Choice of spacewalk suits

(Xinhua/China Daily)
Updated: 2008-07-24 07:30

China's three taikonauts will wear one of two types of spacesuits - one made in China and one made in Russia - during their spacewalk mission scheduled for October, a scientist said on Tuesday.

Zhao Changxi, general technologist with the Beijing Satellite Manufacturing Factory, said in an interview at Sohu.com that the taikonaut who performs the spacewalk might wear a domestic suit.

The factory makes the seats, pipeline system and the main structure of the re-entry, orbital and ancillary modules for China's space missions.

When the Shenzhou VII enters the moon's orbit, two of the three taikonauts will go into the vacuum module. One will later conduct a spacewalk; while the other will remain in the module to monitor the event, Zhao said.

Neither the Chinese nor Russian spacesuit has a power system, but an electric "umbilical cord" will link the taikonaut to the ship and provide him with an air supply, power and communications, he said, adding in the future, the country will use only domestic suits.

Shenzhou VII is planned to launch in October. It will be fitted with cameras to transmit live broadcasts, he said.