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China confident ahead of second manned space flight JIUQUAN, China (AFP) Oct 11, 2005 China began the final countdown Tuesday for its second manned foray into space, voicing confidence about the mission that will send two astronauts into orbit for five days. The state-run Xinhua news agency said Shenzhou VI would lift off Wednesday morning, with officials earlier telling AFP it would launch at 9 am (0100 GMT). Xinhua said the two astronauts had been selected and were undergoing final physical examinations Tuesday. Previous reports said that Zhai Zhigang and Nie Haisheng would pilot the craft although at least one state newspaper Tuesday said Zhai had been dropped in favor of Fei Junlong. "We have made good preparations for the launch. Thorough tests and checkups show all indices meet design requirements," Wang Yongzhi, chief designer of the spacecraft, told Xinhua. "Now the rocket, spacecraft and various types of supporting facilities on the ground are in good condition. I believe this flight will be successful." Wang said his team had worked to improve the reliability of the rocket that will take the Shenzhou VI into space since Shenzhou V's successful mission two years ago, which carried only one astronaut into space and only for a 21-hour mission during which he orbitted the earth 14 times. Like its first manned launch in October 2003, which made China only the third nation after the former Soviet Union and United States to send a man into orbit, this one will take place from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. A community of 15,000 served by everything from an Olympic-size swimming pool to a fast-food joint, it is located on the edge of the Gobi desert, several hours' drive away from Jiuquan city. "The military is in charge there, and they maintain strict discipline, like imposing curfews at night," said Wang Xiuqing, a 25-year-old Jiuquan resident who previously worked as a driver at the launch center. He remembers the excitement at the center when Shenzhou V was launched two years ago in a cloud of fire and with a deafening roar. The launch center is only rarely open to visitors, and this week it has been sealed off completely, with roadblocks in place and the military patrolling the area. Foreign reporters are banned. Undeterred by the strict controls, space enthusiasts from all over China started arriving here in groups as early as a week ago. Hundreds of specially invited guests have also been pouring off trains in Jiuquan near the launch site to watch history unfold. China's state television announced it would broadcast the launch live, reflecting confidence that it will go according to plan. Foreign observers said China had good reason not to worry, as it was not taking any major risks with Shenzhou VI as compared with Shenzhou V. "It's the same kind of spacecraft doing the same kind of thing, except that they must prove that their system can work for five days rather than just one day," said David Baker, a London-based space policy analyst with Jane's Defence Weekly. The Shenzhou spacecraft is based on the robust and thoroughly tested Soviet design for the Soyuz vessel, and consists of three modules. These include the orbital module where scientific experiments are carried out; the re-entry capsule where the astronauts will spend most of their time; and the service module, which contains fuel and air, solar panels and other technical gear. Unlike its predecessor, the Shenzhou VI has a food heater, which means the astronauts can enjoy hot meals. Yang Liwei, the astronaut on China's first manned space mission, could only eat cold food. An "excrement collecting device" will also be used for the first time, Xinhua said. Wang, the chief spacecraft designer, however, said China still lagged far behind the United States and Russia in erospace science and technology but was fast catching up with its "leap-frog" development mode. "Although more than 40 years late, our spacecraft is of the same technological level as their near-earth orbit spacecraft at present," he said. All rights reserved. copyright 2018 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.
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