China launches second manned spacecraft
Posted: Wed, Oct 12, 2005, 1:53 PM ET (1753 GMT)
China launched two astronauts into space early Wednesday on Shenzhou 6, its second manned spaceflight. A Long March 2F booster, improved to incorporate safety enhancements, lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China at 9:00 pm EDT Tuesday (0100 GMT, 9:00 am Beijing time Wednesday) and placed the Shenzhou 6 spacecraft into low Earth orbit. On board the spacecraft are two astronauts, Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng; their identities were not officially confirmed until a few hours before launch, although they had been widely reported to be the leading candidates to fly the mission. Shenzhou 6 is scheduled to remain in orbit for nearly five days, with Fei and Nie performing a number of experiments during the flight. The launch comes almost exactly two years after Shenzhou 5, China's first manned spaceflight: that mission flew one person into orbit for just under one day. Another manned mission, Shenzhou 7, is planned for 2007.
China launched two astronauts into space early Wednesday on Shenzhou 6, its second manned spaceflight. A Long March 2F booster, improved to incorporate safety enhancements, lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China at 9:00 pm EDT Tuesday (0100 GMT, 9:00 am Beijing time Wednesday) and placed the Shenzhou 6 spacecraft into low Earth orbit. On board the spacecraft are two astronauts, Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng; their identities were not officially confirmed until a few hours before launch, although they had been widely reported to be the leading candidates to fly the mission. Shenzhou 6 is scheduled to remain in orbit for nearly five days, with Fei and Nie performing a number of experiments during the flight. The launch comes almost exactly two years after Shenzhou 5, China's first manned spaceflight: that mission flew one person into orbit for just under one day. Another manned mission, Shenzhou 7, is planned for 2007.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Tuesday, January 27
Crawling, gripping and floating above ESA’s flat floor
ESA — 4:35 am ET (0935 GMT) ESA’s Biomass goes live with data now open to all
ESA — 4:35 am ET (0935 GMT) Ryanair says it could use Starlink in future despite Elon Musk feud
The Guardian — 4:35 am ET (0935 GMT) How we protected the UK and space in December 2025
UK Space Agency — 4:33 am ET (0933 GMT) Space Force’s Newest Reconnaissance Satellites Could Come Online by 2030
Air and Space Forces Magazine — 4:33 am ET (0933 GMT) |
