Shuguang spacecraft
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Shuguang One (Chinese: 曙光一号), meaning "dawn" in Mandarin, also known as Project 714 (Chinese：七一四工程), was the first manned spacecraft proposed by the People's Republic of China during the late 1960s and early 70s that was never built. The design was for a two-man capsule, similar to the American Gemini spacecraft, that could be launched in 1973. Because of financial and political problems, Shuguang was cancelled on May 13, 1972.
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[edit] Early development
As the Chinese space program developed during the sixties, various proposals for manned spacecraft were made. Serious planning began in 1966, with initial sub-orbital test flights with animals to be made before a manned mission[1]. However, shortly after these plans were made, several leading scientists attached to the project were denounced during the Cultural Revolution, bringing progress to a standstill.
[edit] Planning
As the Cold War space race for the Moon between the USSR and the USA reached its climax, the Chinese leaders in direct ideological conflict with the revisionist line of Nikita Krushchev and therefore competing for the leadership of the communist world, decided not to give up the Moon and outer space to the only two superpowers. With the aim to first send a man in outer space and then conquering the Moon too, the government restarted in 1968 work on manned spaceflight, and in 1969 after the success of the Apollo missions, Chairman Mao authorized scientists to take the first steps towards a final design for a manned spacecraft and instructed the People's Liberation Army Air Force to select potential astronauts. Astronauts were selected on the basis of piloting skill and dedication to Chinese revolutionary political ideas [1]. 19 astronauts were chosen when the screening process ended on March 15, 1971, including Lu Xiangxiao, Wang Zhiyue, Dong Xiaohai and Fang Guojun. The spacecraft was named 曙光一号 in January 1968。[2] During a conference in April 1971, it was decided that the spacecraft should follow the design of the two-man American Gemini craft, and the program was deemed "Project 714" after the year and month of the conference. The astronauts were to begin training in November 1971, with the first mission planned for 1973. The Shuguang craft was developed for this purpose and was planned to be launched on the CZ-2A rocket.
[edit] New Space Center
In order to support the chinese Project 714 manned space program in the 1960s, the construction of a new space center at Xichang in the Sichuan province was decided, located farther from the Soviet border, thus safer. The Shuguang One spacecraft was expected to be launched from the launch pad number one. After the cancellation of the program the launch pad was never completed. Today a viewing platform for officials has been built at the site. [3]
[edit] Cancellation
Due to the secrecy of the project and its low priority within the Chinese government, funding for Project 714 was meager. When Mao himself was asked to allocate more funds towards the project, he declared that the state must be concerned with terrestrial needs first[1]. Because of the lack of funding, the astronauts were released from the project and sent back to their units. On May 13, 1972, the last staff member attached to Project 714 returned to his unit, and the project was officially canceled. During the late seventies and eighties, official announcements were made that China's manned space program was continuing, however, no actual work was done, and these announcements were only propaganda and disinformation[1].
[edit] Design of the Shuguang craft
The actual Shuguang vehicle would have closely resembled the Gemini spacecraft, however, the Shuguang would have been lighter and smaller to allow it to be launched by the CZ-2A, which had a maximum payload of 3200 kilograms. The two crewmembers would have been seated in a pressurized crew compartment fitted with ejection seats (in case of an abort scenario) and instruments. The aft section of the spacecraft would have been fitted with orientation engines, propellant tanks and other pieces of hardware. The crew section would have separated from the aft section for reentry, which would have been in the form of a splashdown, as there was no soft-landing system designed for the vehicle.[1]
[edit] Legacy
Nonetheless, a fleet of Yuanwang-class space tracking ships for recovery of re-entry vehicles at sea was built. The Space Flight Medical Research Centre was founded in Beijing. Recoverable space capsules of the FSW-class, spacesuits, space food, space tracking stations and radars, astronaut selection process and training and related facilities were developed and mastered, laying the ground for the successful 921 manned space program (Shenzhou) that followed three decades latter.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e Shuguang 1. Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
- ^ 第一艘无人试验飞船发射成功—回首航天路. cctv.com (October 5, 2005). Retrieved on August 2, 2007.
- ^ 百人大厅静得能听见掉下一根针. Shanghai Morning Post (22 October 2007). Retrieved on 2007-11-20.
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