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New Design For Chinese Spacesuits Revealed
Beijing - March 89, 2001 A new spacesuit design, said to be of domestic origin, was disclosed for the first time this week in a black and white photo published in the Globe Times, a supplement to People's Daily. The article does not say whether this is the final design and provides no additional information on the suit. The Chinese spacesuit resembles in appearance a Russian spacesuit and is different from the previous design that has been shown in a few rare early photos of yuhangyuan in training. Conceivably the Chinese spacesuit design is modelled after the Russian suit and the Chinese designers received technical assistance from Russia. In a secret agreement that the two countries signed on April 25, 1996, Russia agreed to offer space technology consultation to its neighbour. In March last year China and Russia reached a preliminary agreement for further cooperation which would include manufacturing some components of a Chinese space station, and in training yuhangyuan ("astronauts") and ground controllers. The article in Globe Times also presents a lengthy summary of astronaut and cosmonaut selection and training in the U.S. and Russia. But it only makes a scant reference to the equivalent processes in China. According to the article, as early as 1968 China had established a space medicine project research institute to study key technologies related to manned spaceflight and devise a rigorous yuhangyuan selection and training process. Other research included systems on environmental control and life protection, of which spacesuit design was an important component, and space food and beverages. The article mentions the general medical and skill qualifications in selecting yuhangyuans, and the three stages of the manned space program leading ultimately to a Chinese space station. The release of the new spacesuit photo came amid the Ninth National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which has been in session here since last Saturday, and the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the national "863 Plan". A major agenda of the conference is to discuss various key projects in the current tenth five-year plan, which runs from this year to 2005. The national space program is among the key projects that is being examined. In a news conference held on Thursday, CPPCC member and a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Space Technology (CAST) Min Guirong said there would be several more unmanned test flights of the Shenzhou ("Magic Vessel") manned spacecraft before the first yuhangyuan crew is sent into space. "The long-range goal in the manned space program is to build a space station. Relevant departments are now performing preliminary study of key technologies," said Min. Min, however, did not give any details and a timeline to achieve the first manned mission. The Chinese space program is one of seven technological research and development areas in the national "863 Plan". On Mar. 3, 1986 four senior scientists submitted a letter to the Central Party to urge the State to foster development in key high technologies to a world leading level. After an extensive, comprehensive and rigorous study and debate, the Party approved the "High Technology Research and Development Plan (863 Plan) Outline". The seven technological areas chosen in the Plan are biology, aerospace, information, laser, automation, energy and material. Later in 1996 oceanic technology was added as the eighth discipline in the Plan. Under the direction of "limited objectives, key point breakthroughs", the "863 Plan" aims at establishing long term development of strategic high technologies that would rear a new generation of high level technical talents and narrow the gap between China and the developed countries. Related Links SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express 
Confusion and Mystery of Shenzhou-2 Mission Deepens
Tokyo - Feb 27, 2001Comments from a key Chinese space official have raised yet more confusion with the science experiments conducted on the recent flight of the Shenzhou-2 (SZ-2) mission and their fate after landing.
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