[Space] CNSA - Shenzhou 6

[GioFX]

Da SinoDefence.com:

ShenZhou Spacecraft

ShenZhou (“Magic Vessel”) is China’s first spacecraft with manned capabilities. The development of the spacecraft began in the early 1990s under China’s manned space programme Project 921. Following four unmanned test flights between 1999 and 2002, the fifth spacecraft ShenZhou-5 successfully orbited China’s first astronaut on 15 October 2003. The next manned mission ShenZhou-6 is reportedly scheduled before 2006.


PROGRAMME

China’s current manned space programme, known as Project 921, was officially launched in September 1992. The initial target of the programme is to send a manned spacecraft into the earth orbit and recover it successfully. China’s step-by-step approach includes few unmanned test flights, followed by two or more manned missions.

The development of the ShenZhou spacecraft began in the early 1990s, with the spacecraft reported to be in engineering phase in 1996. Despite the highly classified status of the project, details of the ShenZhou spacecraft began to emerge in the late 1990s. It is understood that the ShenZhou spacecraft bears many similarities to the Russian Soyuz which, in turn, was similar to some early 1960s Apollo concepts.

To help save the project time and costs, the ShenZhou spacecraft has adopted certain Russian technologies. China has reportedly bought examples of the Soyuz-TM spacecraft technologies, including a complete re-entry capsule, an androgynous docking unit, a pressure suit as used by cosmonauts, and the life-support system. However, instead of copying these, Chinese engineers learned from them and applied what they have learned to the ShenZhou’s designs.

The first unmanned ShenZhou experimental prototype was successfully launched and recovered in November 1999, followed by the second experimental prototype flight ShenZhou-2 in January 2001. The first fully equipped spacecraft ShenZhou-3 was launched in March 2002, carrying a dummy astronaut for the test of the life-support system. The last unmanned mission ShenZhou-4 was carried out in December 2002.

The fifth launch, ShenZhou-5, was the first to carry a human (Lt. Col Yang Liwei) and occurred at 09:00 Beijing Time on 15 October 2003. This has made China the third country after the USSR/Russia and US in the world capable of sending human into space. The sixth launch, which is reported to be scheduled in 2005 or 2006, will carry two astronauts and stay on the earth orbit for three days.

DESIGN

The general layout of the ShenZhou spacecraft is similar to the Russian Soyuz. The spacecraft comprises three modules: a forward orbital module, a re-entry capsule, and an aft service module. Once the mission is completed, the service module and the re-entry capsule are separated from the orbital module by the ground command, and begins the retrofire. Then the service module is separated from the re-entry capsule and burns up in the atmosphere, while the re-entry capsule enters lower atmosphere and lands on the earth surface.

There are two pairs of solar panels mounted on the service and orbital modules, with a total area of 36 square metres, giving the spacecraft an average of 1.3kW electrical power, which is comparable to the base module of the Mir space station. The orbital module is equipped with its own solar panels, propulsions and flight control system for autonomous flight.

The ShenZhou spacecraft is capable of carrying up to three astronauts for a flight mission of up to a week, with the orbital module capable of flying autonomously for up to six months.

The spacecraft is powered by four main engines, with a total thrust of 2,000kg. Burn time at retrofire would be about thirty seconds.

ORBITAL MODULE

The orbital module contains space for experiments and other equipment operated by the mission crew. After the entry capsule and service module are separated for re-entry, the orbital module continues flying in the earth orbit for another six months before it finally burns up in the atmosphere.

During its autonomous flight, the orbital module can carry out various unattended scientific experiments. In the future missions, the remaining orbital module of a ShenZhou spacecraft could also be used for space docking with another spacecraft, forming a temporary space station. For such missions it would have a Russian-style androgynous docking system at the forward end of the orbital module.

Additionally, the orbital modules is said to be capable of carrying signal intelligence (SIGINT) payload, and/or reconnaissance CCD cameras (up to 1.6m ground resolution) for military purposes.

RE-ENTRY CAPSULE

The re-entry capsule is the only module protected by heat shielding to withstand the tremendous heat when entering the atmosphere. This design minimises the amount of material to be returned to earth, and therefore increases the space available to the spacecraft without increasing its weight.

The design of the ShenZhou re-entry capsule is said to be based on the Soyuz, with a larger size to accommodate up to three astronauts. The ShenZhou re-entry capsule uses the same landing technique as the Soyuz. After the capsule enters the atmosphere, the capsule deploys a single drogue, followed by a single main parachute. Just before the impact, the capsule ignite the landing rocket for soft-landing, another Soyuz trademark.

The capsule provides Soyuz-style moulded seats for up to three crew. The astronauts control the spacecraft via a fairly modern flight control panel. A Russian-style periscope provided a means of manually orienting the spacecraft for retrofire and a forward view during docking operations. Manual control of the spacecraft was via Soyuz-type hand controllers.

SERVICE MODULE

The aft service module developed by Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST), contains life support and other equipment required for the functioning of the ShenZhou. It is larger than that of the Soyuz, with adjustable solar panels to obtain maximum solar insulation regardless of the spacecraft’s flight status.

LAUNCH ESCAPE SYSTEM

The emergency escape system of the ShenZhou consists of the escape tower, the payload fairing, and the orbital and descent modules. The escape tower would fire to pull the ShenZhou capsule and orbital module away from the booster in the event of a major booster malfunction from 15 minutes before launch to the point of escape tower jettison at T+120 seconds (39,000m altitude).

The payload firing, which also has its own power, could also be used to pull the spacecraft capsule and orbital module away from the booster from the payload fairing jettison (T+120 seconds) to T+200 seconds. The payload fairing is then separated from the spacecraft.

When the fault monitoring management system on CZ-2F launch vehicle senses an emergency situation, it automatically activates the launch escape system. Ground controllers could also activate the system by command if deemed necessary. On manned flights the astronauts could manually activate the system from within the capsule.

After T+200 seconds, an abort would consist simply of booster shutdown, separation of the descent module, and an emergency re-entry leading to a recovery either on Chinese territory or off the southern coast of Japan.

SPECIFICATIONS

Length: 8.65m
Diameter: 2.80m
Solar Panel Span: 19.40m
Total weight: 7,800kg

Date Last Updated: 8 November 2004


Shenzhou V:

[GioFX]

China's second manned spaceflight could be nearing

BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: September 19, 2005

Recent reports indicate China's next manned venture into outer space is less than a month away. The mission will feature two Chinese military pilots-turned-astronauts that will give their Shenzhou 6 capsule a thorough shakedown in preparation for more advanced missions in the next few years.

The flight of Shenzhou 6 will mark the second in China's infant manned spaceflight program, following on the heels of the historic mission of Shenzhou 5 in October 2003. During that 21-hour voyage, astronaut Yang Liwei orbited Earth 14 times before wrapping up his mission by parachuting to a soft landing in the northern province of Inner Mongolia.

Yang visited military officials in the Chinese city of Nanjing over the weekend during an international space exhibition, and said the launch of Shenzhou 6 would occur in mid-October. Earlier reports from state-sanctioned news agencies said the mission would begin after the national holiday in the first week of October.

Shenzhou 6 will be shot into space atop a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan satellite launch center in northwest China's Gansu province, a region blanketed by the vast expanse of the Gobi desert.

China's space hero also declared he would not take part in the follow-up to his inaugural flight, saying he was happy to leave his seat to younger astronauts, according to the China Daily newspaper.

Shenzhou 6 will - for the first time in the Chinese program - carry two astronauts on a five-day mission in Earth orbit to confirm all is ready for next year's planned flight of Shenzhou 7, whose crew will perform the nation's first spacewalk.

With China's pioneer astronaut now out of the running, 13 of the original 14 candidate are assumed to be still competing for the two prized positions. Officials have said in the past that a final decision on the crew would not be made until shortly before the launch.

However, it was previously reported that the 14 pilots were paired in groups of two, and the absence of Yang Liwei leaves the number remaining in consideration in some doubt.

A new batch of astronaut trainees will be selected next year, with women included in the group for the first time.

The crew of next month's mission will enjoy more luxurious accommodations than Yang experienced, with additional living space provided by the orbital module that Shenzhou 6's crew will enter for the first time. The China Daily report also said the astronauts will have heated food, sleeping bags, and improved sanitary conditions.

Their objectives during the stay in space will likely include a variety of domestic research goals and military experiments, though details remain closely guarded in the clandestine program.

Subsequent flights will first test space rendezvous and docking procedures by 2008 with the Shenzhou 8 spacecraft docking with the abandoned orbital module left behind by the Shenzhou 7 mission. Officials will then turn their attention to plans for a possible space laboratory that could support human-tended research stints.


China National Space Administration web site: http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/main_e.asp

[GioFX]

The Shenzhou-6 mission is in final preparation with the integration of the spacecraft to its launcher this week at the launch site, and the expected arrival of the six-crew candidates from Beijing.
As most people in China still enjoy the weeklong holiday following National Day celebrations on Oct. 1, personnel at JSLC only got a little time off from their busy prelaunch work schedule.
Rollout of the CZ-2F launcher, with Shenzhou-6 on board, will take place shortly after the end of the weeklong holiday ending Oct. 7, Wen Wei Po said on Sept. 29.
Liftoff of the much-anticipated Shenzhou-6 mission (SZ-6, Shenzhou means "Divine Vessel" or "Magic Vessel") would take place no earlier than October 13, according to Wen Wei Po who first reported the possible launch date on Sept. 25. Other Chinese media reports have since widely quoted the launch date.

[GioFX]

Da Space.com:

China Prepares for Second Manned Spaceflight

By Stephanie Hoo
Associated Press Writer
posted: 10 October 2005
10:40 a.m. ET

BEIJING (AP) – China plans to launch two astronauts into orbit on its second manned space flight as early as this week, using the occasion to trumpet its ambitions as a global power.

State media say the launch might happen Thursday – almost exactly two years after the first Chinese manned space mission in 2003 – but the date hasn't been confirmed by the government.

Foreign reporters are barred from the remote base in the Gobi Desert in China's northwest. A handful of Chinese journalists, including some from Hong Kong, are to be on hand for the launch, but have been warned that they might be ordered to hand over any photos or video – a possible image-control measure if anything goes wrong.

The communist government attaches enormous national prestige to its space program, which is closely linked to the secretive military.

In a nation with an annual income per person of less than $1,000 and where millions get by on far less, the government justifies the expense of manned space flight by saying it will help drive economic and technological development.

China's first space flight in 2003 gave the communist leadership bragging rights as only the third government to send a human into orbit on its own, after Russia and the United States.

The manned space program appeals to nationalist sentiment, helping the Communist Party shore up its public standing amid widespread frustration over corruption and a growing gulf between the country's tiny economic elite and its poor majority.

The plan this week is for two astronauts to blast off aboard the Shenzhou 6 capsule.

Three two-member teams of astronauts have arrived at the base near the city of Jiuquan, and the crew for the launch will be picked following a final battery of medical and psychological tests, the state newspaper Wuhan Evening News reported Monday. It cited only “high-level information.''

The Shenzhou – or Divine Vessel – capsule is based on Russia's three-seat Soyuz, although with extensive modifications.

Space suits, life-support systems and other equipment are based on technology purchased from Russia, although Beijing says all items to be sent into space are Chinese-made.

China has had a rocketry program since the 1950s and shot its first satellite into orbit in 1970. It regularly launches satellites for foreign clients aboard its giant Long March boosters.

In its first manned flight, a rocket carrying Col. Yang Liwei, a former fighter pilot, blasted into orbit in October 2003. Yang orbited the Earth for 21 1/2 hours and returned a national hero.

Chinese space officials say they want to land an unmanned probe on the moon by 2010 and build a space station.

The road to China's space center is a forbidding route patrolled by military vehicles. A sign along the way says in English, “Foreigners are not allowed to enter without permission.''

China doesn't participate in the U.S.-led international space station project.

The second flight will be longer and more complicated, lasting five days, according to state media. Reports say the two astronauts will take off their 22-pound suits to travel back and forth between the two halves of their spacecraft – a re-entry capsule and an orbiter that is to stay aloft after they land.

They will also conduct experiments.

In the 2003 flight aboard Shenzhou 5, Yang was confined to his re-entry module for the duration of the flight.

State TV is to show 54 hours of live coverage of the launch, orbit and re-entry, the Hong Kong newspaper Wen Hui Bao newspaper said Sunday.

A documentary about failed space missions by other countries will be aired if the launch does not succeed, the newspaper said, citing Fu Xiaoting, the live broadcast director for China Central Television.

The space center itself is a high-tech oasis in the Gobi Desert in one of China's poorest regions. The government allowed foreign journalists to visit on a guided tour in September 2004, revealing a sprawling campus kept lush and green by rows of sprinklers.

Nearby, peasants struggle to grow crops in the arid desert climate. Women harvest cotton by hand as their children play beside them. Average farm incomes in the area hover around $470 per household a year, and parts of Gansu still depend on food aid from elsewhere in China.

[GioFX]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0510/11shenzhou6/

China takes next step in human spaceflight

BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: October 11, 2005

China took the next bold step in its quest for the high frontier Wednesday when a team of former military pilots blasted into Earth orbit from a desert launch pad to begin five days of intensive experiments and tests that will pave the way for further milestones in space in the coming years.

Two astronauts were aboard the Shenzhou 6 capsule as it flew into space atop a Long March 2F rocket that took off at 0100 GMT (9:00 p.m. EDT), or in the mid-morning hours at the remote Jiuquan launch site nestled in northwest China's Gansu province at the edge of the Gobi desert.

Live video of the launch showed officials clustered in a large control room, marking key points in the countdown and watching as the final moments ticked away before the mission made its fiery departure. As the clocks reached zero, one controller pushed the red launch command button, followed seconds later by ignition of the Long March's eight engines and liftoff.

The rocket ascended and disappeared into a cloud deck less than a minute after launch, but telemetry data streaming down from the vehicle indicated all was going well until the third stage engine was shut down and Shenzhou 6 was deployed into orbit. Controllers were seen smiling, clapping, and loudly cheering as each launch milestone was achieved.

Pre-launch targets were for an orbit ranging in altitude from a high point of 215 miles, to a low point of 124 miles, and with an inclination of 42.4 degrees. An adjustment burn is anticipated to occur in first few hours of the flight to circularize the orbit for the remainder of the mission.

Cameras mounted both inside and outside of the capsule showed the crew smiling and waving after successfully reaching space, and relayed dramatic scenes as the launcher quickly flew away from Earth and through clouds as boosters and rocket stages were jettisoned to fall back to the planet.

Confirmation of deployment of the craft's electricity-producing solar panels came within the first hour of the flight, and early communications with the crew indicated they were feeling well.

Originally rumored to be planned for later in the week, the beginning of the mission was likely moved up a day to avoid bad weather forecast to strike northwestern China over the next few days.

An official announcement of the identity of the crew was not made until the final hours before liftoff, when Chinese leaders visited astronauts Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng shortly before they left for the launch pad at Jiuquan. Among the visiting dignitaries were Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and members of the central committee of the communist party.

"Piloting the Shenzhou 6 spaceship, you will once again show to the world that the Chinese people have the will, confidence, and capability to mount new scientific peaks ceaselessly," the premier was quoted as saying by the Xinhua news agency.

The ruling communist party views China's space program as a crucial part of national prestige, and the flight is expected to garner much attention from Chinese citizens who were reportedly glued to broadcasts of the launch.

Both astronauts were part of an original group of fourteen training over the past few years for the opportunity to fly in space on Shenzhou 6. That number was recently reduced to six before a final selection was made.

They have been members of the astronaut brigade of the People's Liberation Army since 1998, along with Yang Liwei - China's pioneer space flyer that orbited Earth fourteen times two years ago this week. At 40 and 41 respectively, Fei and Nie are both from provinces in east-central China and are former pilots in the Chinese Air Force.

The astronauts were both finalists in the competition leading up to the flight of Shenzhou 5 in 2003, according to reports from Xinhua.

Shenzhou 6 received its crew about three hours before the launch around daybreak at Jiuquan, as frigid temperatures greeted the crew's entourage at the pad. Heavy snow showers were reported overnight, state-run media said.

Unlike the launch of Shenzhou 5, officials openly broadcasted video feeds of the liftoff internationally through web sites and the government-sponsored Central Chinese Television channels.

Also in contrast to China's first foray into outer space is the 119-hour planned duration of this mission. Shenzhou 5 and its sole occupant were in space for just 21 hours, and astronaut Yang Liwei was confined to his launch and entry seat throughout the flight.

Over the next five days, the Shenzhou 6 crew will enter the larger orbital module for additional living room and comfort. There the pair will reportedly begin a regimen of life sciences experiments and other unspecified activities. Also waiting for them in the orbital module are large foodstuffs, water, sleeping bags, a food heater, and improved sanitation equipment for use during their journey.

All told, over 110 technical modifications were made to the craft's design to improve Shenzhou 6 above earlier models.

Landing of the Shenzhou 6 entry capsule is expected in around five days, perhaps Monday of next week. The supposed October 17 parachuted return would see a touchdown in the northern China province of Inner Mongolia - the same locale that hosted previous Shenzhou landings.

As the first part of the next step in China's methodical space development plan, Shenzhou 6 will demonstrate longer space voyages with larger crews. Earlier confessions by senior officials have revealed that Shenzhou 7 is currently expected to fly next year to perform the program's first spacewalk, and that Shenzhou 8's mission in 2008 could rendezvous and dock with the orbital module left in space by Shenzhou 7.

Longer term plans call for a manned space station and more ambitious missions in the next decade.

Often wrapped in official secrecy, China's infant manned space program has been in development for over a decade, and the first unmanned prototype was deployed in space in 1999. Three more test flights followed, and the historic first manned mission was launched in October 2003, making China just the third nation to put a human into orbit after the former Soviet Union and the United States completed inaugural spaceflights over 40 years ago.

[GioFX]

Cina, seconda navicella in orbita.
Cinque giorni nello spazio

PECHINO - Durerà cinque giorni la missione nello spazio dei due astronauti cinesi Fei Junlong e Nie Haisheng. I due astronauti sono partiti oggi a bordo della navicella spaziale Shenzhou VI dal poligono di Jiuquan, nella remota provincia del Gansu, circa mille chilometri a nordovest della capitale Pechino.

Una forte nevicata, la prima della stagione, ha fatto temere nelle prime ore della mattina locale un rinvio. Poi la neve ha rallentato ed è stato deciso di procedere come previsto. "Non c'è nulla da temere, porteremo a compito la missione con risolutezza", hanno detto gli astronauti dopo essere stati salutati personalmente dal primo ministro Wen Jiabao.

Con Wen erano presenti al lancio altri due dei nove membri del comitato permanente del politburo comunista, il più importante organo decisionale della Cina. Il presidente Hu Jintao e gli altri membri dello "standing commitee" hanno assistito al lancio dal centro aerospaziale di Pechino. La partenza di Shenzhou VI è stata trasmessa in diretta dalla televisione di Stato. Solo due anni sono passati dalla prima missione nello spazio di un astronauta cinese, effettuata dal colonello Yang Liwei nell' ottobre del 2003.

[GioFX]

Flight of Chinese astronauts appears to be going smoothly

BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: October 14, 2005

Now veterans of over three days in space, the two astronauts aboard China's Shenzhou 6 capsule are more than halfway through their anticipated five-day mission after already completing several experiments and key tests of the performance of their spacecraft, which continues to function well.

The crew launched early Wednesday from the remote Jiuquan launch center in northwest China's Gobi desert, and its Long March 2F rocket delivered astronauts Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng to orbit just minutes later to begin their shakedown cruise designed to check the Shenzhou's performance. The spacecraft used its on-board propulsion system to fine-tune its path around Earth about seven hours later, achieving a circular orbit just over 200 miles in altitude.

Within nine hours after liftoff, Fei became the first man to enter the orbital module of a Shenzhou craft. During China's historic first manned flight in 2003, pilot Yang Liwei was confined to his seat in the entry capsule throughout the 21-hour trip.

The Shenzhou 6 astronauts also removed their bulky launch and entry spacesuits during the first day of their mission, and donned standard work clothes to allow them to live more comfortably in a shirtsleeve environment, said the Xinhua news agency.

The families of the two new national heroes visited the mission's Beijing flight control room to participate in a radio communications link with the crew late Wednesday, a day before astronaut Nie Haisheng's 41st birthday.

On Thursday, the pair carried out the planned schedule of experiments and tests to further examine the operating characteristics of the Shenzhou design, which features an entry module situated between orbital and service modules, each fitted with a pair of solar arrays for electricity production.

Included in the checkout regime were disturbance tests to gauge the response of the craft to a variety movements and vibrations. "These experiments were conducted with exaggerating movements in a bid to test the effects of their actions to the spacecraft," a Xinhua report said.

"The results proved that the spacecraft was fully capable of enduring all the disturbances, and then (the) astronauts (will) be allowed to move in a relatively free way."

Shenzhou 6 reportedly passed the tests with no ill effects, putting both designers and ground controllers at ease with the excellent performance of the craft thus far. Other work completed on the second day of the test flight included a check of the seal on the hatch between the entry and orbital modules to ensure it is airtight for the separation of the two components prior to the astronauts' return to Earth.

An orbital adjust burn was conducted during the spacecraft's 30th trip around Earth early Friday, Beijing time, to boost its trajectory after the natural effects of slight atmospheric drag had begun to decay its orbit to lower altitudes.

Other experiments carried out on the mission have focused on life and material sciences, Earth observation, and environmental studies, Xinhua reported.

This mission carries many more supplies and comforts than afforded to Yang Liwei in his 2003 flight, and the astronauts have taken advantage by using sleeping bags for rest, an improved sanitation system, heated food, and purified drinks.

The astronauts typically consume three meals a day, with each consisting of five to six separate dishes. Included in the rations are rice, beef balls, and dehydrated vegetables, Xinhua said.

Pre-flight reports said the Shenzhou 6 mission would last around 119 hours, or about five days in duration. If true, this would result in a touchdown of the capsule early on Monday in the grasslands of the northern Chinese province of Inner Mongolia -- the landing site of the previous five Shenzhou flights.

Recovery teams are already stationed in the nearby Hongger Township in case management officials in Beijing order an early return of the astronauts. Such a decision is possible and would likely be based on expected weather conditions at the landing site.

China has fielded nine ground stations worldwide in support of the mission, in addition to a fleet of four tracking ships at sea in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans to allow more communications opportunities with the crew in space.

According to Xinhua, thirteen landing sites have been selected by program officials, including the primary locale in Inner Mongolia, a backup at the Jiuquan launch center, and eleven other emergency sites scattered across the globe in Australia, northern Africa, Europe, and the United States.

When Shenzhou 6 returns to Earth, controllers will command the orbital module to first separate from the return capsule and attached service module, allowing the former to continue flying in space for other unmanned experiments. The service module will then fire braking thrusters to slow the craft enough to nudge it out of orbit and on a path to return to Earth.

Before encountering the upper reaches of the atmosphere, the return capsule will jettison the service module, which is designed to burn up during the fiery re-entry. Meanwhile, the return capsule -- protected by an ablative heat shield -- will plummet through the upper atmosphere and intense heat before deploying parachutes to slow the craft on its way to a soft touchdown in the plains of northern China.

The crew will be pulled from the capsule shortly after recovery forces arrive via helicopter just minutes after landing.

[GioFX]

Chinese astronauts return from space

BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: October 16, 2005

Returning home to a hero's welcome, two astronauts parachuted to a soft landing in the steppes of northern China shrouded in a veil of pre-dawn darkness to punctuate a five-day flight in space that served as a key test before more complex missions are undertaken in the next few years.

The Shenzhou 6 return capsule floated to Earth in Siziwang Banner, a county in north China's Inner Mongolia province. Touchdown was at 2033 GMT (4:33 p.m. EDT) Sunday, or in the wee hours of Monday morning in Beijing, state media sources reported.

The mission ended with a duration of 115 hours and 32 minutes, or around four-and-a-half hours shy of a full five days in space. During that time, the craft flew over two million miles and completed over 75 trips around Earth.

Recovery teams had been on standby throughout the mission, and they soon swept in to the landing site to retrieve astronauts Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng from their seats inside the spacecraft. Officials say Shenzhou 6 landed less than a mile from the expected touchdown point, and around four miles from the site of the ending of the Shenzhou 5 mission in 2003, which was China's first manned spaceflight.

Rescue forces consisted of around fourteen ground vehicles, at least four helicopters, and a team of some 300 people, who worked feverishly to quickly get to the capsule, which reports indicate landed upright, the Xinhua news agency said.

Helicopter pilots first sighted a light signal from the spaceship less than ten minutes after landing, and ground teams reached the capsule less than a half-hour later. Still clad in their spacesuits, the astronauts emerged from the hatch around an hour after touchdown, with Fei Junlong appearing first, followed by Nie.

Xinhua reported the pair was in good spirits and excellent health after their historic voyage, and images from Inner Mongolia showed the crew sitting in chairs re-adapting to Earth's gravity after receiving bouquets of flowers. Both said they were feeling well.

After brief medical checks and a photo opportunity, the astronauts then boarded a transport helicopter for the trip to a local airport, during which they ate a light meal -- their first on Earth in five days.

Once at the airport, the crew transferred to an airplane that took them to Beijing, where crowds of engineers and politicians awaited them. Also, the astronauts were to be re-united with their families upon arrival. The departure from Inner Mongolia occurred just three hours after their fiery return from space.

Monday morning's landing was heralded with praise from Chinese leaders gathered at the Beijing control center. Wu Bangguo, chairman of the standing committee of China's National People's Congress, gave remarks after space commander Chen Bingde declared success. Included in the speech were official congratulatory messages from the communist party and China's central military commission.

Premier Wen Jiabao met with the crew before they left the planet and observed the blastoff at Jiuquan launch center last Wednesday. President Hu Jintao spoke with the crew in space on Saturday.

The return of Shenzhou 6 had been expected to occur early Monday, Beijing time. However, this mission's landing was several hours earlier than that of Shenzhou 5, which touched down at around sunrise.

In preparation for their homecoming, Fei and Nie donned their white spacesuits used during launch and re-entry in their final hours in space.

Officials at the mission's Beijing control center first sent the command to jettison the craft's orbital habitation module at 1944 GMT (3:44 p.m. EDT), leaving it to stay in orbit for several more months to conduct further tests and experiments without human presence. The propulsion module and entry vehicle remained attached, and braking rockets were then ordered to fire moments later to slow the spacecraft to allow its return.

Before encountering the upper fringes of Earth's atmosphere, the disposable propulsion block was released from the return capsule. It is purposely designed to burn up during re-entry.

The craft's ground track took it over the Atlantic Ocean before the retrofire maneuver took place off the west coast of South Africa, experienced satellite observer Ted Molczan told Spaceflight Now.

As Shenzhou 6 fell toward Earth, Molczan said it passed over central Africa, Saudi Arabia, and made landfall in Asia near Pakistan before entering Chinese airspace, which Xinhua reported occurred at 2008 GMT (4:08 p.m. EDT).

Shenzhou 6's crew was cut off from communicating with controllers for several minutes due to a blackout period as it streaked through the upper atmosphere surrounded by high temperature plasma particles. However, communications were soon regained and ground radars picked up returns from the craft before it deployed a sequence of three parachutes to stabilize and slow the capsule. As it reached a point just a few feet above the surface, detectors sensed the approaching ground and thrusters were fired to further soften the impact.

China's second human spaceflight picked up where Yang Liwei left off in the flight of Shenzhou 5 in 2003, during which Yang became China's first man in space. That 21-hour mission was eclipsed in duration five-fold this time around.

Other firsts in the Chinese space program included the opening and entry of the astronauts into the orbital module, which housed additional supplies such as a sleeping bag, tastier food and drink rations, and sanitation equipment.

The crew also completed a number of unspecified experiments in the life and material sciences, Earth observation, and environmental studies.

Perhaps the most crucial objective of the mission involved the testing of the functionality of the spacecraft far beyond what was learned during the comparatively straightforward flight of the first manned mission. The astronauts reportedly conducted anti-disturbance tests to ensure the craft could handle rough movement inside the capsule, and planners pushed the limits of the design to gain confidence in its performance before more ambitious missions in the future.

The next mission in line is Shenzhou 7, which could launch as soon as late next year. Earlier reports have indicated the program's first spacewalk could be attempted on this flight. Later in the sequence, orbital rendezvous and docking operations are planned before China is expected to launch its first space station after 2010.

For Spaceflight Now's earlier reports on this mission, see our launch story and update from Friday.