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China
to launch space station modules
¡¡¡¡BEIJING, Oct. 24 (Xinhuanet) -- The Jiuquan
Satellite Launch Center, which put China's
first manned spacecraft onto the orbit early
this month, is capable of launching modules
of space stations in the future, says a senior
official at the center.
¡¡¡¡Some facilities at the center as well as
the propellant of the rocket might need to be
upgraded however, said Yu Jianping, deputydesigner-in-chief
of the launch center system and director of
the Beijing Special Engineering Design Institute.
¡¡¡¡The center was world-class and could be used
to launch a 10-tonmodule of space station after
the upgrading.
¡¡¡¡Construction of the launch center began in
1993 and was completed in 1998. It assembles,
tests and transports rockets and space vehicles
in an upright way and through remote and automatic
control.
¡¡¡¡It was of the most advanced model in the
world, ensuring the efficiency and quality of
rocket and spacecraft assembly and testing,
he said.
¡¡¡¡The center had two upright assembly platforms
and one launch pad, which allowed it to launch
a space station capable of dockingby different
modules in the space. The center could conduct
two launches a week.
¡¡¡¡All the equipment and installations at the
center were designedto accommodate the launch
of space stations in the future. The assembly
workshop had an access, eight meters tall and
eight meters wide, to allow for the future movement
of a space station.
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