Chinese astronauts in final spacewalk countdown

The Associated Press ,  Beijing   |  Sat, 09/27/2008 1:46 PM  |  Sci-Tech

SPACE TO BEIJING: In this video grab taken by Xinhua News Agency at the Beijing Space Command and Control Center in Beijing, China, Sept. 26, 2008, Chinese astronaut Jing Haipeng talks to the command and control center in Shenzhou-7. China's three-man spacecraft shifted frSPACE TO BEIJING: In this video grab taken by Xinhua News Agency at the Beijing Space Command and Control Center in Beijing, China, Sept. 26, Chinese astronaut Jing Haipeng talks to the command and control center in Shenzhou-7. China's three-man spacecraft shifted from an oval orbit to a more stable circular orbit 213 miles (343 kilometers) above Earth on Friday in preparation for the country's first attempt at a spacewalk. (AP/Xinhua, Zha Chunming)Astronauts aboard China's Shenzhou 7 spacecraft were making final preparations for the country's first-ever spacewalk planned for Saturday afternoon.

Space suits, one Chinese, the other Russian-made, were fully functional, while all three astronauts aboard the capsule were in good health, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

The 20-minute spacewalk is scheduled for Saturday afternoon; the exact timing depends on the readiness of equipment and personnel. The event will be broadcast live on television, he said.

Performing a successful spacewalk is a key step in mastering techniques for linking two orbiters, technology that will be needed when China moves to create its first space station in the next few years. Risks involve pressurizing and depressurizing the orbital module and ensuring power, life support and other vital systems aboard the spacesuit operate as intended.

The two astronauts donning suits for the spacewalk will be supported by Russian experts throughout the mission. Only one astronaut will actually leave the orbiter module to retrieve scientific experiments placed outside, described by the official Xinhua news agency as solid lubricant samples. The ship will then release an 88-pound satellite which will circle the orbiter and send back images to mission command.

Shenzhou 7 commander Zhai Zhigang is expected to carry out the spacewalk. Like his fellow astronauts, he is a 42-year-old fighter pilot; the three have each logged more than 1,000 hours of flying time.

Since blasting off from their northwestern China launch base on Friday, the astronauts have been largely occupied with preparing the suits and adapting to zero gravity. Meals aboard the craft have followed a typical Chinese menu, featuring versions of kung pao chicken, shrimp and dried fruit, Xinhua said.

On Friday, the three-module capsule shifted from an oval orbit to a more stable circular orbit 213 miles above Earth, meaning it is circling Earth at a constant distance.

The change ensures Earth's gravitational pull will not vary during the spacewalk attempt, and will allow for smooth operation of the ship's instruments, the agency said.

A round orbit will also help Shenzhou make a precise landing on the Inner Mongolian Steppe on Sunday after its re-entry vehicle bursts through Earth's atmosphere, Xinhua said.

Thursday's launch of China's third manned mission in five years dominated front pages of the entirely state-controlled media, largely supplanting coverage of China's continuing scandal involving contaminated milk, which has killed four babies and sickened more than 54,000.

China's government portrays the manned space program as an illustration of how communist rule has consistently elevated China's economic growth, technological might and global influence.
 
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