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China to Test Second Spacecraft in October
A China News Service report Monday pointed out that although the "Shenzhou" spacecraft test half a year ago was unmanned, it performed biology experiments to prepare for sending a man into space. This is a sign that perhaps China will be able to send a man into space within the next few years.
There are four basic missions of the manned spaceflight: observation of Earth from space, space science and technology experiments, provide reusable equipment for return flights and gain experience for a manned space station.
An authority on Chinese rocket technology said that China's first group of astronauts has already been selected. They are currently training and awaiting orders.
There are three stages in the manned spaceflight program. China is currently doing debugging and other preparation work at the launch site of the second unmanned spacecraft. Experts say that the former Soviet Union and US performed seven and twenty-one unmanned spacecraft experiments respectively before successfully sending their first manned spacecraft into space.
Wang Yongzhi, a rocketry expert, pointed out that the three stages of China's space program. First send unmanned and manned spacecraft into space, perform experiments and safely bring the astronauts back to Earth. Two, have astronauts walk in space and maintain a short-term space laboratory. Three, build a long-term manned space station.
China's space program is being developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). The CASC, founded more than one year ago, has successfully tested long distance surface-to-surface missiles, the Chinese-Brazillian joint venture "Resource One" satellite and the "Shenzhou" spacecraft.
On January 26, 2000, the "Long-March 3 A" rocket carried the "Zhongxing 22" communications satellite into space. On June 25, the "Long-March 3" rocket carried the "Fengyun 2" weather satellite into space. Since October 1996, the Long March rockets have successfully been launched into space nineteen consecutive times. China has the highest success rate of rocket launches in the world.
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