Unidentified sources told the newspaper that the widely reported launch date of Oct. 10 was "a speculation [and] incorrect."

These sources added that based on the current status of the launch preparation and the average weather conditions at this time of the year, the daytime liftoff would happen "within a week after Oct. 10."

Launch processing has been progressing well. Lin Wenjie, a designer of the control system on the Changzheng-2F (CZ-2F, or Long March-2F) rocket, told Wenzhou Evening News on Sept. 17 that launch processing crews at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre (JSLC) in the northwestern Gansu Province had just completed the integration of SZ-5 with CZ-2F.

Both SZ-5 and its CZ-2F launcher, which the former President Jiang Zemin dubbed "Shenjian" ("Divine Arrow" or "Magic Arrow"), arrived at the Chinese manned flight spaceport in late August. The two vehicles underwent integration and further testing in a vertical fashion at the massive Vertical Assembly and Testing Building (VATB).

The launcher had passed all three stages of testing prior to integrating with SZ-5. The first stage involved testing of five major electrical subsystems on CZ-2F: control system, utility system, telemetry, tracking and command (TT&C) system.

The second stage included coupling tests to verify the working of various subsystems together.

The last stage was a comprehensive testing of the entire rocket.

Due to the significance of the mission the General Armament Department of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), which has the sole responsibility for the launch of SZ-5, has implemented unprecedented strict security measures.

US State Department Daily Press Briefing Richard Boucher, Spokesman Washington, DC September 29, 2003 [PARTIAL] TRANSCRIPT: MR. BOUCHER: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I don't have any particular statements or announcements, so I'd be glad to take your questions. QUESTION: Do you have any comment on the Chinese preparations for a manned space flight? MR. BOUCHER: Well, obviously, it's -- a Chinese -- QUESTION: A stunning event -- QUESTION: Was that NASA? QUESTION: That was a stunned reaction. (Laughter.) MR. BOUCHER: It shows you how excited we are about it...A Chinese manned space flight would obviously be an important event in space launch history and we wish them every success and we wish their astronauts a safe return. Okay. Follow-up? QUESTION: Do you have any concerns that it might have military implications? MR. BOUCHER: I don't have anything right now. QUESTION: Currently, the U.S. has missile technology control regimes, and other export controls regulations prevent the transfers of, like, space launch technology to China. And we know that in May, State Department imposed a $32 million fine on Boeing for supplying China the rocket and satellite data. Can you tell us the U.S. policy in this area? MR. BOUCHER: U.S. policy has been and will continue to be to meet international standards ourselves with regard to what we might sell, and to look to China to meet international standards with regard to missile exports. It's important to us that all nations in the world cooperate and prevent nations from acquiring missile technology that can improve their ability to deliver weapons of mass destruction and other armaments at great distances. So there is an international control regime that we participate in, and that we have looked to China to apply -- the regime -- or at least similar restrictions to that. China said numerous times it would do so. Where we have found that China has not done so or Chinese firms have exported materials that would contravene China's own stated intentions, we have also imposed sanctions and restrictions under U.S. law, and will continue to follow our law. QUESTION: Can you comment on the potential for the U.S. and China to cooperate in the manned space exploration? MR. BOUCHER: I don't think I can comment on that at this point. I'd have to leave that to NASA or somewhere else.

Hong Kong Commercial Daily reported last Friday (Sept. 26) that personnel would require a special permit to access the launch center, which is far outside of the city of Jiuquan. The city has mobilized militia to guard its perimeter. Along the way to the launch center there are several checkpoints to make security checks.

PLA has also imposed a total news blackout relating to the launch thus far. In the first four Shenzhou missions, PLA had requested local assistance to transport the spacecraft and the rocket to the launch center. For this mission, PLA did not notify officials in Gansu Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of any development. PLA simply took charge of the entire transport operation.

The news blackout seems to have applied to even recent photo release of SZ-5 and CZ-2F. There has been very few, if any, of such photos since the two vehicles arrived at JSLC.

Rumour Of Crew Size Abound
Chinese space officials would not discuss in length the crew size, duration and other mission information. It has been widely speculated that this would be a single-person one-day mission, with no science experiments on board so as to keep the mission objective simple.

In the latest issue of Science Exploration magazine Jiang Xingcun, a scientist at the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that there would be about 1 kg of seeds on SZ-5 but no life sciences experiments.

"[The mission] Definitely won't carry microorganisms to prevent harmful effects on the health of the yuhangyuan ("astronaut")," said Professor Jiang.

On the crew size of the historic mission, media reports in recent days are filled with all kind of unconfirmed information.

Hong Kong Commercial Daily reported last Friday that two yuhangyuans would ride on SZ-5.

On the same day Phoenix TV, a television station based in here, broadcast an exclusive report that showed for the first time the photo of the two yuhangyuans who received their graduation certificates from training at the famed Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia.

Phoenix TV claimed that one of the two yuhangyuans in the photo would pilot the Shenzhou spacecraft.

The two yuhangyuans returned to China to become the trainers of the existing corps of 12 other yuhangyuans. Phoenix TV reported that the caption on the back of the photograph identified the yuhangyuans as military pilots Li Qinglong ("Li Tsin lu" in Russianize spelling) and Wu Jie ("Uh dze").

Their graduation ceremony, according to the Phoenix TV report, took place at 18:27 (time in Moscow) on Dec. 16, 1997.

The report further cited unnamed Russian sources that SZ-5 would stay in space for at least one day.

Then earlier on Sept. 17 Wen Wei Po said that the first yuhangyuan would be an active military colonel in his 30s.

Chinese space officials denied that a specific yuhangyuan has been selected for the flight. On Saturday (Sept. 27), an unidentified source told Wen Wei Po that the final selection would come from a group of three yuhangyuans, not from only two candidates as suggested in the Phoenix TV report.

"China as a nation to send a person into space for the first time, the selection of the first yuhangyuan is absolutely based on science ... Out of the 14 yuhangyuans one will be selected to go into space, this cannot be chosen out of [just] two yuhangyuans," the source pointed out.

The comment seems to confirm the following: SZ-5 will be a solo crew mission, the previously reported two-stage selection process is true [http://www.spacedaily.com/news/china-03za.html], and all 14 yuhangyuans including the two trainers are eligible for this flight.

The unidentified source, however, would not comment that the first yuhangyuan would be one of the trainers.

Mission Has Significant Meaning To China
A successful SZ-5 mission would elevate China to join the exclusive club of becoming the third nation with the capability of launching its own people into space in its own rocket.

Yang Chen Ning, the first Chinese scientist to receive a Nobel Physics prize (in 1957), said that even though Russia and U.S. had long achieved manned spaceflight, the research and development of SZ-5 and its successful launch would carry a very significant meaning to China in two aspects.

In an interview with the local newspaper Ta Kung Po on Sept. 16, Dr. Yang said that the making and launching of a manned Shenzhou spacecraft would signify a great achievement and a new height in the development of science and technology in China.

Dr. Yang also said that a successful mission would raise the prestige of China and increase the self-confidence of its people. He believes that this kind of intangible benefits should receive more consideration than the actual results of the mission.

Chinese all over the world are eagerly awaiting the launch of SZ-5. The dragon descendants have long sought to reach space. The dream is alive and perhaps in two weeks it will become a reality.

Related Links
SpaceDaily
Search SpaceDaily
Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only