China expects to launch an unmanned spaceship by the end of this
year, the fourth in a series that could lead to its first manned
space voyage, senior space officials said Tuesday.
"We have intensified development of the Shenzhou IV (Divine Vessel
IV) and its carrier rocket, which we plan to launch sometime in the
remaining months of this year," said Zhang Qingwei, president of
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC).
But another source close to China's space program said the mission
may not happen until early next year.
The source declined to explain or to be identified.
But he added that if the test flight of the fourth Shenzhou
spacecraft is successful, the manned space mission would be just
around the corner.
CASC's Zhang said that on the precondition of amply ensuring the
safety of its astronauts, China will stage its manned space flights
to realize a long-cherished dream of the nation.
Zhang did not give a timetable at a closed-door meeting of CASC
Tuesday in Beijing. But he did say that CASC -- a leading
participant in China's space program -- is heading for
breakthroughs in technologies related to spaceship docking, space
labs and deep-space exploration.
China successfully launched the unmanned Shenzhou III vessel atop a
CASC Long March 2F rocket in March. The spacecraft returned after
seven days and having circled the earth 108 times.
The three consecutive successes of the Shenzhou series since 1999
have sparked widespread speculation that China, vowing to become
the third nation in the world to put a human in space, will stage
manned flights soon.
Earlier Chinese newspaper reports have said this could be as early
as 2005.
Listing CASC's ambitions before 2005, Zhang said the space group
will expedite development of a new family of powerful launch
vehicles, powered by non-toxic, non-polluting liquid hydrogen,
liquid oxygen and refined kerosene.
The rockets will enable China to launch all kinds of satellites
likely to be developed in the world in the coming 30 years.
With the new types of rockets, the country expects to make headway
in providing commercial satellite launch services, particularly to
explore new markets in the Asia-Pacific region and in Europe, Zhang
said.
Development of such rockets can be completed in a short time,
thanks to thorough preparations and technology reserves, the
executive said.
Also in the pipeline is a new generation of a communications and
broadcasting satellite platform -- the chassis or framework that
carries a satellite's equipment payload -- featuring a long life
and large capacity, he said.
The new satellite platform, coded as Dongfanghong-IV, will reach
the level of the advanced foreign systems currently in use, he
said.
Although China has launched scores of foreign and Chinese-made
satellites, the country has not sold a single made-in-China
satellite to a foreign country.
"Through improving the reliability and capacity of the platform, we
are hoping to clinch more deals for the manufacture of satellites
for customers at home and abroad," said Wang Haibo, another CASC
official.
CASC has negotiated with some "potential satellite customers" in
the Asia-Pacific region, but Wang declined to specify who they
were.
The new platform will first be used to develop a satellite, the
Sinosat-II, for Beijing-based operator Sino Satellite
Communications Co, Cheng Guangren, the company's president,
confirmed Tuesday.
(China
Daily August 14, 2002)