We’ve gotten our first look at the EVA suit that a Chinese taikonaut will use to conduct that nation’s inaugural spacewalk in October. Rob Coppinger has some images taken off Chinese television on his Hyperbola blog.
Aviation Week and Space Daily report that it looks a lot like the Russian Orlan EVA suit. Which is not too surprising because China’s Shenzhou spacecraft looks a lot like the Soyuz. Chinese officials claim the suit is their own design.
“Although seemingly a contradiction, both could be true,” AvWeek’s Craig Covault reports. “The Shenzhou spacecraft itself, for example, uses the basic Russian Soyuz design, but is significantly larger and carries major system design differences. The same is likely true for the Chinese EVA suits, which are about 25 years newer in design than the Orlan and probably incorporate major improvements.”
China will be launching its next human spacecraft in late September or early October, officials announced this week. The three-person flight will be China’s most ambitious space mission yet, featuring the country’s first spacewalk and the release of a small satellite. Chinese officials view the spacewalk as a crucial step toward the establishment of a space station.
The Xinhua News Agency has the full story. Space Daily also has a piece here.
Chinese officials have confirmed plans to launch its third human space mission during the second half of 2008. The Shenzhou VII mission will feature the first spacewalk by Chinese taikonauts.
There are a couple of stories by the Xinhua news agency, including one about possible plans to broadcast the spacewalk on live television. Space.com also has a story here in which it discusses successful tests on the airlock and spacesuits for the upcoming flight.
China plans to begin launches of its heavy-lift Long March 5 rocket in 2014, according to the China View website. The new vehicle’s 25 metric ton launch capacity will be more than double Long March’s current 9.2-ton capacity.
Long March 5 will be launched from China’s new space center in Wengchang on the southern island of Hainan. The new center is scheduled for completion in 2012 and will begin formal operations the following year.
Meanwhile, officials also announced that a Long March 2F rocket will be used for a third human spaceflight mission later this year that will include a spacewalk.