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China keeps watch on space junkDate for manned space launch 'still undecided'
By CNN's Joe Havely
(CNN) -- China's highly anticipated first manned space mission will be equipped with special sensors designed to detect and avoid collisions with potentially deadly space debris, Chinese scientists say. According to a report in Monday's state-run China Daily newspaper, the alarm system will keep the spacecraft and its pioneering occupants away from the orbit of space debris by automatically changing the capsule's propulsion and speed. Professor Du Heng, chief scientist at the Center for Space Science and Applied Research said the sensors would ensure the smooth launch and return of the capsule, the Shenzhou V. Already mission planners are tracking 9,131 pieces of space debris, also known as space junk, Du told a meeting of the National Space Debris Workshop in Shanghai at the weekend. The report, carried prominently in Monday's edition of the China Daily, gave a tantalizing glimpse into preparations for China's first manned space flight, expected to lift-off some time later this year. Anticipation is growing that a launch may be near with some speculation it could be timed to coincide with China's National Day on October 1. Closely tied to the military, China's space program is surrounded by high levels of secrecy with even the identities of the first trained group of 14 astronauts kept as a closely guarded state secret. Space junkAll being well, at least one of those 14 will become China's first man -- they are all men, that much is known -- in space, earning themselves a top spot in the line-up of Chinese national heroes.
The Shenzhou capsule is thought to be capable of carrying up to three astronauts, but some reports suggest the first mission may carry just one. If the mission is successful, China will be only the third nation in history to launch humans into space -- a goal that China's leaders are hoping will give an immense boost to national pride and prestige. In the light of the Columbia shuttle disaster earlier this year however, one of the main issues is safety and Chinese officials are keen to ensure the first launch goes without a hitch. Aside from the obvious dangers of riding into the vacuum of space aboard a highly explosive rocket, one potential threat to a spacecraft's survivability is space debris -- the leftover junk from previous launches or worn out satellites. There are thought to be millions of pieces of junk orbiting the Earth -- ranging from discarded rocket casings, to flecks of paint, to spanners misplaced by clumsy astronauts -- all speeding around the planet at a potentially lethal velocity. However, only about 9,000 pieces of debris are larger than a tennis ball and pose any real threat to spacecraft -- and it is these objects that Chinese space scientists are keeping close watch on. Experts attending the Shanghai meeting said they would use the monitoring data to calculate a suitable launch date for the spacecraft, which they said had not yet been decided.
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