Astronaut (hángtiānyuán) System (Project 921-1)

Last updated: 25 April 2008

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The astronaut system (codename: Project 921-1) is one of the seven main systems developed in the Project 921 manned spaceflight programme. The roles of the system includes recruiting and training astronauts (or hángtiānyuán in Chinese), astronaut medical monitoring and support, development of the pressure suit and remote in-flight medial monitoring and data transmission systems, and maintaining a habitable environment in the spacecraft. The main contractor of the system is the China Astronaut Research & Training Centre, or Astronaut Centre of China (ACC), located inside the ‘Space City’ in Beijing.

Astronauts

As the Project 921 manned spaceflight programme began in the early 1990s, the selection and training of astronauts was also underway. Like their counterparts in other countries, the Chinese astronaut candidates were chosen from experienced (over 800 flight hours) jet fighter pilots in service with the air force. All candidates were university educated and some even had postgraduate degrees. The selection process lasted for two years before the twelve finalists were selected from 886 candidates.

Shenzhou 6 mission crew (Chinese Internet)

Under an agreement between Beijing and Moscow in March 1995, Russia transferred a number of space technologies to the PRC, including examples of its Sokol pressure suit. Two Chinese military pilots—Wu Jie and Li Qinglong—were sent to the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre to receive training alongside Russian cosmonauts. After completing their training programme, they returned to the PRC in 1998 to join the team of twelve astronaut candidates.

The astronaut training programme included 60 training subjects in nine categories, which were carried out in three phases. The first phase mainly included theatrical studies of the spaceflight. In the second phase, the candidates were required to understand the design and structure of the Shenzhou spacecraft. The third phase of the training involved the operations of the spacecraft. The astronaut candidates would use a full-scale ShenZhou spacecraft simulator to get familiar with all procedures of a spaceflight mission, including launch, flight, landing, emergency escape, field surviving, etc. Physical training and tolerance to the space environment were exercised throughout the three phases of the training.

The PRC operated weightlessness experience aircraft modified from the JJ-5 (MiG-17) fighter-trainer in the 1970s to train its astronauts. The aircraft could provide around 10 seconds of zero-gravity experience in each parabola manoeuvre. In Project 921, the astronauts were sent to Russia to experience weightlessness in a specially modified IL-76 jet transport aircraft, which can produce 15~20 parabola manoeuvres in each flight mission, each with 25~28 seconds of zero-gravity experience.

List of the Chinese Astronaut Candidates

Pressure Suit

The pressure suits worn by the PRC astronauts inside the Shenzhou spacecraft during the lift-off and landing are believed to be a Chinese copy of the Russian Sokol-KV2 (Cокол: Falcon) manufactured by NPP Zvezda. The PRC obtained examples of the Sokol-KV2 in the mid-1990s and used it as a pattern to develop its own pressure suit for the Shenzhou flight missions.

The pressure suit weights about 10kg. It consists of an inner pressure layer of rubberised kapron and an outer layer of white nylon canvas. The gloves are integrated with the suit but boots are removable. The suit has adjustment straps on the arms, legs, chest and abdomen. The pressure of the suit is regulated by the pressure relief valve located at the centre of the chest. A pressure gauge and a wrist watch are worn on the left arm.

The polycarbonate visor can open on hinges mounted near the ears and seals with an anodised aluminium clavicle flange when closed; the hood or 'soft helmet' folds when the visor is raised. When wearing the suit on the ground, the suit is ventilated via a handheld electric blower, which is connected to the suit via a connector located on the left abdomen of the suit. Electrical cables are mounted on the right abdomen of the suit.

The pressure suit must be worn by the astronaut during the lift-off and landing. In case of an emergency, the suit provides vital oxygen supply and normal pressure for the astronaut. During the Shenzhou 5 flight mission, the astronaut Yang Liwei wore the pressure suit throughout his 21 hours of flight. During the Shenzhou 6 mission, the two astronauts took off their pressure suits after the spacecraft entered the orbit, and only wore blue colour shirts and trousers while conducting experiments in the orbital module.

Chinese pressure suit used during Shenzhou flight missions (Chinese Internet)

EVA Spacesuit

During the next flight mission Shenzhou 7, extra-vehicular activities (EVA) will be carried out by one of the mission crew. This requires a more sophisticated spacesuit system that can keep the astronaut alive and comfortable in the harsh environment of outer space. The PRC imported several complete sets of the Russian Orlan-M spacesuit designed and built by NPP Zvezda, while the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) was also developing an indigenous EVA spacesuit design, possibly based on the Orlan-M.

The 100kg Orlan-M space suit is semi-rigid, with a solid torso and helmet but flexible arms. It was designed with a rear hatch entry through the attached backpack that allows it to be donned in approximately five minutes. The suit is attached to the spacecraft by an umbilical tether that supplied power and communications links. Newer models in use by Russia and the US are self-sustaining.		Chinese astronauts trying on Russian Orlan spacesuits (TTCV)

Simulated EVA operation in a water pool (CCTV)		Chinese state television recently broadcasted images of astronauts in Orlan-style spacesuits training in a large water pool for simulated EVA procedure in the run-up to the forthcoming Shenzhou 7 spaceflight mission. The water pool, possibly located inside the Beijing Space City, appears to be similar to the U.S. Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL).