China's first cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-1 is scheduled for launch at 7:41 p.m. Thursday from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in south China's Hainan Province, the office of China's manned space program said Wednesday.
The cargo spacecraft will be carried into orbit by a Long March-7 Y2 carrier rocket, the office said.
Tianzhou-1 is the first cargo ship independently developed by the country. It is expected to operate in orbit at an altitude of 380 kilometers before docking with the orbiting Tiangong-2 space lab.
The cargo spacecraft will also carry out space experiments, including one on non-Newtonian gravitation, before falling back to earth.
Following are major facts about China's manned space program:
Shenzhou-1
Launched: 6:30 a.m., Nov. 20, 1999
Landed: 3:41 a.m., Nov. 21, 1999
The main task was to examine the performance and reliability of the launcher and verify key technology relating to the capsule connection and separation, heat prevention, control and landing.
Shenzhou-2
Launched: 1:00:03 a.m., Jan. 10, 2001
Landed: 7:22 p.m., Jan. 16, 2001
Shenzhou-2 was the first formal unmanned spacecraft. The launch was conducted in conditions usually required for a manned spacecraft. It carried out several experiments in various fields of space, including life science, materials, astronomy and physics under conditions of microgravity.
Shenzhou-3
Launched: 10:15 p.m., March 25, 2002
Landed: 4:51 a.m., April 1, 2002
The module carried human physical monitoring sensors and "dummy astronauts." It was also equipped with escape and emergency rescue functions.
Shenzhou-4
Launched: 12:40 a.m., Dec. 30, 2002
Landed: 7:16 p.m., Jan. 5, 2003
The module was launched at a temperature of minus 29 degrees Celsius. Excessive harmful gas, found in the previous three crafts, was reduced to a safe level in the fourth module. Radiation-proof facilities and automatic and manual emergency rescue systems were installed on the spacecraft.
Shenzhou-5
Launched: 9 a.m., Oct. 15, 2003
Landed: 6:23 a.m., Oct. 16, 2003
The launch of the spacecraft was the first manned mission, which realized the nation's thousand-year dream of manned space flight and was a new milestone in China's space program.
The craft carried astronaut Yang Liwei.
