China to use best rocket to launch manned spaceship
( 2003-10-14 21:39) (Xinhua)
China will use its best rocket, Long March CZ-2 F, to launch its first manned spaceship, an official with China's manned space flight program said here Tuesday.
Huang Chunping, commander-in-chief of the rocket system of China's manned space flight program, said Long March CZ-2 F was developed on the basis of Long March CZ-2 E according to the technical requirements of human spaceflight. With the application of 55 new technologies, including fault detection system and escape system, the rocket has reached advanced international levels in all the technical indices.
It measures 58.3 meters in length, with a takeoff payload of 479.8 tons. It is the longest and heaviest rocket China has ever developed, said Huang.
This type of rocket has so far successfully sent four unmanned Shenzhou spaceships into the preset orbits in space.
"The rocket that will launch Shenzhou-5 spaceship is the best of all," he said. "It is of superior quality and has stood most stringent tests."
China plans to launch the manned Shenzhou-5 spaceship sometime between Oct. 15 and 17.
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