Chinese scientists have developed a material that the country's
astronauts can wear for the country's first planned spacewalks on
the Shenzhou VII mission next year, according to a Beijing
newspaper.
The first batch of 300 square meters of the material was being
manufactured, the Beijing Science and Technology Daily said.
"The surface material, made up of advanced synthetic fabric,
boasts characteristics such as fire and radiation resistance that
meet spacewalk requirements," the newspaper quoted Pang Zhihao, a
Chinese space expert, as saying.
The surface material should protect astronauts from extreme heat
on the side exposed to the sun at temperatures more than 200
degrees Celsius, and extreme cold on the shaded side, said
Pang.
The material can also protect astronauts from injury from
floating micro-meteoroids in space, Pang added.
"There will be great differences between Shenzhou VII spacesuits
and previous ones," Pang said.
China's next manned space flight Shenzhou VII, the third in its
space program, is scheduled to take place in 2008, and three
astronauts are expected to undertake spacewalks.
Pang said the Shenzhou VII spacewalk suit was designed to be
like a small aircraft with a propeller allowing astronauts to move
freely in space, the newspaper report said.
The suit would automatically supply nourishment, oxygen up to
seven hours and about 1.9 kilolitres of water, it said, adding a
drainage system would let out carbon dioxide and waste water.
China's first manned spacecraft, Shenzhou V, blasted off in
October 2003, making China the third nation after the Soviet Union
and the United States to send a human into space. The second,
Shenzhou VI, with two astronauts circled the Earth for five days
before returning in October 2005.
(Xinhua News Agency June 1, 2007)