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CHINA PREPARES FOR MANNED SPACEFLIGHT

The People's Republic of China has been preparing its own manned spaceflight with varying degrees of intensity for more than 20 years. These ambitious plans will soon become reality. According to Liu Jiyuan, Director of the China National Space Administration, CNSA, the preparations have now reached their final phase. Before the end of 1999 a first unmanned test of the carrier rocket and of the spacecraft is to take place. Further testflights are planned for the 2000 and 2001, followed by two manned missions in 2002.

China was only able to enter the modern era of rocket and space flight technology because the Americans and Russians had helped, albeit against their will. Many Chinese rocket specialist, among them Tsien Hsue-Shen, the "Chinese Wernher von Braun" studied at Russian and American universities and research centres during the 1930s and 1940s.

The fact that these Chinese rocket experts became members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences upon their return to China in 1955, is an indication of how important their knowledge was. On 8 October 1956 the Communist Party under Mao Tsetung decided to create an Institute for Rocket Technology within the Defence Ministry. Tsien Hsue-Shen was asked to be in charge of it. This was the beginning of spaceflight in China.

In 1965 American satellites and reconnaissance aircraft were able to take the first photographs depicting a rocket centre in Jiuquan. This plant is situated in the Gobi Desert in north western China. At the beginning of the 1960s there were the beginnings of a manned spaceflight program. In Liuquan geophysical and biomedical research was carried out with single stage, liquid fuel rockets of the Soviet types SS-2 and SS-3, which had been built under license. The base for the development of carrier rockets were Russian medium-range rockets like the SS-4, which Moscow had made available to the Chinese. As early as in 1965 there were concrete plans for the construction of a satellite.

With the completion of the DFH-1 Probe (Dong Fang Hong - Red is East) on 24 April 1970, China managed to catch up with developments on the international stage. The satellite was launched with the three-stage rocket CZ-1 (Chang Zheng - Long Marsh). This rocket was based on the Intercontinental Rocket DF-3. The CZ-3 was Chinas first orbital carrier rocket. She took up service in 1984 and was able to reach the geostationary orbit, which is important for communication satellites. The rocket was based on the predecessor, the CZ-2, of which the first two stages were adopted. The third stage was newly developed and worked with liquid hydrogen, a fuel mixture, which needs modern technology. After the Americans and the Europeans, China then was the third country, capable of handling this technology.

At the end of the 80s the Chinese government launched a very ambitious program to improve performance of the CZ family. It was achieved by lengthening the first stage and thus increasing the fuel capacity by 40 tons to 180 tons. The performance was improved even further by adding four to five liquid boosters. These could carry 40 tons fuel each and put out 183,500lbs thrust each. By combining the four newly developed elements four carriers were created, which the Chinese were able to use at the beginning of the nineties: the CZ-3A, the CZ-4, the CZ-2E and the CZ3A-4L.

The consistent extension of the Long Marsh rocket family enabled China as the third country after Russia and the USA to launch their own spacecraft into orbit. Peking decided on a manned space program as early as in 1978 under the secret name "Project 921". In 1980 photos were published in the Chinese magazine "Scientific Life", which showed two candidates for manned spaceflight in training.

By salvaging the Satellite FSW-1 (Fanshui Shi Weixing - reusable satellite), the People's Republic proved its ability to recover a payload capsule from orbit to earth. Since then China has launched 17 FSW-Satellites, of which only two could not be salvaged.

In the 80s China put manned spaceflight on the back burner. The reason for this was high costs as well as economic and political reforms as prescribed by the party. China now followed another spacepolicy. Its goal was to offer satellite transports commercially to a global market. China had recognised that foreign currency could be earned offering launch services for a good price.

On 5 October 1990 China carried on her experiments in preparation of manned space flight. The Bio-Satellite FSW-12 returned safely to earth after a flight, which lasted several days. On board were 60 small living creatures: plants, rats, mice, guinea pigs and insects. In 1992 the Project 921 officially got the go-ahead to put a Chinese spacefarer into space.

The aim was to develop a spacecraft capable of carrying out course changes, docking manoeuvres and longer flights in orbit. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 China intensified co-operation in manned spaceflight with Russia. Engineers and technicians gave the Chinese technical aid during the construction of the spacecraft. Use of Russian know-how was made in the development and use of spacecraft.

Plans, which were made public in recent years, indicate that the Project 921 spaceship consists of an engine section, a command and return capsule and an area for scientific research, (much like the Russian Sojus-TM).

However, the Chinese 921 craft differs in two important points from Sojus. The Chinese space ship is equipped with four solar sails to generate energy, and the front module has a more cylindrical shape than the spherical Sojus module. The Chinese spacecraft can furthermore house four crew.

The craft is said to be fitted with the Russian approach and docking system "KURS", which enables two Project 921 spacecraft to dock in orbit and allow the respective crews to change over from one ship to the other. It is also possible for two docked 921 capsules to stay in orbit for a few weeks and form a small space station.

Carrier systems for manned space flight will be further developed versions of the CZ-2E. For one there is the CZ-2E(A), which will supposedly be launched for the first time in 1999. Up to date only drawings have been published of this rocket. It seems to have a distinctly enlarged payload cover and four additional lengthened boosters with two engines each, (CZ-2E: one per booster). The second stage has a performance-enhanced engine as well as a doubled fuel capacity. The payload will be increased from nine (-2E version) to twelve tonnes. Experts presume that the -2E(A) will primarily be used for the transportation of big parts, e.g. space station modules.

In spring 1999 the first photos of a new carrier were published on the Internet. It is called CZ-2F. The rocket's payload fairing looks very much like Sojus'. It is also fitted with an emergency escape system. The CZ-2F would therefore be ideally suited to transport the 921 spaceship. In preparation for manned flights two new launching pads and rocket stands were presumably built at the launch site Jiuquan. These will be intended for the new carrier/s. The first testflight of a rocket for the manned spaceflight program was announced by China at the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the People's Republic.

Experts interpreted the intensified training of Chinese astronauts as yet another sign for China's impending entry into manned spaceflight. On 25 April 1996 the Russian Space Flight Agency RKA and the Chinese CNSA agreed to train two pilots of the Chinese Air Force to become astronauts. China made use of the expertise of the Russian Training Centre.

In December 1996 the Air Force Officers Li Tsinlung and Wu Tse were put through a special training near Moscow, which enabled them to train future crew for space missions. After their return to China at the end of 1997, these two officers took over the training of 20 astronauts at the Chinese training centre in Bejing.

There are, however, limits to the close co-operation in manned space flight between Russia and China. At the highest political level not everyone is in favour of these close links. Pride has certainly a role to play. The Chinese do not want to lose sight of their own, sometimes deviating interests, which is difficult when co-operating at an international level.

Since the mid 98s an unofficial expression has been in use. According to the Chinese phrase "Taikon Ren" (men in space) the Chinese spacefarer wourld neither be astronauts nor cosmonauts but taiconauts.

From page 86 of FLUG REVUE 11/99