New Delhi, Oct 19: For a country that introduced the rocket and gunpowder to the world, China has taken its time sending an astronaut into space. On October 15, Col. Yang Liwei was launched into space on the Long March 2F carrier rocket aboard the Shenzhou V (divine ship) spacecraft from the Jiuquan satellite launch centre, in the Gobi desert in northwest Gansu province. Notwithstanding the fact that both the US and the erstwhile USSR sent their astronauts into space more than 40 years ago, it does not diminish the huge stride Beijing has successfully taken in scientific and technological capability or that it is still only the third country in the world to have done so.
After a near blackout on print coverage until the moment of the launch, China’s newspapers were understandably gushing in their praise—calling it a “historic achievement”—besides being uncharacteristically informative.
Reams were devoted to Yang’s 21 hours in space, travelling more than 600,000 km during which time he orbited the earth 14 times, lauding the feat as a step towards technological supremacy, and bringing the country into the elite league of three countries that have succeeded in putting their men in space. Apart from the fact that the launch was carefully timed to coincide with celebrations of the Communist Revolution, it also seeks to improve China’s overall national strength and its international influence as well as boosting the sense of national pride.
Not unexpectedly, there was some speculation in the foreign media on whether the goal of the space mission was ultimately military. This was hotly denied by Beijing. But the fact is that China’s space programme is under the aegis of the People’s Liberation Army, and that Yang Liwei is a fighter pilot-turned-astronaut, does give it a military dimension. China already has 57 indigenous satellites in space, a large number of which are performing military roles and its space programme also includes plans for an integrated civil-military observation and remote sensing capabilities from space.
Neither is there any doubts that by sending a man, albeit the 241st human being, into outer space, China is displaying its growing technological prowess and staking its claim to a future role in space. Though the Chinese space programme is modelled on the Soviet Soyuz series and the USSR had, in fact, trained two Chinese who in turn had trained the country’s 14 astronauts, it is nevertheless, essentially an indigenous and more complex one. In November 2000, China had released a white paper outlining its short- and long-term goals for its space programme, wherein it had stated its intention of using space for national development, including the “industrialisation and marketisation of space technology and space applications” and to undertake the peaceful exploration of outer space.
According to the Chinese scientists involved in the programme, Shenzhou V has more functions than those developed by Russia and the US and is more comfortable for the astronauts. The spacecraft is the largest of its kind in the world, weighing 7,790 kg, and consists of a propulsion module, re-entry module, an orbiter and and additional module that is large enough (2.5 metres in diameter) to accommodate three astronauts. Unlike its western counterparts, its orbit module is designed to remain in orbit to conduct scientific experiments for several months even after the re-entry module returns to earth.
Though China launched its first satellite in 1970, it was discontinued soon after. Thereafter, in 1992 it relaunched its astronaut flight programme, with the successful launch of its first experiment craft Shenzhou I in January 2001. In fact, China has an ambitious space programme drawn up, which includes the launching of eight domestic satellites this year alone, besides space-walking and docking of Chinese spacecraft, development, launch and successful staffing of a space laboratory and the building and manning of a Chinese space station “according to demand” in the future. In fact, in three years, China expects to have its Chang’e I scientific probe orbiting the moon while its scientists are hopeful of sending men to the moon by 2020!
China has also declared that it was open to working on international projects and conducting “all kinds of effective cooperation with other nations in the peaceful uses of outer space”. Around 18 billion yuan ($2.2 billion) has been allocated to its manned space programme till now with the launch of Shenzhou V alone costing $121 million. The launches of Shenzhou I to IV had cost about $100 million each. Another Shenzhou launch is also being scheduled before end-2005. The Science and Technology Commission of China Academy said it has started developing a more powerful launch vehicle capable of sending large satellites, lunar probe devices and other space probe facilities into space in the coming 30 years and more. Moreover, the Chinese foreign ministry stated that China is ready to cooperate with any country on the civilian use of outer space. China already exports satellite technology to countries like Pakistan, Iran and Thailand, among others.
Along with almost every other country, India too, which has a well-developed and extensive space programme and is looking to launch its first spacecraft to the moon, congratulated China for becoming the first Asian country to launch a manned space mission. As Union commerce and industry minister, Arun Jaitley said in Beijing, “For an Asian power to have achieved such great heights, it is a matter of joy for all of us.”
Though one Chinese newspaper, China Daily warned that there were more pressing matters on earth, such as regional economic imbalances and widespread poverty, in its editorial, there is no doubt that the Shenzhou V launch, besides earning enormous prestige for the country, also highlights the evolution of China as a global power.