China's Shenzhou
6 spacecraft and its two-astronaut crew prepared Sunday for their return to
Earth after a five-day spaceflight, though Chinese space officials said the
exact landing site will be decided hours before the planned touchdown.
Shenzhou
6 astronauts Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng will land in the early hours of
Oct. 17 Beijing Time in either the Siziwang Banner region of Inner Mongolia in
north China, the mission's primary landing are, or at a backup site in the northwestern
Jiuquan region, state media reported, adding that weather forecasts predict
favorably landing conditions through Oct. 18.
"Decision
will be made six hours before the spacecraft's return whether the re-entry
capsule will land at the primary landing site in Inner Mongolia or this
northwestern standby site," Zhu Yabin, chief of the land search and rescue
team, told China's official Xinhua News Agency.
Six
helicopters, 14 special vehicles and more than 200 recovery workers have been
mobilized for Shenzhou 6's return at its primary landing site, according to Sui
Qisheng, chief commander in charge of landing, Xinhua reported.
"We have drawn out detailed plans to ensure
that rescue workers and equipment will arrive at where the capsule lands,"
Sui told Xinhua.
Fei and Nie have orbited the Earth since launching
spaceward atop a Long March 2F rocket on Oct. 12 Beijing Time (Oct. 11 GMT).
Their mission marks China's second manned spaceflight since the launch of
astronaut Yang Liwei aboard Shenzhou
5 in 2003, as well as the country's first two-astronaut mission. China is
the third country to independently launch astronauts into Earth orbit after
Russia and the U.S. Its Shenzhou
- or "Divine Vessel" - series spacecraft borrow a basic design from Russia's Soyuz
spacecraft, but are heavily modified and modernized.
The
Shenzhou 6 crew have flown nearly 1.8 million miles (2.8 million kilometers)
and orbited the Earth more than 71 times during their spaceflight, China's
state media reported.
Fei and Nie
have performed a series of physical experiments to test the integrity of their
spacecraft, as well as cytology, earth observation and human physiology tests, Xinhua
said.
The two
astronauts - also known as "taikonauts" - said Sunday that they appreciated the
support of their country, state media reported.
"We're grateful for the deep love and
concern by all Chinese people, the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan
compatriots," Nie said in a space-to-ground transmission, according to Xinhua.
Fei reportedly added that he and Nie were "feeling
good" and "happy" in Earth orbit and planned to "do our utmost to fulfill the
mission," the news agency added.
The Shenzhou 6 spaceflight is designed to further
China's human spaceflight experience as it works toward developing a manned
space station and serve as a symbol of national pride while demonstrating
the country's technological prowess.
State media reports also cited China's plans to
select female
astronauts for future missions.
China's Air Force Aeronautics University
accepted its eighth group of female pilot trainees in July, and may prove the
source of the country's first female fighter pilots and first female astronaut,
Xinhua said Saturday, adding that some students are hopeful they'll make
the cut.
"My
dream is to become China's first female fighter pilot and first female
taikonaut," Tao Jiali, a student from southwest China's Sichuan Province
to the university, told Xinhua Saturday.
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