A record number of spacecraft will be launched this year, a top
scientist revealed yesterday.
Yang Baohua, chief of the China Academy of Space Technology,
said the more than 10 on the launch list include the Shenzhou VII
spaceship, two environmental satellites, the Fengyun-2
meteorological satellite and a communications satellite for
Venezuela.
The country launched an average of eight spacecraft in the past
two years.
"China's space technology has entered a new stage. The design
and manufacture of satellites take less time, and homemade
satellites are more reliable and have a longer lifespan," Yang told
a forum.
The academy has designed most of China's satellites, including
the Shenzhou spaceships. By last December, the country had designed
and manufactured 88 satellites.
The launch of Shenzhou VII is the highlight this year, because
one of the three astronauts on board will conduct the country's
first spacewalk.
Yang said that it would mark a breakthrough in the technology of
extravehicular operation.
Shenzhen VIII, whose launch date has not been decided, will
conduct spacecraft rendezvous and docking - key technologies that
must be mastered if the country is to launch space laboratories and
a space station, he said.
"Usually, other countries conduct 20 to 30 flight experiments to
master the two technologies, but China plans to do it in two
attempts," he said.
Besides Shenzhou VII, two environmental satellites will also be
launched.
The Huanjing-1A and Huanjing-1B, together with a third to be
launched in 2009, will form China's first small satellite
constellation for disaster monitoring, to enable scientists to
conduct all-weather, round-the-clock monitoring and forecast on the
environment and disasters.
In another development, Beijing has expressed concern over
Washington's plan to shoot down a damaged satellite, and urged the
US administration to fulfill its international obligations.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said on Sunday that the
Chinese government is highly concerned about the situation and
urged the US to avoid causing damage to security in outer space and
other countries.
"Relevant departments in China are closely watching the
situation and working out preventive measures," Liu said.
According to news reports, the US Defense Department is planning
to shoot down a damaged spy satellite that is expected to hit the
Earth in early March. The satellite, which contains toxic fuel,
became defunct shortly after its launch in 2006.
(China Daily February 19, 2008)