Shenzhou 5

{{Short description|First human spaceflight mission of the Chinese space program}}

{{Infobox spaceflight

| name = Shenzhou 5

| image = Shenzhou-5 mockup and parachute at NMC.jpg

| image_caption = Shenzhou 5 spacecraft mockup and parachute displayed at the National Museum of China

| insignia =

| mission_type =

| operator = CMSA

| COSPAR_ID = 2003-045A

| SATCAT = 28043

| mission_duration = 21 hours, 22 minutes, 45 seconds

| orbits_completed = 14

| spacecraft_type = Shenzhou

| manufacturer =

| launch_mass = {{convert|7790|kg|lb}}

| landing_mass =

| launch_date = {{start-date|15 October 2003, 01:00:03|timezone=yes}} UTC

| launch_rocket = Long March 2F

| launch_site = Jiuquan LA-4/SLS-1

| landing_date = {{end-date|15 October 2003, 22:22:48|timezone=yes}} UTC

| landing_site =

| orbit_epoch =

| orbit_reference = Geocentric

| orbit_regime = Low Earth

| orbit_periapsis = {{convert|332|km|mi nmi|sp=us}}

| orbit_apoapsis = {{convert|336|km|mi nmi|sp=us}}

| orbit_inclination = 42.4 degrees

| orbit_period = 91.2 minutes

| apsis = gee

| crew_size = 1

| crew_members = Yang Liwei

| crew_callsign =

| crew_photo = Yang Liwei.jpg

| crew_photo_caption = Yang Liwei

| previous_mission = Shenzhou 4

| next_mission = Shenzhou 6

| programme = China Manned Space Program

}}

Shenzhou 5 ({{zh|s=神舟五号|p=Shénzhōu Wǔ Hào}}, see {{section link|Shenzhou (spacecraft)|Etymology|nopage=y}}) was the first human spaceflight mission of the Chinese space program, launched on 15 October 2003. The Shenzhou spacecraft was launched on a Long March 2F launch vehicle. There had been four previous flights of uncrewed Shenzhou missions since 1999. China became the third country in the world to have independent human spaceflight capability after the Soviet Union (later, Russia) and the United States. As of {{Monthyear}}, this mission marks the last time an astronaut was launched alone to conduct an entirely solo orbital mission.

Crew

{{Spaceflight crew

| terminology = Crew member

| position1 = Commander

| crew1_up = {{flagdeco|CHN}} Yang Liwei

| flights1_up = Only

}}

Mission parameters

Mass: 7,840 kg{{cite encyclopedia|last=Gregersen|first=Erik|date=2021-06-23|title=Shenzhou|url=https://www.britannica.com/technology/Shenzhou|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=2021-12-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211226064137/https://www.britannica.com/technology/Shenzhou|archive-date=2021-12-26|url-status=live}}
Perigee: 332 km{{cite magazine|date=2003-11-01|title=B. Text of Launch Announcements|url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/spacewarn/spx600.html|magazine=SPACEWARN Bulletin|issue=600|publisher=National Space Science Data Center; World Data Center for Satellite Information|access-date=2021-12-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022201631/https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/spacewarn/spx600.html|archive-date=2021-10-22|url-status=live}}
Apogee: 336 km
Inclination: 42.4°
Period: 91.2 minutes
NSSDC ID: 2003-045A

Mission highlights

Shenzhou 5 was launched at 09:00 (UTC+08:00) from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, a launch base in the Gobi Desert in Gansu province, entering orbit {{convert|343|km|mi nmi}} above Earth at 09:10 (UTC+08:00) with astronaut Yang Liwei, a 38-year-old lieutenant colonel in the People's Liberation Army and former fighter pilot. The space launch made China the third country to independently launch a person into outer space, after the Soviet Union and the United States. The launch of the Shenzhou was the result of a crewed space program which began in 1992.{{cite news |date=2013-07-25 |title=谱写航天梦的篇章--党中央推进载人航天工程纪实 |trans-title=Writing a chapter of the space dream--Record of the CPC Central Committee's promotion of manned spaceflight engineering |url=http://www.gov.cn/jrzg/2013-07/25/content_2455609.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210714072632/http://www.gov.cn/jrzg/2013-07/25/content_2455609.htm |archive-date=2021-07-14 |access-date=2021-07-14 |work=GOV.cn |language=zh |agency=Xinhua News Agency}}

Neither the launch nor the reentry was televised live, but the time of both launch and reentry had been widely announced beforehand, and news appeared on China Central Television within minutes after both events.

= Orbital spaceflight =

File:Shenzhou-5 return capsule at NMC.jpg

The Shenzhou spacecraft made 14 orbits and landed 21 hours after launch. It reentered Earth's atmosphere at 06:04 (UTC+08:00) on 16 October 2003 (22:04 UTC 15 Oct 2003), its parachute opened normally and the astronaut said he was feeling fine. The landing happened at 06:28 (UTC+08:00), just {{cvt|4.8|km}} from the planned landing site in Inner Mongolia, according to the government. The orbital module of the spacecraft stayed in orbit; it continued with automated experiments until 16 March 2004 and decayed on 30 May.{{cite web |last=Zimmer |first=Harro |date=2004-05-30 |title=Shenzou OM decayed |url=http://satobs.org/seesat/May-2004/0381.html |website=SeeSat-L |access-date=2004-10-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160704025305/http://www.satobs.org/seesat/May-2004/0381.html |archive-date=2016-07-04 |url-status=live}}

Premier Wen Jiabao congratulated the country's first person in space after his safe return to Earth. Yang emerged from the reentry capsule about 15 minutes later and waved to members of the recovery team.{{cite web |date=2008-09-17 |title=神舟五号载人航天飞行任务时间表 |trans-title=Shenzhou V manned space flight mission schedule |url=http://www.cmse.gov.cn/fxrw/szwh/jchg_193/200809/t20080917_23556.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210712072117/http://www.cmse.gov.cn/fxrw/szwh/jchg_193/200809/t20080917_23556.html |archive-date=2021-07-12 |access-date=2021-07-12 |website=China Manned Space |language=zh}}

The Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Center later declared China's first crewed spacecraft mission to be successful after Yang Liwei emerged from his capsule.

= Yang's experience in space =

During the flight Yang wore diapers. When questioned about his experience aboard Shenzhou 5, he stated "Better not to piss in diaper...Baby doesn't like it, neither does an adult."{{cite news|date=20 July 2006|title=Better not to piss in diaper in space, says China's first spaceman|url=http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200607/20/eng20060720_284788.html|newspaper=People's Daily|agency=Xinhua News Agency|access-date=5 October 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200125104501/http://en.people.cn/200607/20/eng20060720_284788.html|archive-date=25 January 2020|url-status=dead}}

In addition, Yang reported abnormal vibrations that appeared 120 seconds after launch (pogo oscillation), which he described as "very uncomfortable".{{cite news |date=2008-07-19 |title="神七"运载火箭完成总装和出厂测试今将出征 |trans-title=The Shenzhou-10 launch vehicle has completed final assembly and factory testing and will be launched today |url=http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/news/2008/07-19/1317666.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080804043438/http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/news/2008/07-19/1317666.shtml |archive-date=2008-08-04 |access-date=2008-07-19 |work=China News Network |publisher=China News Service |language=zh}} As a consequence, corrective measures were taken to the design of the following CZ-2F carrier rocket for the Shenzhou 6 flight.

Politics

The launch was widely heralded in the official Chinese state media with newspapers devoting far more space to the launch than any recent event. While the Chinese media portrayed the launch as a triumph for Chinese science and technology, it has also been pointed out in both Chinese and Western media that Yang Liwei showed the flag of the United Nations in addition to the flag of the People's Republic of China.{{cite news |date=2003-10-16 |title=航天员杨利伟在飞船中展示中国国旗和联合国旗 |trans-title=Astronaut Yang Liwei displays the Chinese and United Nations flags in the spacecraft |url=http://www.people.com.cn/GB/keji/1056/2136544.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324102038/http://www.people.com.cn/GB/keji/1056/2136544.html |archive-date=2012-03-24 |access-date=2008-10-02 |newspaper=People's Daily |language=zh}}{{cite news|date=2007-07-19|title=Chinese Astronauts Begin Training For Spacewalk|url=http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Chinese_Astronauts_Begin_Training_For_Spacewalk_999.html|work=Space Daily|agency=Xinhua News Agency|access-date=2008-10-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190912232318/http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Chinese_Astronauts_Begin_Training_For_Spacewalk_999.html|archive-date=2019-09-12|url-status=live}} The state media also reported that crop seeds from Taiwan were brought aboard the spacecraft.{{cite news |date=2003-10-21 |title="神舟"五号载人飞船成功搭载台湾农作物种子 |trans-title=The Shenzhou V manned spacecraft successfully carried Taiwan's crop seeds |url=http://www.people.com.cn/GB/keji/1056/2144579.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324102104/http://www.people.com.cn/GB/keji/1056/2144579.html |archive-date=2012-03-24 |access-date=2008-10-02 |newspaper=People's Daily |language=zh}} Both the Chief Executives of Hong Kong and Macau sent letters congratulating all the people involved in the mission and also the central government.{{cite news|date=16 October 2003|title=HK chief executive's congratulation on Shenzhou-5 successful launch|url=http://en.people.cn/200310/16/eng20031016_126167.shtml|newspaper=People's Daily|access-date=11 September 2024}}{{cite news|date=16 October 2003|title=Macao Chief Executive congratulates motherland on breakthrough in space technology|url=http://en.people.cn/200310/16/eng20031016_126168.shtml|newspaper=People's Daily|access-date=26 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220926153148/http://en.people.cn/200310/16/eng20031016_126168.shtml|archive-date=26 September 2022|url-status=live}}

General Secretary and President Hu Jintao, in an official celebration at the Great Hall of the People, hailed China's success in launching its first crewed spacecraft into orbit, describing it as "an honour for our great motherland, an indicator for the initial victory of the country's first crewed space flight and for an historic step taken by the Chinese people in their endeavor to surmount the peak of the world's science and technology".{{cite web |date=2003-11-08 |title=庆祝我国首次载人航天飞行圆满成功 |trans-title=Celebrating the successful completion of my country's first manned space flight |url=http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2003-11-08/10051080035s.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213004150/http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2003-11-08/10051080035s.shtml |archive-date=2012-02-13 |access-date=2008-10-02 |website=Zhejiang Daily |language=zh |via=Sina Corporation}}

Hu added, "The Party and the people will never forget those who have set up this outstanding merit in the space industry for the motherland, the people and the nation". He also expressed congratulations and respect to specialists and people who have contributed to China's space mission development on behalf of the CPC Central Committee, the State Council and the Central Military Commission.

The launch was met with praise from around the world. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi called the launch "a great feat".{{cite news|date=2003-10-16|title=World Leaders Congratulate China's Space Mission Success|url=http://english.china.org.cn/english/international/77497.htm|work=China Internet Information Center|agency=Xinhua News Agency|access-date=2021-12-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201123015518/http://english.china.org.cn/english/international/77497.htm|archive-date=2020-11-23|url-status=live}} United States President George W. Bush congratulated Chinese President Hu and wished China continued success.{{cite report|last=Smith|first=Marcia S.|date=18 October 2005|title=China's Space Program: An Overview|url=https://fas.org/sgp/crs/space/RS21641.pdf|series=CRS Report for Congress|publisher=Congressional Research Service; Library of Congress|access-date=9 December 2022|via=Federation of American Scientists|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114000835/https://fas.org/sgp/crs/space/RS21641.pdf|archive-date=14 November 2020|url-status=live}} A spokesperson for the United States Department of State said that the United States wished to "applaud China's success in becoming only the third country to launch people into space".{{cite web |last=Boucher |first=Richard |author-link=Richard A. Boucher |date=2003-10-15 |title=Daily Press Briefing for October 15 -- Transcript |url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2003/25203.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201123015521/https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2003/25203.htm |archive-date=2020-11-23 |access-date=2021-12-26 |website=United States Department of State |publisher=Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs}} NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe called Shenzhou 5 an "important achievement in human exploration" and wished China "a continued safe human space flight program".

The spacecraft has since featured prominently in festivities and celebrations not only in China but also in foreign countries, such as official North Korean commemorative stamps showing the first Chinese crewed spacecraft alongside North Korea's first satellite Kwangmyŏngsŏng-1.{{cite web |date=2004-06-16 |title=朝鲜6月18日发行胡锦涛、温家宝等中国领导人的邮票 |trans-title=North Korea issued stamps with the images of Chinese leaders including Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao on June 18 |url=http://www.qlstamp.com/news/0008/2004616103040.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080515212718/http://www.qlstamp.com/news/0008/2004616103040.htm |archive-date=15 May 2008 |access-date=19 September 2008 |website=qlstamp.com |language=zh}}

Gallery

File:Shenzhou-5 return capsule and space suit at NMC 02.jpg|Shenzhou 5 return capsule and space suit displayed at the National Museum of China

File:Shenzhou-5 return capsule and space suit at NMC 01.jpg|Shenzhou 5 space suit worn by Yang Liwei displayed at the National Museum of China

File:Shenzhou-5 space suit at NMC.jpg|Shenzhou 5 space suit worn by Yang Liwei displayed at the National Museum of China

File:Shenzhou 5 - Chinese Spacesuit on Display.jpg|The space suit worn by Shenzhou 5 crew member Yang Liwei on display

File:Shenzhou5-1.JPG|Mockup of the Shenzhou 5 spacecraft

File:Shenzhou spacecraft diagram by Bo.png|Early models of the Shenzhou spacecraft (I-VI) structure, the forward orbital module with dual solar panels

References

External links

[http://space.com/missionlaunches/shenzhou5_launch_031014.html Making History: China's First Human Spaceflight] at Space.com
[https://web.archive.org/web/20030921102715/http://www.astronautix.com/articles/couzhou5.htm Countdown to the Launch of Shenzhou-5] at the Encyclopedia Astronautica
[http://www.spacefacts.de/mission/english/shenzhou-5.htm Spacefacts data about Shenzhou 5]

Category:2003 in China

Shenzhou 05

Category:Spacecraft launched in 2003

Category:Successful space missions