Barring from significant technical issues, Shenzhou-6 (SZ-6) marks the end of phase 1 of China Manned Space Program. The next mission, SZ-7, will begin the second phase which would see yuhangyuans working beyond the confine of the spacecraft modules.

Shenzhou-7 May Travel On New Launcher

Huang Chunping, leader of the specialist consultation group for the launcher system of China Manned Space Program, said in an interview with the media in China that SZ-7 might be launched on a new and more powerful launcher.

According to a report in Wen Wei Po here on Thursday (Oct. 13), Huang said that the work plan for the new, larger launcher for the SZ-7 and SZ-8 missions was completed and was awaiting approval from the State. He said that some of the launcher products had been completed and would undergo extensive ground testing.

Huang explained that in the next phase of the program, China would need to deliver more payload to orbit that would lead to the eventual establishment of a long-term human-tended spacelab. He said: "Our current Changzheng-2F (CZ-2F) cannot meet the demand, we need to research and develop new, larger launchers."

Huang continued to say that SZ-7 would have a crew of three yuhangyuans and an increase in the capacity of the spacecraft. As a result there would be a need to increase the payload capacity to more than that on SZ-6, which carries 8.08 tonnes of payload.

With a growth in payload capacity in future Shenzhou missions, Huang said that the payload fairing of the launcher would also have to expand beyond the current fairing diameter of 3.8 meters on CZ-2F.

The new launcher would have greater reliability and better orbit insertion accuracy, according to Huang.

Oriental Morning Post, a newspaper in Shanghai, quote Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight and Technology (SAST) specialist Shi Jinmiao as saying that mission plans for SZ-7, SZ-8 and SZ-9 had passed "theoretical evaluation".

Shi said, "This is to say that theoretically there is no problem to proceed with the SZ-7, SZ-8 and even SZ-9 spaceflights." Shi also mentioned that production of the SZ-7 spacecraft components were underway.

The SZ-7 mission had been officially proposed to take place in 2007.

Shi said that the main objectives for the next few missions would be to resolve any issue on extravehicular activities on SZ-7, spacecraft docking on SZ-8, and setting up a spacelab on SZ-9.

Three-Person Crew On SZ-7

Wang Yongzhi, Chief Designer of China Manned Space Program, provided additional information on the planning of SZ-7 in an interview with Xinhua News Agency.

As the SZ-7 mission will involve extravehicular activities (EVA), or spacewalking, there will be a greater demand on the life protection system, and EVA equipment and structural airtightness. Wang said, "Therefore the appearance of SZ-7 will be obviously different from SZ-6, and there will be changes in related systems; especially the Orbital Module."

Wang described that the EVA suit would have functionalities in micrometeoroid protection, thermal shielding in vacuum, airtightness and pressure maintenance, ventilation, and temperature regulation. The gloves of the suit would be sealed yet flexible.

The EVA suit backpack would have control and communications systems. The control system would have propulsion installation to allow the spacewalker to control the direction of movement.

Spacecraft Design To Freeze On SZ-8

The spacecraft has gone through modifications and technical improvements in the first six missions. Zhang Bainan, Chief Designer of the spacecraft system of China Manned Space Program, said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency that the Shenzhou spacecraft design should be frozen as of the SZ-8 mission.

Zhang said, "When the spacecraft design is finalized, its appearance, internal structure, to the control service system and data transmission; such fundamental key elements will be kept unchange. The spacecraft will transform from an experimental product to a mature product."

He added, "At that time the Shenzhou spacecraft not only becomes a means to shuttle Chinese to and return from space, but it could also be used to carry astronauts and cargo for other nations into space."

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