China's Manned Shenzhou-9 Spacecraft to Dock with Tiangong

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China's Manned Shenzhou-9 Spacecraft To Dock With Tiangong-1 Station - February 22, 2012 Asian Scientist Magazine | Science, Technology and Medicine News Updates From Asia - http://www.asianscientist.com

China's Manned Shenzhou-9 Spacecraft To Dock With Tiangong-1 Station

February 22, 2012 http://www.asianscientist.com/2012/02/topnews/shenzhou-9-dock-with-tiangong-1-space-station- china-2012/

AsianScientist (Feb. 22, 2012) - It is a mission which will have a wide ranging geopolitical significance - the launch of the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft and its docking with the Tiangong-1 orbiting module between June and August this year.

The program will demonstrate China's space capabilities in the critical areas of rendezvous and docking, and many space experts are viewing it as a competitor to the 17-member International Space Station (ISS).

The decision to launch Shenzhou-9 with a Long March 11-F rocket follows an evaluation which was carried out of the previous rendezvous by the unmanned Shenzhou-8 and Tiangong-1. An analysis of the data revealed that all systems were a 'go' for the manned docking this year.

Tiangong-1 was launched on September 29, 2011 and in early November the unmanned Shenzhou-8 successfully docked with Tiangong-1.

Once Shenzhou-9 successfully docks, three crew members will leave the spacecraft and enter Tiangong-1 to conduct experiments related to the area of space sciences.

Chinese space officials have so far not disclosed the planned duration of the mission, except to say that among the shortlisted nine taikonauts (Chinese word for astronauts or cosmonauts) included two women. Speculation is rife that the three who would finally make the Shenzhou-9 flight will include a woman taikonaut.

The program is being described as even a possible precursor and a training ground to a manned mission to Mars in the long run.

China has stated that this program is open to international participation and experts have not ruled out the possibility of Pakistan participating in it.

Just last week, former ISRO chairman, U. R. Rao, praised China's capabilities in the space sector while inaugurating the 17th National Space Science Symposium at Tirupati.

For years, NASA and the European Space Agency have been wooing China to become a part of the ISS, without any success. Experts say that China's decision to have its own space station proves that it wants to be an independent space power and in the long run overtake the United States.

Though China has been lukewarm to the ISS proposal, it has at the same time stated that the docking

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system of Shenzhou has the capability to dock with the ISS if such a need occurred.

The Shenzhou program is codenamed Project 921, and its second phase was initiated with Shenzhou-7 which consisted of China's first spacewalk.

In 1995, a deal was signed between China and Russia for the transfer of the Russian spacecraft technology to China. Like Soyuz, Shenzhou consists of three modules: a forward orbiting module, a reentry module, and a service module.

With a total mass of 7,840 kg, Shenzhou's overall design is derived from the Russian Soyuz spacecraft, though the former is longer with a larger habitable volume.

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Copyright: Asian Scientist Magazine. Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.

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