Free Republic

As innovation has become the latest catchphrase of official rhetoric, Shenzhou 6, China's first ever multi-astronaut and multi-day space mission, has become a proud symbol of technological development at home. But if we want to allow the great scientific and technological progress achieved in the course of the space project to benefit technical innovation in China overall, much more has to be done. The most urgent task is involving more enterprises in the space program. Most space technology has been developed by space enterprises, such as China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation and China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, with...

Xinhua - SHENZHOU-6 RE-ENTRY MODULE TOUCHES DOWN AT 4:32 MONDAY MORNING 17/10 - TAIKONAUTS REPORT FEELING GOOD, MAIN PARACHUTE WORKING WELL 17/10 - PRIMARY LANDING SITE REPORTS NORMAL RETRIEVAL OPERATIONS 17/10 - GROUND STATION RECEIVES SIGNAL FROM SHENZHOU-6 17/10 - HELICOPTER POLITS REPORT RE-ENTRY MODULE IN SIGHT 17/10 - TAIKONAUTS UNFURL MAIN PARACHUTE 17/10 - SHENZHOU-6 10 KM ABOVE GROUND, MAIN PARACHUTE TO BE UNFURLED 17/10 - RETURNING SHENZHOU-6 BREAKS THROUGH BLACKOUT AREA 17/10 - SHENZHOU-6 RE-ENTRY CAPSULE CAUGHT BY RADAR 17/10 - SHENZHOU-6 RE-ENTRY CAPSULE ENTERS BLACKOUT AREA 17/10

China's second manned space mission - called Shenzhou VI - will launch in early October, a state newspaper has reported. This time, authorities will send two astronauts into space and they will orbit the Earth for five or six days. "The manned spacecraft Shenzhou VI will ... preferably be launched in early October," Sun Weigang, director of the Space Department of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, told the China Daily. China's first manned space flight two years ago made it the third country able to launch a human into space on its own, along with Russia and the...

The next Chinese astronaut launch is drawing closer. Shenzhou 6 will take off in a few months (probably October) with a two-man crew on board. The mission will stay aloft for roughly five days, representing an approximately tenfold increase in China's total man-hours aloft from the previous mission. China has stated that the mission will feature easily removable spacesuits, enabling the crew to operate in shirtsleeve comfort for much of the mission. They will also make use of the relatively spacious Orbital Module at the front of the spacecraft, providing extra room for the astronauts and their equipment. China has...

<p>Its confidence in space travel rising, China on Wednesday announced plans to send two more astronauts into orbit within the next two years on the country's second manned mission.</p> <p>The announcement, carried by the official Xinhua News Agency's Web site, was the most detailed information yet on China's plans for its next space launch aboard the ship that would be called Shenzhou 6. Xinhuanet cited the Chinese manned space program's chief designer, Wang Yongzhi.</p>