In support of these overall science goals Shenzhou IV carried a 52-piece payload to space in the current experiment. Comprising 19 pieces of equipment and common things such as an atmospheric detector and microgravity surveying instrument that took part in earlier experiments.

And additional 33 pieces of scientific research equipment including a multiple model microwave remote sensor for ground observation, a spatial cell electrofusion instrument and high energy particle detector were used in space for the first time.

Space Observation Station
the multiple model microwave remote sensor is an important part of the payload carried by Shenzhou IV and is also China's first experimental microwave remote sensing system operating in space.

It is mainly used for observing the ocean in addition to remotely sensing the ground. Compared with visible light and infrared remote sensing, the microwave remote sensor has its special outstanding features as it will not be restricted by cloud and thunderstorm and can operate under all kinds of weather conditions at all time.

Besides, it has certain penetrating power toward soil and vegetative cover. The system includes three kinds of microwave remote sensors, namely microwave radiometer, radar altimeter and radar diffuser. This golden "combination" will give full play to their functions in space.

The radar radiometer is used mainly for surveying rainfall, atmospheric contents, snow cover, soil contents and temperature of sea level. It can also gain information of conditions of vegetation and crops.

The radar altimeter can obtain effective altitude of waves and reference data of ocean circulation and ocean dynamics.

This kind of survey method is still so far the only means to continuously survey the surface of sea water and ice under all weather conditions in real time with high accuracy.

It is quite significant to the study of natural disasters. The radar diffuser adopts the internationally advanced conical scanning method. This method was only used in the satellite survey.

It can survey wind speed and direction on sea surface and obtain information on the surface wind field. It can also be used in ocean dynamics research, sea condition forecast and disaster monitoring.

The three kinds of microwave remote sensor form a combined observation method and can obtain more complete and abundant information. This kind of multimode combination is the first venture of our country. It reduces size of payload and power consumption. It can obtain different remote sensing observation data from a same observation zone.

Through merged processing of those data, it will be able to obtain more observation information.

Meanwhile, conducting technical experiments using three kinds of microwave remote sensor in one system has created conditions for the further development of business-type microwave remote sensor in our country.

Mockup of a possible Space Lab.

Space Meteorological Station
just as thunderstorms, heavy rain and other atmospheric weather conditions can influence the flying safety of an airplane, "spatial weather" in space may also influence the safety of spaceship operation and astronauts.

Shenzhou IV has used all existing survey instruments for space environment exploration in its monitoring system and installed them on the spaceship to play a role as "space sentry." It carries out space environment monitoring activities for the spaceship in launching, returning and operation in orbit.

It provides "spatial weather" conditions for spaceship controllers and administers and lays down a foundation for manned space flight in the next phase. According to introduction by scientists, space is not vacant in spite of the high degree of vacuum in the orbit of operation of Shenzhou IV.

The high speed of charged particles ranges from several hundred meters per second to tens of thousands kilometers per second. Those particles have strong penetrating power and can enter the spaceship to interfere with the operation of electronics facilities and damage equipment and materials.

They may also influence the safety of astronauts. Besides, large quantities of slow speed particles may create static electricity on the surface of the spaceship and reach several kv at times.

Static electricity and electro-discharge will create electromagnetic interference and affect communications between the spaceship and the ground, operation of instruments inside the spaceship, working efficiency of solar battery, and temperature control of the surface of the spaceship.

In the space of flying orbit there is also rarefied atmosphere, which can decrease the speed of a spaceship, leading to dropping several meters per day from the operation orbit.

Under solar windstorm, the atmospheric density may double and accelerate the dropping of a spaceship from orbit to an extent of several hundred meters per day.

Under such circumstances, it will be necessary to adjust the flying orbit of the spaceship; otherwise the spaceship will gradually drop into the atmospheric layer and be destroyed.

The atmospheric contents at the altitude of the flying orbit are different from those above the ground. The main contents are elemental oxygen, which is highly reactive, and can corrode the surface material of the spaceship and optical lens and thus affect the capability of exposed material.

In the space of operation orbit of the spaceship, there are also many small spatial junks and micrometeoroids, which may hit the surface of the spaceship and create many small holes.

The above-mentioned space environment will cause a very quiet or "very fierce" "spatial weather condition." In order to ensure the safety of the Shenzhou IV spaceship and astronauts in operational orbit, it is imperative to monitor the environment of the operational orbit of the spaceship, grasp the situation of "spatial weather" in real time, and provide environmental basis for the control of the spaceship and activities of astronauts.

Shenzhou IV spaceship carried a large number of space environment detectors and for the first time conducted systematic and relatively complete exploration. This is also the first large-scale survey of the orbit by our country.

Detecting instruments include high energy proton and heavy ion detectors, a high energy electron detector and low energy particle monitor installed in the orbital module and sediment track monitor installed in the return module.

Those detectors are used to monitor various charged particles in orbital space, while single particle detector and two surface potential detectors will monitor single particle effect and surface electrostatic potential caused by those charged particles.

The 10 detecting instruments are the best equipment developed by China's scientists for many years with hard effort.

Compared with similar instruments abroad, those instruments are more advanced to a certain extent in comprehensive capability. The important thing is that they can for the first time fully obtain comprehensive and first hand data from orbital space of the spaceship.

Fluid Physics Laboratory
the study of fluid physics is a key area of micro-gravity science.

Liquid drop migration dynamics under micro-gravity is not only theoretically important but also has practical importance.

Therefore, the study of liquid drop migration is an important subject in the study of micro-gravity abroad and has become a hot frontier research subject.

The situation of liquid drop migration often exists in the melting process of separation of alloys, heat exchange process and phase change. The control of nucleation process is a key issue in the processing of those materials.

Material processing, crystal doping, space welding and electrophoresis under micro-gravity will often meet the problem of liquid drops or air bubbles.

Under conditions of micro-gravity, the influence of buoyancy is in the main eliminated. The separation process of air, liquid and metals in melting is determined by gravity. Different density may lead to changes in buoyancy, sediment and lamination.

Therefore, the condition of micro-gravity is the best environment for manufacturing refractory alloy and sometimes it may be the only way. The liquid drop migration experiment conducted aboard the spaceship under a prolonged and stable micro-gravity environment is our country's first micro-gravity fluid physics experiment in space.

The experiment itself is of important significance. It shows our country's research ability in the experiment of micro-gravity fluid physics in space has reached the world advanced level.

Microbiology Research Institute
cell synthesis technology is a new technology for the processing of biological products, cultivation of new strains and biological pharmacy.

The purpose of conducting experiment of cell synthesis under conditions of micro-gravity in space is to take advantage of the elimination of gravitational settling, increase electrofusion hybrid cells and cyto-activity, and explore new ways of producing medicine under micro-gravity conditions in space by mankind.

The electrofusion instrument on board Shenzhou IV is designed by our country. It can simultaneously conduct electrofusion experiments of animal cells and plant cells. This kind of electrofusion experiment is a frontier scientific subject in the world today. The experiment of animal cell fusion uses b-lymphocyte and myeloma cells from mouse.

According to research personnel of the Shanghai biochemistry research institute of the chinese academy of sciences, 40 pure bred mice are being raised at the launching site laboratory. Those mice were injected with immune antibodies after feeding them for eight weeks at interval of three weeks.

In the 17th or 18th week, after receiving immune antibodies for three times, blood will be extracted from tail vein of those mice for the production of serum. The serum can be used for cell-fusion when antigens reach a certain quantity. B Lymphocyte cannot multiply outside but can create antibodies, while myeloma cells can multiply externally without limit.

Using the "complementary" principle to mix together b lymphocyte and myeloma cells can produce hybrid cells that can multiply without limit and produce single clone antibodies with certain functions.

The method has a good outlook in application and economic benefit. The plant cell electrofusion experiment uses bioplast of rustic tobacco with vacuole and de-vacuole renovation No. 1 Bioplast.

The selection of the two plant seedlings is due to their apparent cellular nature and research data. Prior to the launching of the spaceship, scientists cultivated eight groups of tobacco seedlings at the cell elctrofusion laboratory of the launching site.

Those tobacco seedlings are planted on nutritive earth with purified water.

The dampness and temperature of those plants are monitored by a microcomputer.

Cells are extracted from those plants after about six weeks for experiment.

Cell fusion is an analytical and resultant means and can provide various possibilities for refining cytogenetic substance.

With the development of cell fusion technology, cells of ginseng and chinese caterpillar fungus can be mixed to produce a new strain with combined potency of ginseng and chinese caterpillar fungus.

This will be quite a meaningful thing.

Space Electrophoresis Laboratory

being different from cell fusion, the biological macromolecule and cell refinement test is to separate and refine biological samples through electrophoresis.

Continuous free flow electrophoresis separation is an easy way to operate with good resolution ratio and controllable course and condition. It is a main separation means with minor damage to products.

According to an explanation by scientists, conducting electrophoresis tests on ground will cause heat diffusion due to influence of gravity on particles. In this way, the separation results of samples will be significantly reduced.

Conducting electrophoresis tests in space can eliminate the influence of gravity and thereby greatly increase the separation power.

The main purpose of conducting electrophoresis separation experiments on board Shenzhou IV is to study the electrophoresis migration rate and the control of stability in the dynamic course affected by various factors, resolution factor and design and technology of pharmaceutical refinement facilities in space.

The experimental instruments are all designed and manufactured by our country. The biological samples are cytochrome c and veal hemoglobin. The designed continuous separation time is one hour.

Through experiments to accumulate experience, we will be able to lay down a foundation for the research and development of continuous free-flowing electrophoresis technology.

Space Survey Station
what is the distance between the spaceship and the ground? In order to suit multimode microwave remote sensing ground observation, the chinese academy of sciences for the first time conducted comprehensive and precision orbit determination experiment.

Survey accuracy of radial location is raised to two to three meters in the orbit determination zone. This will play a positive role in precision survey of orbit of our near earth satellites.

The current precision orbit determination experiment adopts three methods with dynamics and geometry to process observation dates and decide operational orbit of spaceship.

The first method is to use the global positioning system and the surveying instrument is installed inside the spaceship. This method can obtain gps observation data in real time. Final data can be obtained through further calculation.

The second method is using a unified s wave band speed and distance measuring system. This is a conventional orbit determination means in the world and an existing means on board the spaceship. This method will not be influenced by weather conditions and degree of accuracy in speed check is relatively high.

The third method is using a laser-ranging system. Scientific research personnel install a laser reflector on the bottom of the spaceship. When the spaceship reaches the surveying area, a laser beam from the ground will reach the reflector on the spaceship and the orbit altitude of the spaceship can be obtained through retro-reflection.

This method can obtain centimeter class surveying accuracy when surveying conditions permit. It will be used as a precision orbit determination examination means to judge the correctness of orbit determination.

It was learned that the current precision orbit measurement experiment will be done by a number of units and departments in different regions in the form of great association and coordination.

The implementation of Shenzhou IV experiments shows the maturity of China's spaceship applied science and technology. The experimental results will have a great influence on China's future research and development of space science and applied technology.

Beijing Jiefangjun Bao is a daily newspaper for the general political department of the People's Liberation Army and reports on a wide range of military affairs.

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Giant Leap For China After Safe Landing Of Unmanned Spaceship
Beijing (AFP) Jan 05, 2003
China moved a major step closer to joining an elite group of nations to send a human into orbit when its unmanned spaceship, Shenzhou IV, returned safely to earth Sunday, state media reported. Xinhua news agency said Shenzhou IV touched down in Inner Mongolia in northern China, six days after its launch into space

Shenzhou-3 Orbital Module Continues Science Mission
Beijing - Jun 28, 2002
The Shenzhou-3 (SZ-3) Orbital Module is carrying out its extended mission nominally under the watchful eyes of mission controllers here, reported China Space News (CSN) last Friday (June 21).

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