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)