The three Chinese astronauts aboard the Shenzhou VII spacecraft were in fine health on Friday, ready for the extra-vehicular activities (EVA) scheduled for Saturday, a spokesman for the space mission said.
Zhai Zhigang and Liu Boming started assembling the 120-kg EVA spacesuits since 10:20 am, Wang Zhaoyao, a spokesman for China's manned space program, told a press conference in Beijing on Friday. Xinhua reported that they finished the work in about 12 hours.
The two space suits were fixed to the module wall in parts when the spaceship was launched, to be assembled by the astronauts later.
Unpacking the suits comprises 21 steps and each step is divided into sub-steps and detailed moves.
Once the suits are assembled, the astronauts started testing and wearing them, in addition to a 100-minute rehearsal in the orbital module before the spacewalk.
"A job that people can finish in one hour on Earth usually needs two to three hours in space," Li Xiqiang, a researcher for the Shenzhou VII mission, said at a separate press briefing. But he promised the astronauts would not feel exhausted. "There's enough time for them to take a rest."It was the first time for the two to assemble the suits in zero-gravity as it is impossible to create a real zero-gravity condition on Earth.
One of the astronauts will walk out of the orbital module at 4:30 pm on Saturday, Wang said. "Since it is the first spacewalk for China ... there are many uncertainties. We will very likely adjust the time for EVA according to the astronauts' conditions," he said.
The astronauts will make a series of difficult moves in space, Wu Bin, the expert in charge of astronaut training with the China Astronaut Research and Training Center, told Xinhua.
Zhai, the No 1 astronaut, is most likely to walk into space. Assisted by Li, who will stay on in the orbital module during the process, Zhai will take a test sample of solid lubricant from the surface of the spacecraft, which was placed there before the launch.
The astronaut, tied to the spaceship with two safety wires, is scheduled to walk along the orbital module exterior.
"Actually, it is not like walking, but floating," Wu said.
A set of handrails on the spaceship surface will help the astronaut move, he said. He must make sure that both wires are tied to the handrails before taking any step forward.
During the mission, the astronauts will depressurize and re-pressurize the cabin, as well as exit and re-enter the orbital module.
To ensure the safety of the astronaut who will do the spacewalk, the space suit is equipped with three oxygen tanks. An 8-m-long electricity wire, linking the astronaut with the spaceship, will send his physiologic data back and act as a spare safety wire.
"The EVA is expected to last 20 minutes. If the time for opening and closing the module door is factored in, it will be 30 to 40 minutes," Wang said.
The historic moment will be broadcast live.
The spaceship will aslo release a 40-kg satellite which will circle the orbiter and send back images to mission command.
Earlier on Friday, Shenzhou VII shifted from an oval orbit to a more stable circular orbit 343 km above Earth.
The spaceship atop a Long March II-F rocket lifted off at 9:10 pm on Thursday from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu province, in China's third manned space mission.
新華網(wǎng)北京9月26日電（記者李志暉 李惠子）中國載人航天工程新聞發(fā)言人王兆耀26日說，根據(jù)飛行計劃安排，航天員將于27日16時30分前后執(zhí)行出艙活動任務。目前，艙外航天服組裝與測試進展順利。
根據(jù)飛行程序安排，軌道艙門從打開至關閉，整個過程約有半個小時到40分鐘左右，其中航天員艙外活動約20分鐘。屆時，出艙活動將向中國和世界媒體公開透明地播出。
王兆耀同時指出，出艙活動對中國來說是首次進行，在技術上受多方面因素影響，具體出艙時間需要根據(jù)艙外航天服和航天員的狀態(tài)確定。
他說，北京時間26日10時20分，從飛船運行第9圈起，航天員翟志剛、劉伯明開始進行軌道艙狀態(tài)檢查和艙外航天服的組裝與測試等工作。之后，將穿著艙外航天服在軌道艙進行約100分鐘的在軌訓練，為執(zhí)行出艙活動作準備。航天員景海鵬在返回艙值守，并隨時監(jiān)控飛船運行工況。
據(jù)介紹，神舟七號飛船發(fā)射升空時，艙外航天服及部分組件處于分解打包狀態(tài)，航天員需對艙外航天服艙載對接系統(tǒng)和艙外航天服進行啟封，安裝測試空氣凈化器、氧瓶、電池組、無線遙測裝置等可更換部組件，檢查與調整服裝尺寸，還將對各種接口及服裝內環(huán)境溫度、氧氣供給、通信連接等進行調整測試與系統(tǒng)檢查。根據(jù)地面模擬結果，整個過程約需12小時。
王兆耀說，由于出艙活動的真空和失重環(huán)境難以在地面進行完全真實的模擬演練，艙外航天服、氣閘艙等新研制產品和新技術采用是首次進行飛行驗證。另外，航天員要完成對艙外航天服的在軌組裝、測試、穿脫，出艙，取回科學實驗裝置，返回軌道艙、氣閘艙泄復壓等操作，時間長，難度大，因此，這次出艙活動任務具有高風險。
“要順利完成這次出艙活動，必須保證產品質量可靠、航天員訓練有素、組織指揮精確、測控通信連續(xù)穩(wěn)定?！彼f。
Zhai Zhigang and Liu Boming started assembling the 120-kg EVA spacesuits since 10:20 am, Wang Zhaoyao, a spokesman for China's manned space program, told a press conference in Beijing on Friday. Xinhua reported that they finished the work in about 12 hours.
The two space suits were fixed to the module wall in parts when the spaceship was launched, to be assembled by the astronauts later.
Unpacking the suits comprises 21 steps and each step is divided into sub-steps and detailed moves.
Once the suits are assembled, the astronauts started testing and wearing them, in addition to a 100-minute rehearsal in the orbital module before the spacewalk.
"A job that people can finish in one hour on Earth usually needs two to three hours in space," Li Xiqiang, a researcher for the Shenzhou VII mission, said at a separate press briefing. But he promised the astronauts would not feel exhausted. "There's enough time for them to take a rest."It was the first time for the two to assemble the suits in zero-gravity as it is impossible to create a real zero-gravity condition on Earth.
One of the astronauts will walk out of the orbital module at 4:30 pm on Saturday, Wang said. "Since it is the first spacewalk for China ... there are many uncertainties. We will very likely adjust the time for EVA according to the astronauts' conditions," he said.
The astronauts will make a series of difficult moves in space, Wu Bin, the expert in charge of astronaut training with the China Astronaut Research and Training Center, told Xinhua.
Zhai, the No 1 astronaut, is most likely to walk into space. Assisted by Li, who will stay on in the orbital module during the process, Zhai will take a test sample of solid lubricant from the surface of the spacecraft, which was placed there before the launch.
The astronaut, tied to the spaceship with two safety wires, is scheduled to walk along the orbital module exterior.
"Actually, it is not like walking, but floating," Wu said.
A set of handrails on the spaceship surface will help the astronaut move, he said. He must make sure that both wires are tied to the handrails before taking any step forward.
During the mission, the astronauts will depressurize and re-pressurize the cabin, as well as exit and re-enter the orbital module.
To ensure the safety of the astronaut who will do the spacewalk, the space suit is equipped with three oxygen tanks. An 8-m-long electricity wire, linking the astronaut with the spaceship, will send his physiologic data back and act as a spare safety wire.
"The EVA is expected to last 20 minutes. If the time for opening and closing the module door is factored in, it will be 30 to 40 minutes," Wang said.
The historic moment will be broadcast live.
The spaceship will aslo release a 40-kg satellite which will circle the orbiter and send back images to mission command.
Earlier on Friday, Shenzhou VII shifted from an oval orbit to a more stable circular orbit 343 km above Earth.
The spaceship atop a Long March II-F rocket lifted off at 9:10 pm on Thursday from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu province, in China's third manned space mission.
新華網(wǎng)北京9月26日電（記者李志暉 李惠子）中國載人航天工程新聞發(fā)言人王兆耀26日說，根據(jù)飛行計劃安排，航天員將于27日16時30分前后執(zhí)行出艙活動任務。目前，艙外航天服組裝與測試進展順利。
根據(jù)飛行程序安排，軌道艙門從打開至關閉，整個過程約有半個小時到40分鐘左右，其中航天員艙外活動約20分鐘。屆時，出艙活動將向中國和世界媒體公開透明地播出。
王兆耀同時指出，出艙活動對中國來說是首次進行，在技術上受多方面因素影響，具體出艙時間需要根據(jù)艙外航天服和航天員的狀態(tài)確定。
他說，北京時間26日10時20分，從飛船運行第9圈起，航天員翟志剛、劉伯明開始進行軌道艙狀態(tài)檢查和艙外航天服的組裝與測試等工作。之后，將穿著艙外航天服在軌道艙進行約100分鐘的在軌訓練，為執(zhí)行出艙活動作準備。航天員景海鵬在返回艙值守，并隨時監(jiān)控飛船運行工況。
據(jù)介紹，神舟七號飛船發(fā)射升空時，艙外航天服及部分組件處于分解打包狀態(tài)，航天員需對艙外航天服艙載對接系統(tǒng)和艙外航天服進行啟封，安裝測試空氣凈化器、氧瓶、電池組、無線遙測裝置等可更換部組件，檢查與調整服裝尺寸，還將對各種接口及服裝內環(huán)境溫度、氧氣供給、通信連接等進行調整測試與系統(tǒng)檢查。根據(jù)地面模擬結果，整個過程約需12小時。
王兆耀說，由于出艙活動的真空和失重環(huán)境難以在地面進行完全真實的模擬演練，艙外航天服、氣閘艙等新研制產品和新技術采用是首次進行飛行驗證。另外，航天員要完成對艙外航天服的在軌組裝、測試、穿脫，出艙，取回科學實驗裝置，返回軌道艙、氣閘艙泄復壓等操作，時間長，難度大，因此，這次出艙活動任務具有高風險。
“要順利完成這次出艙活動，必須保證產品質量可靠、航天員訓練有素、組織指揮精確、測控通信連續(xù)穩(wěn)定?！彼f。