The whole landing site system has been ready for the return of China's second manned spacecraft Shenzhou VI, said chief designer of the system Hou Ying on Sunday.
Full preparations have been made at the primary landing site in Siziwang Banner (county) of Inner Mongolia, north China, where the country's first manned spacecraft, Shenzhou V, landed two years ago.
"Continuous improvements have been made at the primary landing site though ensure rescue staff were able to reach the capsule within five minutes after the landing two years ago," said Hou who became chief designer of the landing site system since Shenzhou V was launched.
According to him, there was only one landing site for the Shenzhou I unmanned spacecraft, an emergency landing site was added for Shenzhou II, and as for Shenzhou III and Shenzhou IV unmanned missions, a secondary landing site and a marine emergency rescue zone were launched.
The landing site system is composed of five subsystems. They are the primary and secondary landing site subsystem, land emergency rescue subsystem, marine emergency rescue subsystem, telecommunications subsystem and medical monitoring and guarantee subsystem.
As for the Shenzhou VI space mission, the major tasks of the primary landing site is to retrieve the re-entry module and rescue the two taikonauts (Chinese term for astronauts) aboard, Hou said.
The chief designer also gave some details of the tasks:
-- To track and measure the returning trajectory of the re-entry module before and after it enters the blackout area, search and collect messages from the capsule and timely and accurately send remote-control instructions as required;
-- To timely search for the re-entry module, help the taikonauts get out of the capsule, provide medical monitoring and guarantee and first aid for them, and timely send them to designated hospital, and to transport the re-entry module to designated place;
-- To ensure telecommunications between the primary landing site and the Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Center, and the taikonauts as well; and
-- To provide forecast about regular indicators of atmosphere below the altitude of 25 kilometers above the primary landing site, short-term weather forecast and that of sea conditions at the marine emergency rescue area, and forecast of any dangerous weather, particularly thunder, sandstorm, gale, rain and snow, with focus placed on the wind speed, visibility and dangerous weather below an altitude of 10 kilometers above the primary landing site.
(Xinhua News Agency October 16, 2005)
