw it on BBC, I like the big red button! Best wishes to Shenzhou VI and her crew for a safe mission. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[steve82]

"How spacious is Shenzhou"<br /><br />Last I read in Aviation week, they said it had about 15 percent more volume than Soyuz.

 

[tmccort]

The BBC News website has the video:<br /><br />http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4333158.stm#

 

[ace5]

External diameter of DV is 2,5 meters.<br />I dont know if the DV-descent vehicle seems more spacious due to the angle of camera. But it seems to be very less cramped than Soyuz. And the taikonauts are more suspended over the capsule´s "floor" than in the Russian vehicle. Maybe they use somewhat different arrangement for the kazbek-type seats and for their shock-absorbing struts.

 

[ace5]

Chinese coverage in English:<br />http://english.people.com.cn/zhuanti/Zhuanti_367.html

 

[ace5]

Some interesting points to note:<br />Chine started its manned space program with a spacecraft that could vary in crewsize - one to three - while Americans and Soviets started their manned flight with monoplace vehicles;<br />SZ can perform orbital changes in altitude;<br />It can dock;<br />And allows EVA operations.<br /><br />It is easy to figure out why they choose Soyuz to put their program on the road; The solution was well over there, on the other side of the Mongolian border!<br /><br />Of course, time passed by, and it would be almost nonsense if China started manned space flight with an Vostok or Mercury-type vehicles.<br /><br />I am still trying to figure out why they put 4 large main nozzles in their propulsion module. Soyuz has only one engine, and it can be de-orbited even if the main engine fails, just using he vernier and attitude control thrusters.

 

[darkenfast]

I'm going on memory, but I think the original design for Soyuz was slightly larger than what was actually produced. I understand the PRC purchased a Soyuz from the Russians; perhaps they got some drawings of the larger version as well.

 

[gofer]

Is it the only manned vehicle to be launched by a unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (you know the stuff that spontaneously explodes on contact with metal oxides) powered launcher*? I know there was the Zond lunar fly-by launched by the Proton, but that all ended in unmanned stage. I was just looking at the rusty toxic smoke coming from the launch site on the photos, and thought "whoa, those are some brave men" <br /><br />*[edit] all three stages! if I'm not mistaken

 

[steve82]

They seem to like caustic nasty fuels like that. Their famous Silkworm missile they export all over the place still uses red fuming nitric acid for fuel. Same as the Scuds-that's why Saddam Hussein had so much of the stuff stored around Iraq.

 

[vt_hokie]

Didn't a whole bunch of people die when one of Bernie Schwartz's Globalstar fiasco Long March launches failed?

 

[SpaceKiwi]

This is wonderful news that I've managed to completely miss during my busy day today. Congratulations to the Chinese, another positive step forward for human space exploration.<br /><br />Now to find some recorded video coverage of the event. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em><font size="2" color="#ff0000">Who is this superhero?  Henry, the mild-mannered janitor ... could be!</font></em></p><p><em><font size="2">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</font></em></p><p><font size="5">Bring Back The Black!</font></p> </div>

 

[tmccort]

<br />Almost as interesting has been watching the opening of the 10th Chinese National Games on CCTV-9.<br /><br />They really go all out.