spacetoday.net: Shenzhou 3 performing well in orbit

Posted: Thu, Mar 28, 2002, 9:05 AM ET (1405 GMT)
Shenzhou illustration by Simon Zajc

China's Shenzhou 3 spacecraft is operating well in orbit and should remain in orbit for at least several more days, according to Chinese and other media reports. Chinese officials said Wednesday that the spacecraft, launched Monday, has been working well in a "preset" orbit; no major orbit changes have been observed since shortly after launch. Chinese reports indicated that there are several dozen scientific experiments on the spacecraft, including experiments to test how humans would live on the spacecraft. The length of the mission is uncertain: SpaceDaily reported that some Chinese media have indicated that the mission will last for five days, with a landing on Saturday, while others have claimed the spacecraft will remain in orbit for at least a week. The spacecraft's separate orbital module will likely remain in orbit for up to six months.