Shenzhou 7 crew ready for historic task

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Source: CCTV.com | 09-25-2008 13:32

The three astronauts who will lead China's first ever spacewalk say they're ready for lift-off. They met the press on Wednesday at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center where the Shenzhou-7 spacecraft and its carrier rocket are on standby for Thursday's historic mission.

For the first time, China will send three astronauts into  space. One of them will perform a space walk, which will  be another first for China's space program.

CCTV International will bring you special coverage of the Shenzhou-7 mission starting at 3pm Beijing time. Stay tuned for more on China's first-ever space walk mission.

For the first time, China will send three astronauts into space. One of them will perform a space walk, which will be another first for China's space program.

Zhai Zhigang, Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng will be on board the Shenzhou 7 for the historic mission. Zhai is the team's commander, and he says the crew is fully prepared for the challenge and deeply honored.

Chinese astronaut Zhai Zhigang said, "The Shenzhou-7 mission marks a historic breakthrough in China's manned space program. It's the highest glory to represent our country in the exploration of outer space."

Astronaut Jing Haipeng says he is very confident they will accomplish their mission.

Chinese astronaut Jing Haipeng "We have confidence, determination and the ability to make the nation's first step in outer space."

The trio were chosen from the first group of 14 Chinese astronauts selected in 1998 based on their physical and psychological condition as well as their technical skills.

Crew member Liu Boming says 10 years of working, studying and training together has contributed to the smooth cooperation among the trio.

A Long March 2-F rocket carrying the Shenzhou-7 spacecraft is to lift off at a time between 9:07 to 10:27 pm on Thursday at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

After blast-off, the spaceship is scheduled to move into an orbit at an altitude of 343 kilometers.

According to mission headquarters, only one astronaut will perform a space walk. He will be assisted by another in the orbit module, while the other astronaut will remain in the re-entry module.

The whole process is expected to last 40 to 50 minutes. The space walker is scheduled to bring back test samples loaded outside the module.

Other tasks of the Shenzhou-7 mission include the release of a small monitoring satellite and trials of satellite data relay.

The spacecraft is scheduled to land in the central area of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in northern China after its mission is completed.

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Editor:Zhang Ning