* Astronomy

Fei Junlong is from Kunshan, east China's Jiangsu Province.
Nie Haisheng is from Zaoyang, central China's Hubei Province.


credit ?

Three pairs of six taikonauts have been picked for the second manned space mission of China.
The three pairs are Fei Junlong, 40, and Nie Haisheng, 41, Liu Boming, 39, and Jing Haipeng, 39, Zhai Zhigang, 39, and Wu Jie, 42.
All the taikonauts were air force pilots and have similar background and experience.
Nie and Zhai were among the final candidates for the country's first piloted space mission in October 2003.

"We have confidence and capability to fulfil the glorious task of the motherland and people" - Fei Junlong.

The second manned space mission is expected to last 5 days.


Credit Xinhua Foto Press

The Shenzhou-6 spacecraft will initially be sent into an eccentric orbit with a inclination angle of 42.4 degrees, a perigee altitude of 200 km and an apogee altitude of 347 km.
An orbital adjustment will place the spacecraft into a more circular orbit.

"We have confidence in the quality of this rocket. We have the conditions and capability to fulfil this mission" - Liu Yu, commander in chief of the rocket system.

"Manned space flight, most complicated and difficult aerospace project, demonstrates a nation's scientific research and economic strength. It's a major means to expand human living space and tap and use space resources" - Wang Yongzhi, chief general designer of China's Manned Spaceflight Program

The China Central Television (CCTV) is set to provide live broadcasting signals of the whole flight process of China's second manned spacecraft Shenzhou-VI vessel to overseas media.
Signal booking is through the management sector of the general control department of CCTV's broadcasting centre at 68508765 (fixed phone),68533374 (fax) or sat_desk_news@cctv.com.
CCTV, China Radio International and China National Radio will also make direct news broadcasts of the lift-off, flight progress and eventual landing of the spaceship.


The Long March CZ-II F rocket at the launch tower of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre.
Credit Xinhua Foto Press, Zhao Jianwei

The Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre, which was built up in 1958,is the only site to project manned vehicles in the country. So far, it has launched 37 satellites and five spacecraft.
At the launch site, there is a workshop where two 58.3 meter-tall Long-March rocket carriers can be assembled at one time. There are two special railways that lead to the launch pad 1,500 meters away.

-- Edited by Blobrana at 01:25, 2005-10-12

Taikonauts

A ground team helps a taikonaut out of a model of Shenzhou VI in a pre-launch drill at a landing site in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Monday October 10, 2005. credit Lanzhou Morning Post.



-- Edited by Blobrana at 19:37, 2005-10-11