Shenzhou 6
Astronauts
Mission astronauts
Fei Junlong, commander
Nie Haisheng, operator
This was the first time two astronauts flew on a space mission. Nie Haisheng celebrated his 41st lunar birthday Oct. 13 in space.
Reserve astronauts
First echelon: Liu Boming, Jing Haipeng
Second echelon: Zhai Zhigang, Wu Jie
Leaders of each sub-system
Chief commander of the astronaut system, chief designer: Chen Shanguang
Chief commander of the spaceship application system, chief designer: Gu Yidong
Chief commander of the spaceship system, Shang Zhi. Chief Designer: Zhang Bannan
Commander-in-Chief of Rocket System: Liu Yu, Chief Designer: Liu Zhusheng
Commander-in-Chief of Launching Site System: Zhang Yulin, Chief Designer: Lu Jinrong
Commander-in-Chief of Measurement, Control, and Communication System: Dong Deyi, Chief Designer: Yu Zhijian
Commander-in-Chief of Landing Site System: Sui Qisheng, Chief Designer: Hou Ying
Time Line
The following times use Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
Oct. 11
22:15-22:17 Astronauts enter the spacecraft
22:53 Shenzhou 6 return capsule hatch closes
Oct. 12
00:27 Rocket tower operating bracket opens fully
01:00:00 LM-2 F rocket ignition
01:00:03.583 Shenzhou VI launch
01:02:03 (120th second after ignition) Rocket jettisoned the escape tower
01:02:19 (136th second after ignition) Rocket booster separation
01:02:42 (159th second after ignition) Rocket first and second stages separated, first stage Rocket falls down
01:03:23 (200 seconds after ignition) Fairing detached at an altitude of 110 kilometers
01:09:43 (583 seconds after ignition) Spaceship and rocket separated successfully at an altitude of about 200 kilometers
01:09:52 Shenzhou VI enters its intended orbit
07:56 Shenzhou VI spacecraft Orbit change
Oct. 13
02:10 Astronauts conduct on-orbit anti-jamming test
18:21 Sea conditions deteriorate in the area where Farwatch 1, Farwatch 2 and Farwatch 3 are situated
21:56 Shenzhou VI maintains orbit for the first time after orbit change
Oct. 15
08:29 -08:31 Astronauts speak with Hu Jintao, President of the People's Republic of China*** and the People's Republic of China.
Oct. 16
18:40 Shenzhou VI enters its 76th orbit around the Earth over the Qingdao station's measurement and control area
18:44 Shenzhou VI's return command is unlocked
19:10 The dispatcher of the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center announces that the return segment tracking has entered the 30-minute preparations
19:17 Shenzhou VI is Shenzhou VI is flying over the South Pacific Ocean
19:18 The propulsion module's solar sailboard is zeroed vertically
19:42 The signal of Shenzhou VI has been captured by Far-Eye Survey Ship No. 3 (FSSS)
19:43-19:48 FSSS has carried out a series of key control measures for Shenzhou VI, such as attitude adjustment, separation of the orbital module from the return voyage, and braking and firing, and Shenzhou VI has successfully entered into the return section. Shenzhou VI has successfully entered the scheduled return orbit
19:43 Far Sight 3 sends commands to Shenzhou VI, and the first attitude adjustment of Shenzhou VI begins
19:44 The orbital module and the return capsule are successfully separated
19:45 The engine of the propulsion module is ignited, and it starts to return to its home orbit
19:48:29 The orbital control engine of the propulsion module is shut down and flies out of the Far Sight 3 survey ship. It flew out of the measurement and control section of the Far Sight 3 survey ship
19:52 The capsule flew over the African continent toward China
20:02 The capsule flew over South Asia, and the astronauts reported that the spacecraft was working normally and felt good
20:07 The Propulsion Module and the capsule were successfully separated
20:13 The capsule entered the communication black block
20:16 The landing site was in the black block, and the capsule entered the black block. 20:16 Landing site measurement and control equipment found the spacecraft
20:19 Main parachute cover of the return module opened
20:20 Deceleration parachute off, main parachute opened, helicopter visualized the target
20:23 Thermal bottom of the return module was successfully thrown off
20:33 Successful landing of the return module
21:04 Door of the return module opened
21:04 Return module door opened
The return module door was opened by the helicopter, and the helicopter saw the target. Opened
21:39 Two astronauts, Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng, leave the capsule
Launch
Shenzhou 6 was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 9:00 a.m. Beijing time (UTC+8) on October 12, 2005, with Fei and Nie Haisheng, two of China's astronauts, being launched into space for an estimated five-day flight. They will first run five laps in an elliptical orbit with an orbital inclination of 42.4 degrees, a perigee altitude of 200 kilometers and an apogee altitude of 347 kilometers, and then enter a 343-kilometer circular orbit after the implementation of the orbit change; it will take 90 minutes to fly around the Earth, and the flight trajectory projected to the ground will be a sinusoidal curve that is constantly moving to the east. The orbital characteristics are the same as those of Shenzhou V.
On orbit
At 17:29 on Oct. 12, astronaut Fei Junlong opened the hatch between the Shenzhou 6 return module and the orbital module, and entered the orbital module to carry out space science experiments.
Beginning at 4:00 p.m. on Oct. 13, the astronauts conducted an on-orbit disturbance force test, consciously increasing the amplitude of their movements in the capsule in order to test the effect of human perturbation on the attitude of the spacecraft. After opening and closing the hatch, putting on and taking off the pressure suit, penetrating the cabin, and extracting condensate in the four major "on-orbit interference force" tests, the astronauts' activities had a very small impact on the spacecraft's attitude, and the spacecraft was able to maintain a normal flight without correcting the spacecraft's attitude.
On the morning of October 14, Shenzhou VI in the 30th circle for the first time after the orbit maintenance, that is, according to the orbit of the fine measurement parameters for micro-adjustment, so that the spacecraft to return to a predetermined normal orbit. During the maintenance, the Shenzhou VI engine *** ignited for 6.5 seconds, lifting the spacecraft 800 meters.
At 16:29 on Oct. 15, Hu Jintao spoke with astronauts Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng. at 18:05, the astronauts transmitted digital images of the spacecraft's solar sail panels they had taken to the Beijing Space Flight Control Center.
Landing
After completing its scheduled mission, the spacecraft returned to the main landing site in Siziwangqi, Inner Mongolia, using lift re-entry. The Shenzhou VI manned spacecraft needs to go through four phases to return to the ground: the braking flight phase, the free gliding phase, the re-entry phase and the landing phase. After the separation of the orbital module and the return capsule during the orbiting flight, Shenzhou VI will continue to fly in orbit for six months to conduct a series of scientific experiments.
Because the first manned spacecraft Shenzhou V flew in space for only one day, the weather changes in the main landing site can be accurately predicted in time, so the secondary landing site has not been activated; Shenzhou VI spacecraft will be flying in space for many days, the weather is difficult to accurately predict, so the Jiuquan Satellite Launching Center will be activated for the secondary landing site as a backup landing site. In order to prepare for the possible return of the spacecraft at any time, 13 landing sites have been set up on the ground***. In addition to the main and secondary landing sites at Siziwangqi in Inner Mongolia and the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, there are 11 emergency landing sites at home and abroad. The landing site system includes the main and secondary landing site sub-systems, land emergency search and rescue sub-system, sea emergency search and rescue sub-system, communication sub-system and astronauts medical supervision and medical insurance sub-system of these five sub-systems.
The equipment involved in astronaut search and rescue includes search and rescue helicopters, search and rescue helicopters, search and recording helicopters, command and dispatch vehicles, astronaut medical supervision and medical insurance vehicles, engineering transportation vehicles, astronaut transportation vehicles, return capsule cranes and small search vehicles.
Four giant parachutes have been designed to ensure the safe return home of Shenzhou VI and the two astronauts. Return capsule in the landing process, at least one after another to open the guidance parachute, deceleration parachute, the main parachute *** 3 umbrellas, if necessary, but also to open the fourth backup parachute. Spacecraft return capsule parachute can be opened smoothly, directly related to the success or failure of the recovery. The main parachute can not be opened all at once, otherwise it will be blown by the high-speed airflow, the return capsule will also be broken. After the spacecraft landed, not everything is fine, if the huge parachute is blown by the wind drum, it may drag the return capsule to roll quickly. To ensure safety, the return capsule landed a moment, the astronauts issued a command, the module on the cutter will cut the parachute rope harness, so that the parachute alone floating down, to ensure that the return capsule is not dragged away by the umbrella.
In addition, according to the Shenzhou V astronaut Yang Liwei's opinion, in order to minimize the impact on the astronauts when Shenzhou VI lands, the seats of the astronauts in the capsule are also installed for the first time with "empowering shock-absorbing cushions" -- energy-absorbing cushions made according to the different characteristics of the astronauts' shapes -- to quickly disperse the human stresses and avoid human injuries in the moment of collision. The cushion can quickly disperse the stress on the human body in the event of an impact, avoiding damage to the human body.
At 3:44 a.m. on Oct. 17, 2005, the orbital module of the spacecraft was successfully separated from the return module, and at 3:45 a.m., the engines of the spacecraft were successfully ignited to start the return flight. At 4:07 a.m. the spacecraft's propulsion module was successfully separated from the return module, which reentered Earth on its own.
During the landing, there was a point of light in the night sky at the main landing site in Siziwangqi, which was like a shooting star crossing the night sky. When the return module passed through the atmosphere at 4:13 a.m., it generated high temperatures and formed a black barrier to communication, suspending contact with the control center for three minutes. At 4:20, the return module opened the main parachute and slowly landed in the main landing site of Siziwangqi. At 4:33, the return module successfully landed, and the two astronauts, Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng, reported to the control center that they were safe, and the staff of the control center applauded and celebrated. About half an hour later, search and rescue helicopters first spotted the module, and the actual landing site was only 1 kilometer different from the expected one. After the crew opened the door to the return module, medical personnel checked the two astronauts and advised them that they could leave the module on their own.
Unlike Shenzhou 5 astronaut Yang Liwei, Fei Junlong first climbed out of the capsule on his own, wearing a space suit, and waved to staff at the scene. Nie Haisheng also climbed out of the hatch and walked down the iron ladder. 2 people sat on a chair, accepted the staff to offer flowers, and thanked everyone for their care and love, Fei said the space journey is very smooth, their work and life in the capsule is very good, and now the health condition is good. 2 astronauts stayed in space for 115.5 hours, which is more than 5 times of the Shenzhou V spacecraft flight time, creating the longest stay of the Chinese in space, a successful outcome. The two astronauts stayed in space for 115.5 hours, more than five times the flight time of Shenzhou V, making it the longest stay in space by a Chinese person. Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng were picked up by a helicopter after their return to the ground, followed by a special flight back to Beijing, where they were temporarily quarantined for 14 days.
Technical improvements
More than 40 pieces of equipment and six pieces of software were added to the spacecraft, bringing it to more than 600 pieces of equipment, 82 pieces of software and more than 100,000 pieces of components, and 110 technological improvements were made in four areas.
Improvements centered around a two-person, multi-day mission: food cabinets were put to real use, and water for the astronauts was prepared in two ways, through water tanks and separate soft packages. The condensate tank was enlarged, and all exposed piping was labeled with absorbent material to ensure that the spacecraft's humidity was kept below 80 percent.
Improvements in the functional use of the orbital module: food warmers and utensils were placed. There is a sleeping bag hanging in the orbital module for two astronauts to take turns resting. There is also a special cleaning cabinet in the orbital module, where astronauts can use warm wipes and other items for cleaning. The urine and feces collection device is also used for the first time this time.
Improvements to enhance astronaut safety: The seat cushion for astronauts has been redesigned so that astronauts can see out the porthole when the seat is raised before return. A rapid automatic detection device for hatch closure between the return module and the orbit module has been successfully developed. Developed a special rag, which does not produce fibers, static electricity, or odor, specifically for cleaning the hatch.
Continuous improvement: The "black box" not only has a storage capacity 100 times larger than the original, but also increases the speed of writing and reading data by more than 10 times, while the volume is less than half of the original.
To carry
The Shenzhou VI spacecraft carried 64 kinds of items*** in eight categories, mainly souvenirs of the manned space project, such as stamps, paintings and calligraphy, flags and other souvenirs, as well as microbial strains and crop seeds for scientific experiments.
Experimental use
Some eggs, silkworm eggs and Yunnan Pu'er tea will be sent up with Shenzhou VI to study the possibility of genetic mutation.
The spacecraft has placed 24 cell culture boxes containing pulsating cardiomyocytes and wall-stretching osteoblasts, and the astronauts and ground staff are synchronizing a series of scientific comparative experiments on the two identical living cells to study the cellular and molecular mechanisms of the space environment affecting the heart and bones, and to verify the effectiveness of the protection of the medicines screened on the ground through the real-time flight in the space and placed in the cell culture solution. Effectiveness. The astronauts will operate the 24 sample boxes in three time periods. During the operation, the astronauts will place the cell culture tape on their legs, squeeze the two capsules containing activator and fixative to activate or fixate the living cells according to the different time periods, and examine the status and changes of the cell samples under different gravity conditions before and after the spacecraft enters the orbit.
Memorial use
There are 10 grams of special clay, consisting of 9 grams of mainland clay and 1 gram of Taiwan clay, signifying ten perfections, in the hope that the two sides of the Taiwan Straits can realize peaceful unification.
The national flag of the Polar Expedition, the flag of the International Olympic Committee, the flag of the Shanghai World Expo, and the flags of "National Defense Education" and "Witnessing the Soaring of China", as well as works of calligraphy and painting by renowned artists such as "The Six Stallions", "Ode to the Shenzhou", and "Miles of the Long March".
Response from around the world
HONG KONG - Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen congratulates Shenzhou VI on its successful launch; lawmakers send greeting cards to the central government.
USA - China is the third country in the world to successfully develop manned space technology, State Department spokesman Herrera said, adding that the United States welcomes China's peaceful development of space research
NASA Administrator John Griffin issued a statement Oct. 12, saying that the Shenzhou VI liftoff proved that China has become one of the "elite nations. The statement said, "China has once again demonstrated that she is one of the 'elite nations' that can carry people into space. We wish them a successful mission and look forward to the safe return of their astronauts
RUSSIA - "Another powerful country has joined the space club," said Roscosmos deputy chief Morshiev. We are looking forward to further cooperation with them in all areas, including human space flight," he said. He also said Russia was "closely monitoring" China's space program
JAPAN - Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda also congratulated China on the successful launch of Shenzhou VI, saying it had nothing to do with the country's growing military threat.
Why Shenzhou spacecraft can directly carry people in space
The former Soviet Union and the United States have conducted several spaceship-carrying tests with monkeys, dogs or orangutans to test the life-support system of the spacecraft before they formally carry people in space. China, however, has never conducted animal tests inside a spacecraft since it began launching the Shenzhou-1 spacecraft in 1999.
Related experts explained that China's launch of Shenzhou spacecraft is not the reason for animal-carrying tests, mainly based on three reasons: First, there is a difference between the physiological system of the animal and the human, the measurement of the data may not be reliable, and in the event of an accident, I do not know what the reason is. The second is that monkeys on board the spacecraft will not sit honestly in their seats and are prone to get into trouble. The third reason, and the most important, is that the former Soviet Union and the United States conducted animal-carrying experiments because at that time humans had not yet gone to heaven, and there were still many uncertainties about whether the long-term weightless environment would have any effect on human life, so it was necessary to explore and study the situation by carrying animals. Now foreign countries have experience in human spaceflight, which shows that it is feasible for human beings to fly in space, such as the former Soviet Union, an astronaut has been flying and living in space for more than 400 days, and he is still very healthy after coming back. At the same time, with the development of science and technology, it is possible for us to simulate the data of various changes in the body of a real person flying in space, and to provide astronauts with a suitable living environment through the environmental control and life-support systems of the spacecraft. Therefore, before the official manned flight of Shenzhou spacecraft, there will be no need to carry out the test of carrying animals, but to use simulated people to carry out the space orbit flight test, and to use the scientific devices carried by the simulated people to provide all kinds of data on the flight of human beings in space. This will make our tests more scientific and rational.
Shenzhou VI "first"
First multi-person trip to space
"Shenzhou V" only Yang Liwei a passenger, but on October 12, space ushered in two guests! The increase in the number of astronauts has brought different degrees of changes to all aspects of the mission and engineering systems. For example, the equipment to be carried has to be doubled, and the two astronauts have the problem of coordinating with each other. A two-person flight is a more comprehensive assessment of the performance of the spacecraft and other engineering systems than a single-person flight.
The first multi-day space flight
Shen Wu flew for only 21 hours, circling the Earth 14 times. Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng operated in orbit for many days, greatly increasing the number of laps and distance flown. The longer they stay in space, the greater the probability of problems and the more complex the flight control. The flight control system personnel updated the computer terminals, and the data recording method was also upgraded. The "Shenliu" has developed more than 150 failure modes and countermeasures for operation in orbit, so that if the failure is serious, the spacecraft will be able to return in an emergency at every turn.
First space experiments
Yang Liwei stayed in the return capsule during the Shenzhou V flight and did not conduct any space science experiments. This time, two astronauts entered the orbital module from the return module to live and carry out space science experiments. This is the first space science experiment in China in which people were involved. Without human participation in scientific experiments, the content and effect of the experiments will be greatly restricted. Human participation will enable space science experiments to realize a qualitative leap.
The first spacecraft orbit maintenance
October 14, 5:56, in the Beijing Space Flight Control Center under the unified command and scheduling, "God VI" for the first time orbit maintenance. The spacecraft engine ignited for 6.5 seconds. Later, the astronauts' report and ground monitoring showed that the first orbit maintenance was a complete success. Due to the influence of atmospheric resistance and the Earth's gravity, the spacecraft's flight orbit will gradually decline. In order to ensure normal operation, the flight control experts decided to fine-tune the orbit of the spacecraft in the 30th lap of the Shenzhou VI flight according to the predetermined plan, so as to make its orbit more precise.
First flight of 3.25 million kilometers
Yang Liwei flew 600,000 kilometers on "Shenwu", and this time "Shenliu" with a speed of about 7.820185 kilometers per second, 343 kilometers from the ground in a circular orbit. The flight distance is 3.25 million kilometers. With a distance of 3.25 million kilometers, Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng have become the farthest-flying Chinese.
First time in space to put on and take off space suits
Yang Liwei has been wearing a space suit during the Shenzhou 5 flight, and this is the first time that the two astronauts have taken off their suits and gone to the orbiting module. Space suits are actually more than just clothing, they are an individual protection system for manned spaceflight. The space suit used this time is the same as the one worn by Yang Liwei last time, except that Yang Liwei did not take it off. The spacesuits weigh more than 10 kilograms, and after training, they can all be put on and taken off in two or three minutes.
First time in space to eat hot food
"Shen five" flight of 21 hours, Yang Liwei only ate small moon cakes and other ready-to-eat food, drinking mineral water, and this time the two astronauts in space for the first time to eat a hot meal hot food. Chinese people like to eat hot meals, and long flights must have a food heating device, so this time the spaceflight food experts specially designed a food heating device that can heat up food in 30 minutes.
For the first time, a space sleeping bag was used
Yang Liwei lay down on the seat and slept for two sleeps, during which he was asleep for half an hour. On this flight, the two astronauts used space sleeping bags for the first time and slept more. After the flight time is lengthened, astronauts must have enough sleep to ensure the health of the body and the normal conduct of scientific experiments. This time, experts used warm fabrics to design a space sleeping bag, fixed on the bulkhead of the orbital module for the astronauts to rest.
First time to set up urine and feces collection device
Yang Liwei did not go to the toilet in space, "Shenliu" for the first time in the orbital module equipped with urine and feces collector. Going to the bathroom in space is a hassle. In the last flight, Yang Liwei used a urine collection device similar to a "diaper". The "Shenliu" has added a urine and feces collector, which is capable of sucking away excrement and removing odors through a deodorizing device.
First full-scale launch of environmental control and life support systems
Shenzhou Shenzhou VI fully launched its environmental control and life support systems for the first time. Through more than 110 technical improvements, the spacecraft has improved its ability to condense water vapor, ensuring that the humidity of the spacecraft is controlled at less than 80 percent; and improved the landing cushion function of the seats, which not only protects the astronauts, but also allows the astronauts to see out the porthole while lifting up the seats on their way back.
For the first time, a rocket safety mechanism has been added
Compared with the previous rocket, the Long 2F rocket, which launched Shenzhou VI, has 75 technical changes that make it safer, more reliable and more comfortable, and has more functions. To ensure the safety of astronauts, the rocket for the first time added a safety mechanism to the escape engine to prevent the rocket from misfiring and other phenomena, further improving the safety of rocket launches.
First time camera installed
For the first time, a camera was installed on the Long 2F rocket for the Shenzhou VI launch, which can send back real-time images of the rocket's movements from takeoff to ship-arrow separation to help the ground observe and judge the rocket's status more accurately. This time, two cameras were added to the rocket, one inside the fairing and the other outside.
First use of secondary landing site
The biggest difference compared with the landing site system of Shenzhou-5 is that the Shenzhou-6 mission fully utilizes the secondary landing site near Jiuquan for the first time. Due to the limitations of the current technical conditions, it is not yet possible to accurately forecast the meteorological changes over many days. Therefore, when choosing the landing time of the spacecraft, there is no guarantee that the meteorological conditions of the main landing site are suitable for landing. The secondary landing site, which is 1,000 kilometers away from the main landing site in Siziwangqi, a grassland in central Inner Mongolia, can serve as a meteorological backup.
First time to start the image transmission equipment
The rocket's monitors -- vehicle-mounted telemetry stations distributed in Jiuquan, Weinan and Qingdao -- are mainly responsible for telemetry measurements throughout the launch flight of the carrier rocket, and the data can enable the ground commanders to grasp the rocket's operation status in real time. This time, the equipment distributed in Jiuquan has a new image transmission equipment, which is independently developed and used for the first time by China. This equipment is capable of transmitting images of the launch process to the ground in real time, which is a big leap forward compared with the previous situation where the flight status of the rocket could only be simulated through three-dimensional animation.
First use of new radar
The LAP-3000 wind profile radar and 102-meter-high wind tower were used for the first time at the main landing site of Shenzhou VI, greatly improving the accuracy of forecasting shallow winds.
The first live broadcast of a manned launch
During the launch of Shenzhou VI, CCTV organized a powerful lineup to broadcast the whole process of a manned space launch for the first time, so that the people of the country and even the world could see the wonderful performance of Shenzhou VI. The first time I saw the whole process of the manned space launch live on CCTV, so that the whole country and the world could see the "Shenzhou six".