No Limits

China advances confidently by manned spacecraft and submersible By Yin Pumin

No Limits

China advances confidently by manned spacecraft and submersible By Yin Pumin

READY TO GO: Shenzhou-9 spacecraft and its carrier rocket are transferred to the launch pad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China’s Gansu Province on June 9

China’s scientific horizons expanded greatly in both space and sea as explorers achieved new feats in June. On June 24, three astronauts successfully carried out China’s first manual space docking betweenShenzhou-9spacecraft and the orbitingTiangong-1lab module, while three deep-sea explorers dived to uncharted depths 7,020 meters beneath the ocean surface inside the country’s manned submersibleJiaolong. Just three days later, the record was broken by the same group of oceanographers at a depth of 7,062 meters.

“The advanced technologies in China’sShenzhou-9andJiaolongmissions will bring the Chinese economy to a new level with unlimited economies of scale, and make it much more capable of contributing to world peace and global economic development,” said Du Hui, a professor at the Dalian-based People’s Liberation Army Naval Academy in northeast China’s Liaoning Province.

Deep in the sea

On June 30,Jiaolong, which is named after a mythical sea dragon, successfully completed its planned series of deep-sea dives, with the sixth and final dive to 7,000 meters in the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean, the deepest part of the world’s oceans. With the successful tests, China is now able to conduct deep-sea scientific research and resources exploration in 99.8 percent of the Earth’s seabed.

“Jiaolongwill enter a trial period of application to follow up on its program of test dives to depths ranging from 1,000 to 7,000 meters,” said On-Scene Commander Liu Feng.

China initiatedJiaolongprogram in 2002 and has invested 470 million yuan ($74.03 million) in the program over the past 10 years for submersible research and modification and oceanic experiments, according to Liu.

In July last year,Jiaolongsurpassed the previous national record of 5,188 meters below sea level.

After arriving at the designated dive zone in the Mariana Trench in early June,Jiaolonghad succeeded in reaching depths of 6,671, 6,965, 6,963 meters before successfully challenging the 7,000-meter depth.

With the successful trial dives, China has joined the ranks of other deep-sea faring countries. The United States, Japan, France and Russia currently lead the world in the development of deep-sea exploration technology, each possessing their own submersibles and support bases.

Submersibles from Russia and Japan have reached about 6,000 meters. The world’s deepest manned undersea expeditions were made by two submersibles from the United States, theBathyscaphe Triestein 1960 and theDeepsea Challengerin 2012, both reaching a depth of about 11,000 meters in the Mariana Trench. ButJiaolongis the first manned research vehicle in the world to have dived more than 7,000 meters below sea level.

Deep-diving technology development is of great significance, especially for the development of deep-sea resources. There are many deep-sea mineral resources that have immense scientific and economic value and present a treasure trove of research opportunities for marine scientists worldwide.

“The breakthrough ofJiaolongwill make China capable of reaching much richer oil and gas resources more cheaply,” Du said.

China is the world’s second-largest oil consumer, importing 253.78 million tons at a cost of about $196.66 billion in 2011. Customs statistics indicate that the volume was 6 percent more than the year before and the price rose 45.3 percent year on year.

According to Du, more than 70 percent of the world’s oil and gas is obtained in the ocean, and about 1 trillion barrels of oil reserves can be found in deep waters.

GOING DEEP: China’s manned submersible Jiaolong is put into the water in a drill in Jiangyin, east China’s Jiangsu Province, on June 1

Offshore oil resources will be an important source of crude oil production growth in the future, and more than half of global oil and gas production and reserves will come from offshore fields.

“The economic impact will be significant,” Du said, adding that many technological breakthroughs inJiaolongcan also be adopted by civilian deep-submergence programs. “A few related industries, such as shipbuilding and supporting equipment industries, will also get a boost from advanced technologies and the development of China’s deep-submergence programs.”

China currently has three experienced submersible divers—Ye Cong, Tang Jialing and Fu Wentao, who pilotedJiaolongin its previous test dives. In order to further explore the deep sea, the country is planning to recruit another four to six crewmembers in 2013.

“The National Deep Sea Center (NDSC) is working on the standards of selection, training and rating of divers,” said NDSC Director Liu Baohua.

The construction of an expansive deepsea base, designed to be a state-level oceanic technical support center, is expected to begin later this year or in early 2013. The physical construction of the base will cost at least 495 million yuan ($77.98 million) and cover 26 hectares of land and 62.7 hectares of sea in the coastal city of Qingdao in eastern Shandong Province.

BesidesJiaolong, the country also plans to build another manned submersible with a depth range of 4,500 meters below the sea level.

In addition, the NDSC is applying to build a 4,000-ton mother ship, given thatXiangyanghong 09, the mother ship ofJiaolong, has been in service for over three decades, Liu said. The new ship is expected to become operational by 2015.

High in the sky

Just one day beforeJiaolongaccomplished its task, the return capsule of theShenzhou-9mission landed in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 10:03 a.m. on June 29 as planned.

“The result is satisfactory, the process is perfect, and the mission will bear fruit,”said Wang Zhaoyao, Director of the China Manned Space Agency, at a news conference after theShenzhou-9spacecraft’s landing.

On June 16,Shenzhou-9blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China’s Gansu Province, taking Liu Yang, the country’s first female astronaut, together with her two male crewmates, into space.

Over 13 days of space flight, the spacecraft conducted two dockings withTiangong-1space lab module, one automatic and the other manual.

The three astronauts also completed a string of scientific experiments that will help research on how to better protect astronauts’health in long-duration missions.

Experts say that the success of the manual rendezvous and docking means that China is fully capable of transporting humans and cargo to an orbiter in space, which is essential for the country’s plans to build a space station in orbit around 2020.

According to China’s three-phase strategy for its manned space program, the second strategic target includes mastering three basic technologies of manned spaceflight and building a temporary space lab that is manned for a short term.

China started its manned space program in 1992. Since then, nine spacecraft and one space lab module have been launched. Including theShenzhou-9mission, a total of four flights were manned, and eight astronauts have traveled to space.

Next year, China will launch another spacecraft,Shenzhou-10, to dock withTiangong-1for a repeated test of the space docking technology, said Wu Ping, a spokeswoman for the country’s manned space program, on June 24.

According to Wang, China has invested 39 billion yuan ($6.14 billion) in the manned space program. The investment has largely been directed toward research and development, sample development and covering the costs of experiments.

“Through previous missions, China has mastered the essential elements of manned spaceflight—the technology to transport human beings between space and the Earth, extravehicular activity technology and space rendezvous and docking technology,” Wang said.

The manned space program has earned more than 900 national patents and technological awards, helping to promote research in relevant scientific sectors.

“The aerospace industry and marine industry have become two new driving forces of China’s economy,” said Lu Wei, Director of the Department of Technology and Economy at the Development Research Center of the State Council.

The aerospace economy covers a wide range of industries, including energy, steel, new materials, electronics, machinery and communications, according to reports. Textile, garment, agricultural and food processing companies are also involved.

The vast range of equipment needed to build and launchShenzhouspacecraft spurs development in China’s basic equipment industries, said Yang Yuguan, a researcher with the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp.

“Our satellite telecommunications and satellite navigation will also be improved through manned spaceflight systems, which will better be able to service our automobile industries in the future,” Yang said.

Wang said the development of space technology is closely related to everyone’s daily lives, citing examples from television broadcasting and disaster control.

“Four hundred technologies developed through the space program have been applied in education, mining and health care sectors,”Wang said.

According to a survey by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp., 80 percent of the more than 1,000 types of new materials developed in China in recent years have benefited from space technology. Moreover, nearly 2,000 kinds of space technology have been adopted in various sectors of the national economy.