It is expected that China is going to realize the first manned spaceflight in the later half of this year, thus becoming the third country in the world able to carry out the manned spaceflight, next only to the US and Russia. After the "Shenzhou IV" returned to the earth successfully and the accident of the "Colombia" spacecraft happened, the news turns out more eye-catching. Many people would like to know how China is going to guarantee the safety of astronauts.
With regard to the question concerning the safety of astronauts, academician Qi Faren, Chief designer of "Shenzhou V" said to the reporter: China is full of confidence in guaranteeing the safety of the astronauts.
Auto-detection for Emergency-escape System
As compared to the "Colombia" spacecraft, which was unable to make escapement while flying along the orbit, the Chinese manned spacecraft has its superiority in this aspect. Engineers have made all preparations and protective measures on the spacecraft for saving the astronauts at various stages of the flight.
The auto-detector and handling system for mishaps affixed to the rocket will make an automatic detective check 15 minutes before the launching of the rocket. Whenever any mishap is detected the system will signal an alarm. If any danger crops up when the manned spacecraft is set off but still on the launching pad the astronauts can immediately leave the spacecraft and return to the ground by high-speed elevator or to slide down by semi-automatic and automatic cable or again by ejection seat for escapement. And if anything happens when the rocket is set off and left the launching pad flying into the air the astronauts can set in motion the life-saving turret for escapement. If any mishap happens when the spacecraft entered the flying orbit the astronauts can use the life-saving facilities in the spacecraft (such as the vest or balloon for life-saving), or a spaceship launched from the ground to take back the astronauts. In the meantime astronauts can resort to the emergency drug and life-saving apparatuses to save themselves or help others. When danger happens at the time to be aground astronauts can rely on the ejection seats or speed-reducing installations to save themselves. And if they are landed into a non-preset area, the astronauts can use the communication devices, life-saving goods, food and water brought with them for self-salvation and wait for the rescue.
High-precision Guidance System Safe and Reliable
To ensure the safety of astronauts engineers paid a great attention to the guidance system of the rocket, making it sure that the system is highly reliable and of precision guidance. The high-precision guidance system can on the one hand send precisely the spacecraft into the orbit and on the other ensure it to pass over the recovering airspace during the last round of flight over the earth so as to create certain conditions for the astronauts to land safely onto the ground. In addition to all that, a very advanced network center on the ground and at sea for tracking, monitoring and commanding the spacecraft is indispensable. For it can ensure the actual time control for the spacecraft, draw up accurately the operational traces of the craft and send forth precise orders for the craft to return, thereby guaranteeing the safety return of the manned spacecraft. China has already carried out many times of experimentation in this aspect.
Retrievable Module Guarantees the Safety
Engineers have also done a great deal of experimentation work in the solidified structure for the spacecraft, simulating out the possible danger the astronauts have to face in the worst possible condition, such as to meet with the earthquake of a very high Richter scale and a extremely high temperature. And they've made improvements according to the different cases by solidifying the structure of the craft. The engineers have made it ensured that the spacecraft can withstand the strong vibration, impact and several thousand degrees of high temperature due to the strong abrasion of the air when the craft is going to reenter the atmospheric sphere. If these problems are not well solved then it is possible for the accident to happen as it did the US "Colombia" spacecraft.
In the meantime, the spacecraft must have a perfect system for environment control and for life-guarantee. The retrievable module where astronauts stay and the orbit module must be reliably sealed tight, thereby maintaining the required atmospheric pressure in the module. The accidental leakage will entail a disastrous outcome. For this reason, the engineers have made time and again checks and examinations on the solidification of the craft structure and tight seal-up and the result turns out very reliable.
(People's Daily March 31, 2003)
