Shenzhou VI Mission Thread

[shoogerbrugge]

CCTV-9 rocks, its sometimes just the only thing between going crazy and sanity. Just when you've been in rural china for too long and haven't heard anything similiar to English for weeks, there is CCTV-9. aaaaaaah civilisation at last <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />congrats on the launch, slow but steady development<br /><br />

 

[ace5]

The Soyuz A first designs of the early 60´s featured a cylindrical orbital compartment (BO , Bitovoy otsek), wich is very , very similar to the Shenzhou OM. Of course it is just a coincidence, since the cylinder is easy to machine.<br /><br />We must be fair with the Chinese designers, since it seems that they just borrowed the proven aerodynamics of Soyuz descent vehicle, thus savings lots of wind tunnel and enginnering work just for *reinventing the weel*. The "headlight" design of Soyuz DV was there, and they actually bought two sets of Soyuz hardware from Russia, for studies. Well, everything was made in a commercially and honest way.<br />And the propulsion module seems to be a complete Chinese development. Its shape (cylinder with a conical flare) seems to be designed having in mind the position of the rear solar panels and the mating interface with the CZ-2F booster last stage.

 

[ace5]

http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Launchpad/1921/<br />the excellent chen lan site exceeded the geocities capacity of handling with data transfer!

 

[ace5]

correct link<br />http://www.sinodefence.com/space/manned/shenzhou62.asp<br />showing two taikonauts seat inside SZ descent vehicle.<br />Very nice and clear photo, thanks for sinodefence.com<br />Note the Chinese fabric flag covering the central control panel screen, at the center of the assembly. <br />

 

[SpaceKiwi]

Just a suggestion for comment, but I think every human launch thread should be given the 'honour' of being pinned on Page 1 of M&L for the duration of the flight.<br /><br />Lord knows there are precious few human flights in even the best of years, I just think it would be appropriate to celebrate the accomplishment by having it on Page 1 for contributors and casual visitors to Uplink alike. <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>

 

[trailrider]

Don't have any pictures, video or still, but if there is the orange cloud, it is probably N2O4 oxidizer. If they are using UDMH for fuel, along with N2O4, that's the same combo used by the Gemini/Titan launch vehicles. Nasty vapors if you are exposed to them, but the stuff won't go high-order like LO2/and various fuels, which is why the Gemini could go with ejection seats instead of an escape tower.<br /><br />UDMH/N2O4 is a good propellant combination, though it's Isp isn't up there with LH2/LO2 or kerosene/LO2. If the rockets are big enough, who cares?<br /><br />Ad Luna! Ad Aries! Ad Astra!

 

[ace5]

Nice idea.<br />So, I think that the title of *this* thread should be changed to<br />"Shenzhou 6 Mission update Thread"<br />And every ISS mission should have its specifically-related thread.

 

[scottb50]

There's a crater in Brazil that would argue against hyergolics. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[ace5]

S_G hit the nail on the head.<br />No hypergolic accident here.<br />Our "crater" is already being fixed, our launch platform is being re-built, and Brazil will be in pace again next year.

 

[kane007]

Any time tables &/or links, preferably in Anglic.

 

[steve82]

"Didn't a whole bunch of people die when one of Bernie Schwartz's Globalstar fiasco Long March launches failed? "<br /><br />No, it was an Intelsat failure. Loral had already trasnsferred the satellite to Intelsat so it belonged to them, not Loral. Loral's role was as system integrator for Intelsat, they didn't have anything to do with the Long March vehicle that Intelsat decided to fly on. Globalstar was a different venture. Their catastrophe happened on a Zenit.<br />

 

[scottb50]

You're right! It seems that at the time I heard a lot about hypergolics. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[rocketwatcher2001]

<font color="yellow">Our "crater" is already being fixed, our launch platform is being re-built, and Brazil will be in pace again next year. </font><br /><br />I am glad to hear that, I was worried that Brazil might bow out of being the aerospace leader that they could be. I've worked on EMB-145's both as a mechanic and as a maintanence inspector, and I can say, "Brazil will be in space" <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[scottb50]

I flew the EMB120's for a number of years, other than the flap system everything worked pretty well. The flaps must have been designed by the English, almost a comic opera. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[rocketwatcher2001]

Scott-<br />Most of the EMB-145 is the EMB-120. If you look at the 145's IBC part numbers, they begin with "E-120-........" The EMB-170 and later are supposed to be pure jets, so I'd love to take one apart to see for myself. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[alokmohan]

What it is?

 

[ace5]

Unnoffcial sources are saying they are to return os Saturday, a day earlier than planned.<br />see spacedaily.com<br />a little about their work in space<br />http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/051012_shenzhou6_day1.html

 

[ace5]

from space.com<br />http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/shenzhou_tech_030924.html<br /><br />There are a few comments referring SZ as "safer than Soyuz":<br />quoting space specialist Phil Clark:<br /><br />"Thanks to an extra set of motors mounted on the booster's shroud, escape of a Shenzhou craft from a failing Long March can be done at a very high altitude. "<br /><br />Soyuz also have extra escape motors on its payload shroud! (To assist the orbitak module/descent vehicle to be separated from the booster *after* escape-tower ejection.<br /><br />Philip S. Clark has been drawing Russian space hardware for years and he forget that Soyuz have 4 solid rocket motors on both upper sides of Soyuz shroud.<br /><br />

 

[SpaceKiwi]

Just read the report on SDC, things seem to be progressing well for the Shenzhou crew so far. I wonder if they will have a go at a docking procedure. The article seemed dismissive of such an idea, but I don't know that I would be surprised if they did. <br /><br />And, on another comment made in the article, let's have a quick look at the scoreboards ... <br /><br /><br /><b>Human Spaceflight Achieved</b> <br />Communism 2 - Capitalism 1 <br /><br /><b>Operational Human Spacecraft</b> <br />Communism 2 - Capitalism 0 <br /><br /><br />Let's hope it is not too long before NASA and the ESA can restore the 'honour' of the West! <br /> <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>

 

[nibb31]

I wouldn't want to start an off-topic political thread, but I don't think that either modern-day China or Russia have much to do with communism any more...

 

[SpaceKiwi]

Certainly that is correct in Russia's case, but they were part of the CCCP when they got their show on the road.<br /><br />The Chinese, well, that is open to interpretation I guess. One might argue that an important milestone in the collapse of any communist regime is to first develop yourself a space program. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />Anyway, I'm sure you took the gist of my comment on board. <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>

 

[barrykirk]

I wish the Chinese all the luck in the world.<br /><br />We need a good healthy space program in the west.<br /><br />The best way to increase money in the space program is a space race and you can't have a space race with only one player. <br /><br />The Russians are holding there own, but they really don't have the funds to do much more than they are already doing.<br /><br />The Chinese could give the US a real race. Does anyone think the US will take them seriously in time or are we gonna play catch up?

 

[ace5]

I am searching for the pre flight images of Fei and Nie.<br />It seems that Pics of Liwei were available just after his take-off in SZ5, but I cant find high res pics of the SZ6 crew.

 

[ace5]

At least, I know two cases when Emergency Escape System of Soyuz launcher saved crew of Soyuz capsules. <br />We can not talk about credibility of SZ' s EES until we'll see this Escape System in real action. <br /><br />good point, photoneye.

 

[shuttle_rtf]

Wire reports claim State media has annouced the spacecraft is slipping orbit and is now needs to "perform an 'orbit maintenance operation' (which) would take place early on Friday morning."<br /><br />"....experts were urging all scientific and technological staff to be "cautious"."