BACKGROUND: China's "Divine Vessels" lead quest for space station

By Bill Smith Sep 25, 2008, 11:21 GMT

Beijing - The Shenzhou VII mission marks a key stage in China's ambitious manned space programme, which is designed to produce a permanent Chinese space laboratory in orbit by 2020.

The success of the three-day mission, which includes a first spacewalk, will mark a 'remarkable step in space exploration' on the way to setting up the space station, Wang Zhaoyao, a deputy director of the Chinese space programme, told reporters on Wednesday.

The staging of the spacewalk, under the technical name 'extra-vehicular activity' (EVA), meant Shenzhou VII faced 'unprecedented technical difficulties' compared with China's two previous manned space missions, Wang said.

'EVA is a big leap for the manned space programme,' he said.

'The process of extra-vehicular activities cannot be simulated completely on the ground and some of the newly developed products are to be tested in flight for the first time,' Wang said.

The mission will test China's technological breakthroughs in the suit for the spacewalks and the air-lock on the space capsules, Wang said.

Nine tracking ships and 30 planes will monitor Shenzhou VII during the spacewalk, he said.

The basic design of the Shenzhou, which means 'divine vessel,' is similar to its Russian Soyuz equivalents although the Chinese spacecraft are larger and more sophisticated.

Shenzhou I was launched in November 1999 and was followed by three more unmanned missions before the launch of Shenzhou V in 2003.

Shenzhou VII begins the second phase of the manned space programme, which will feature docking and rendezvous manoeuvres from 2010 to 2012.

The third phase is likely to involve the creation of a rudimentary space lab from Shenzhou modules while China continues to develop the technology it needs to build a permanent space station.

China is running a moon exploration programme alongside the manned space flights with its first orbital moon probe, Chang'e-I, launched last year.

It plans to launch a lunar lander in 2012 and a third satellite designed to reach the moon and bring back mineral samples in 2017.

China has not ruled out a manned landing on the moon, but space analysts have reported no signs that China is making active preparations for a manned moon mission.

Chinese officials have proceeded cautiously with the whole space programme, hoping to avoid any failures.

'The spacewalk is risky,' Australian space analyst Morris Jones told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa before the launch.

'The Chinese space suit has not been tested in space before,' Jones said.

'The Shenzhou's orbital module has never been depressurized before, either,' he said.

Shortly before leaving for the launch-pad on Thursday, Zhai Zhigang, the astronaut chosen for the spacewalk, said the crew was 'fully prepared for the challenge.'

If the mission succeeds, the United States, Russia and other nations with space programmes will 'treat it as an indicator of (China's) overall progress in space flight,' Jones said.

'It will serve as a reminder to governments that their leads are slipping,' he said.

Russian technicians have helped China with planning for the spacewalk, providing suits and helping China to produce the one to be worn by Zhai during the spacewalk.

China has previously said that cooperation in satellites and other space technology with Russia, France, the European Union and the United States would continue to be an important part of the upgrading of its space programme.

But it appears unlikely to consider participation in the International Space Station, at least until it has established its own permanent laboratory by 2020.

China's programmes for manned space flights, lunar exploration, satellite and anti-satellite technology have led some analysts to predict that it will rapidly become the main space rival of the United States.

But Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Liu Jianchao on Thursday reaffirmed his government's position that Shenzhou VII is part of China's effort to 'explore and make peaceful use of outer space'.

'We believe this [mission] will further promote China's space flight technology and make a contribution to the peaceful use of outer space for humankind,' Liu said.