The Shenzhou 7 spacecraft touched down in Northern China on Sunday afternoon, successfully returning taikonauts Zhai Zhigang, Liu Boming, and Jing Haipeng to Earth after a 68-hour flight that thrilled the Chinese nation.
The flight’s main highlight was a 20-minute spacewalk in which Zhai climbed outside of the spaceship clutching a Chinese flag. The nation’s first spacewalk was broadcast live throughout China.
This was the third successful manned flight of the Shenzhou, which is similar to the Russian Soyuz transport. China plans to eventually construct a space station in Earth orbit.
China launches mission for first spacewalk
Associated Press
“China successfully launched a three-man crew into space Thursday to carry out the country’s first spacewalk, beginning the nation’s most challenging space mission since it first sent a person into space in 2003.
“The Shenzhou 7 spacecraft, China’s third manned mission, blasted off atop a Long March 2F rocket shortly after 9 a.m. EDT under clear night skies in northwestern China.
“The spacewalk by one of the astronauts is expected to take place either on Friday or Saturday.”
China is planning to launch its third human spaceflight on September 25. The three-person crew of Shenzhou VII will conduct the nation’s first spacewalk during the five-day mission.
The flight will demonstrate China’s growing prowess in space technology. On Sunday, the country broadcast greetings and two Taiwanese songs from its Chang’e-1 lunar orbiter to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. On September 6, China also launched its first two two Huanjing disaster monitoring satellites aboard a Long March 2C booster.
Continue reading ‘Shenzhou VII Launch Set for Sept. 25; Griffin, WH Disagree on China Threat as Talks Resume’
Astronaut Rick Linnehan exits the U.S. Quest airlock and begins the first STS-123 spacewalk. Credit: NASA TV
NASA PRESS RELEASE
(with additional staff reporting)
Mission Specialist Rick Linnehan and Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman kicked off the STS-123 mission’s first spacewalk at 9:18 p.m. EDT Thursday. Their primary goal is to prepare the Japanese Logistics Module - Pressurized Section (JLP), the first component of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kibo laboratory, to be installed on the International Space Station early Friday morning.
Their tasks include preparing the JLP for unberthing from space shuttle Endeavour’s payload bay. They will open a flap to reveal the Centerline Berthing Camera System on top of the Harmony module. The system provides live video to assist with docking spacecraft and modules together.
Once in the shuttle’s payload bay, the two spacewalkers will remove contamination covers from the Passive Common Berthing Mechanism, the docking port that allows modules to be attached to other spacecraft or modules.
In addition, they will install both the Orbital Replacement Unit tool change out mechanisms on the Canadian-built Dextre, the final element of the station’s Mobile Servicing System.
Meanwhile, Mission Specialists Robert Behnken and Léopold Eyharts will use the shuttle’s robotic arm to begin moving the JLP to its place on the station.
The spacewalk follows Endeavour’s successfully docking with the International Space Station on Wednesday at 11:49 pm EDT. NASA also reports that an initial inspection of the shuttle found no damage to the vehicle’s exterior. Launch video showed a piece of debris flying off near the orbiter.
