Key tests loom in space-walk mission

The Shenzhou VII spacecraft will blast off tomorrow with three astronauts aboard, one of whom will be the first Chinese to walk in space.

The taikonauts, as they are known in the mainland, will be equipped with space-age gadgets as well as down-to-earth pencils.

Responding to the challenge experienced by international experts in producing a writing instrument that works in no-gravity conditions, mainland scientists came up with the common lead pencil. Thicker than the earth variety, China 's space pencil has a special carbon compound.

Shenzhou VII will release a small satellite to monitor the operation of the spacecraft itself and the progress of the spacewalk. During the mission, new satellite communications technology will be tried out as well.

The spacesuits worn by Shenzhou V and VI astronauts weighed only 10 kilograms each as they were designed for use inside a spacecraft.

But the Shenzhou VII astronaut who ventures outside will be wearing a specially designed 100 kg spacesuit.

Following this mission, China is expected to launch an unmanned spacecraft, Shenzhou VIII, in 2010 to put a space laboratory module into orbit.

To get the lab up and running, two more launches are planned soon after that, with Shenzhou X expected to carry two or three taikonauts.

To tie in with the Shenzhou VII launch – the Hong Kong Space Museum will stage an exhibition titled "China's First Spacewalk" from tomorrow till the end of the year.

Visitors will be able to learn about the Shenzhou VII mission as well as China's manned space program.

Museum curator Chan Ki-hung will give a lecture titled "Chinese Aerospace Technology: The Past and Future" at 3 p.m. on 4 October in the lecture hall.

The Shenzhou VII blast-off will be televised live at the museum foyer from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. tomorrow.

The Standard, 24 September 2008