The training for the astronauts of "Shenzhou VI" spacecraft will start in March 2004. The biggest difference from the "Shenzhou V" space flight is that two astronauts will carry out a flight lasting several days. Experts concerned said that this is a further test for the life safeguard system of China's manned spacecraft.
Professor Xiao Yelun with Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics said that "Shenzhou V" orbited the earth for 14 times while "Shenzhou VI" is likely to, like "Shenzhou II and "Shenzhou III", carry two astronauts and orbit 108 times, almost seven days. Since the oxygen, food and water needed for the flight of two astronauts in several days is several times more than the flight of "Shenzhou V", there will be a severe test for the life safeguard system of the manned spacecraft.
Meanwhile, as the flight of "Shenzhou VI " was short, astronaut Yang Liwei could have been seated in the reentry module. However, the flight of "Shenzhou VI" will last several days so the astronauts will move to the orbit module and do some scientific observations and experiments after the spacecraft completes flight normally and enters the orbit, and return to the reentry module before the spacecrafts returns. Therefore it requires more on the astronauts actions.
Sources say that the 14 astronauts will be grouped into 7 groups based on factors such as personality, work cooperation and mutual-complement. Then 3 groups will be selected as the flight team and finally a two-people of them will be selected as the astronauts for "Shenzhou VI" upon the flight. Yang Liwei, who successfully completed the "Shenzhou V" is also one of the 14 candidates.
(People's Daily February 9, 2004)
