Tell the story of China shenzhou spaceship.

According to an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency yesterday, Huang Chunping, a member of Beijing Electric Power Political Consultative Conference, the head of the advisory group of manned space rocket system and the chief commander of Shenzhou 5 rocket, said that the launch time of Shenzhou VII will be delayed by about half a year, and the original launch plan for 2007 will be postponed to 2008.

Huang Chunping said that delaying the launch plan "is not a problem, but a decision on the work cycle." Every component of Shenzhou VII rocket needs to go through a complicated working cycle. First of all, we need to solve key problems with single sample technology. After the key issues are passed, it is necessary to set up the scheme and principle assessment, and then enter the sampling stage. At this stage, there are two tasks to be solved, one is to pass the performance index test, and the other is that the technological capabilities of raw materials and processing should be within the production capacity of the factory. After sampling is qualified, modify the design, make sample production, conduct product experiments, and finally produce products in the factory. In addition, relevant experts should be invited to make an assessment. Therefore, "this is a complex project, which should be done step by step, and we can't rush for success."

Huang Chunping introduced that unlike Shenzhou V and Shenzhou VI, the development of Shenzhou VII rocket focuses on space suits and valve braking. Because "Shenzhou VII" will realize spacewalk, whether astronauts can adapt to the sudden vacuum environment from cabin pressure, valve braking and spacesuit plays an important role.

It is reported that the spacewalk during Shenzhou VII requires higher assessment of astronauts. Because the pressure in the spacesuit is lower than normal, it may release nitrogen in human tissues and form air embolism in blood vessels, leading to decompression sickness and even endangering people's lives. Therefore, after the astronauts put on the spacesuit, they must fully absorb the oxygen in the airlock, assist the working astronauts to return to the inner cabin (that is, the orbital module), close the inner door, and then the airlock begins to decompress to vacuum, which is consistent with the vacuum state outside the spacecraft. At this time, the astronauts can leave the cabin. When returning to the cabin after completing the mission of leaving the cabin, it is necessary to decompress the spacesuit to a certain extent, and then inflate the airlock.

"Astronaut extravehicular activity is a difficult and high-risk activity." According to experts, the spacewalk of Shenzhou VII requires astronauts to do full experiments and training on the ground, and the ground training is generally carried out in a neutral pool with certain requirements for specific gravity. This kind of pool is usually built in a large test room. There is a spaceship in the pool, which uses the buoyancy of water to simulate the weightlessness in space. Then the astronauts trained in the pool for entry and exit operations.

Experts say that "Shenzhou VII" will have several necessary conditions for astronauts to walk in space. First of all, it will provide the environment and conditions for astronauts to live and work outside the cabin, the most important of which is the extravehicular spacesuit, which has many functions such as meteor prevention, vacuum heat insulation and shielding, air tightness, pressure maintenance, ventilation and temperature regulation. The gloves of the spacesuit are both sealed and elastic, and the helmet is transparent and sealed. Secondly, the extravehicular backpack has a control system and a communication system, and the control system is equipped with a jet device, so that the astronauts can control the walking direction. It is reported that space suits and backpacks are complex in structure, technically difficult and expensive. A set of spacesuits produced in the United States is about $65,438 +0.5 million. Third, of course, there must be astronauts with skilled technical operation, good health and stable psychological quality.

"At present, other parts of Shenzhou VII are similar, only the spacesuit has to tackle key problems, and the research progress of the spacesuit determines the progress of Shenzhou VII." Huang Chunping added, "However, China is fully capable of solving it."

Huang Chunping said that in order to adapt to the vacuum environment, the Shenzhou VII spacesuit has been greatly improved in terms of air tightness, communication, excretion, communication, power supply and movable joints.

At the time of "Shenzhou 5", China's manned space flight was only an assessment of a person going into space one day. At that time, Yang Liwei only stayed in the return module, and the door of the orbital module was closed. Although "Shenzhou VI" is almost the same as "Shenzhou V" in appearance, the difference is that two astronauts will enter the orbital module from the return module and engage in multi-person and multi-day space flight procedures. Experts made an image metaphor, "Two astronauts are active in' one room, one living room'. On Shenzhou VII, astronauts should not only move in the "one room, one living room", but also walk out of the "living room" and the window on the side of the orbital module.

According to reports, "Shenzhou VII" has higher requirements for astronauts' life support system, extravehicular equipment and structural air tightness, so "Shenzhou VII" will be obviously different from "Shenzhou VI" in appearance, and related systems will also be changed, especially the orbital module.

Usually, after the spacecraft is launched into space, astronauts will make adaptive preparations in the airlock room for 2-3 hours before leaving the cabin. They will wear extravehicular spacesuits, carry backpacks and carry supplies in the airlock. The spacesuit worn by astronauts who walk in space is huge, and the weight on the ground reaches 125 kg, which is not as easy as wearing a hat on the ground. It can only be put on with the help of other astronauts. "So, there will be at least two astronauts on Shenzhou VII, so that we can cooperate with each other. As for how many people will leave the cabin, it is uncertain. It is estimated that a person walks in space. "

According to Huang Chunping's prediction, Shenzhou VII will have three astronauts, one will walk out of the cabin, one will meet in the orbital module, and the other will stay in the return module. Extravehicular activities will include walking, operating, screwing and other installation equipment to prepare for the establishment of a space station in the future.