China has deployed a far-flung space monitoring, controlling and
communications network to provide the essential support to China's
first manned space flight, said Yu Zhijian, chief designer of the
monitoring system for China's manned space flight program.
The network is made up of thirteen monitoring and controlling
stations and ships, deployed in different parts of the world. They
include four "Yuanwang" vessels on the three big oceans, five
stationary measuring stations in the territory of China, one mobile
measuring station and three monitoring and controlling stations in
other countries, including a new one in Malindi of Kenya. The
additional Malindi station in the monitoring blind zone between
Namibia and Karachi will help increase the monitoring time by about
four minutes
The 13 monitoring and controlling stations and ships are put
under the command of the control centers in Jiuquan, Beijing and
Xi'an.
"This monitoring and controlling network is the largest, the
most complicated, the most advanced technically and the most
reliable in the history of China's space program," said Yu.
Yu is confident of the successful monitoring and communications
support in the lifting, orbit shift and return brake, separation
and key flying stages.
(Xinhua News Agency October 15, 2003)
