Shenzhou

Description

Shenzhou was a Chinese (PRC) unmanned capsule launched by a Long March 2F rocket from Jiquan launch center in Gansu province at 22:30 UT. It carried a mannequin for test purposes. It was reported to be an 8.4 ton capsule, capable of accommodating a crew of four. The capsule was not a reusable vehicle. It parachuted down in Inner Mongolia after orbiting for 21 hours and 11 minutes. After one or two unmanned flights, the same model is expected to carry one or more "taikonauts" in 2000. (A reported variant of Taikonaut is Taikongaut, "Tai Kong" meaning Cosmos.)