Shenzhou-5 Launcher Ready For Transfer To Jiuquan Launch Site: "DRAGON SPACE

Shenzhou-5 Launcher Ready For Transfer To Jiuquan Launch Site

by Hou Yi
Hong Kong - Aug 11, 2003
The Changzheng-2F (Long March-2F) launcher that will deliver the Shenzhou-5 spacecraft into orbit will likely be ready to leave for the launch center within the last ten days of this month, local newspaper Ta Kung Pao reported on Sunday (Aug. 3)."

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Two days earlier (Aug. 1) the newspaper also reported that both the SZ-5 spacecraft and the CZ-2F launcher had been undergoing rigorous reexamination ahead of their imminent departure to the launch site.

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Unidentified officials at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) said that in order to ensure a perfectly safe flight for the historic manned mission, processing work on other Changzheng rockets for missions later this year was stopped so that all resources would be devoted to test both SZ-5 and CZ-2F.

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The forthcoming transfer of the launcher to JSLC signifies that preparation of the SZ-5 mission is about to enter its final phase.

The report on Sunday in Ta Kung Pao also cited information from unnamed space officials that the launch window of SZ-5 might be around 6 a.m. Beijing Time (10pm UTC on previous day).

Two weeks ago Wen Wei Po, another newspaper in Hong Kong, reported that the launch of SZ-5 could happen within 100 days from now.