Chinese Astronaut Completes Nation’s First Space Walk
Chinese Astronaut Completes Nation’s First Space Walk
A Chinese astronaut Saturday became the first in his country’s history to complete a space walk, a feat President Hu Jintao hailed as a “major breakthrough” for the emerging space power. Mission commander Zhai Zhigang left the Shenzhou VII spacecraft at 4:43 pm Beijing time (0843 GMT) to float in orbit for just under 15 minutes, making China the third country to complete a space walk after the United States and the former Soviet Union.
“I feel well,” said Zhai, the leader of the Shenzhou VII’s three-man crew, waving to a camera outside the spacecraft. “I am greeting the Chinese people and the people of the world.”
The space walk, broadcast live on television, was the highlight of the 68-hour voyage — China ’s third manned foray into space — and considered an important step towards building a space station, China ’s next major ambition in space.
“Your spacewalk was a complete success. It’s a major breakthrough in the development of our manned space programme,” Hu, standing inside the Beijing Aerospace Control Centre, told the astronaut by radio. “The motherland and the people thank you.”
The spacecraft was now due to return to Earth on Sunday at 5:00pm (0900GMT), Wang Zhaoyao, spokesman for China’s manned space programme, told reporters.
The space walk was likely to stir up patriotic emotions ahead of China ’s October 1 National Day, which will mark the 59th anniversary of the founding of the people’s republic.
Coming just days before the 50th anniversary of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA, also on October 1, it also marked a potent symbol of the Asian giant’s emergence as a space power. Zhai waved a small Chinese flag shortly after climbing out of the spacecraft 343 kilometres (215 miles) over the Earth, a highly symbolic move.
Tethered to the craft with two safety wires, Zhai, 41, slowly moved towards a test sample of solid lubricant placed outside the orbital module, Xinhua news agency said.
He took the sample and handed it over to fellow astronaut Liu Boming, who stayed in the orbital module and closely monitored Zhai’s moves. The move was a drill intended to replicate the type of task that future space walkers will have to perform. A fire alert that was heard during the live transmission of the space walk turned out to be a mistake in one of the sensors, Wang said.
“To be frank, at that very moment, many of us felt a little bit concerned.”
But he said that after finding out the alarm came from the orbital module outside of which Zhai was conducting his space walk, they relaxed as there was no oxygen in the module, which therefore could not catch fire.
“After a check, we found out that there was a sensor error, so it will not impact our continued mission, please rest assured.”
The spacewalk had been eagerly anticipated, while state media had also pointed out the risk associated with the activity. An “intensive psychological shock” would be unavoidable once the astronaut left the capsule, Xinhua said earlier, citing Yang Liwei, who piloted China ’s maiden space flight in 2003. The Chinese Internet offered a forum for local enthusiasts to express their pride over the fledgling space power’s achievements.
“Go China! Go Zhigang! We wish you good luck!” said a typical posting on popular web portal Sina.com. The astronauts, who took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the desert of northwest China late Thursday, had passed most of their first day in space preparing for the walk. On Friday, Zhai and Liu spent 10 hours unpacking and assembling the special China-made space suit that was used during the walk outside the Shenzhou craft. As part of China’s space programme, two more unmanned craft will be launched by 2010, as well as another manned spaceship with a crew of three to start work on the lab or space station, according to the China Daily.
After China sent its first man into space in 2003, it followed up with a two-man mission in 2005. The astronauts also had time Friday to enjoy the view, witnessing 16 sunrises during their first 24 hours in orbit, and to sample the 80-dish menu they brought with them on their mission. Sleep was necessarily limited, but the spacecraft has sleeping bags hooked to the wall of the craft. However, the astronauts were told to keep their hands inside the bags in order to avoid them accidentally pushing a button while asleep, Xinhua said. The Shenzhou VII is expected to land in the northern Inner Mongolia region on Sunday.
Image Of China ’s Manned Spacecraft Shenzhou-7 Blasting Off. 
Image source: Xinhuanet.com (2008-09-25/21:11:41)
Jetman Soars Across English Channel
Yves Rossy’s flight
Courtesy ‘Jetman Live’, National Geographic Channel
A Swiss man has become the first person to fly solo across the English Channel using a single jet-propelled wing. Yves Rossy landed safely after the 22-mile (35.4 km) flight from Calais to Dover , which had been twice postponed this week because of bad weather. The former military pilot took less than 10 minutes to complete the crossing and parachute to the ground. The 49-year-old flew on a plane to more than 8,200ft (2,500m), ignited jets on a wing on his back, and jumped out.
Yves Rossy aimed to reach speeds of 125mph
Mr Rossy said: “It felt great, really great…..I only have one word, thank you, to all the people who did it with me.”
He said weather conditions on Friday had been perfect and his success signalled “big potential” for people to fly “a little bit like a bird” in the future. Known as ” Fusionman ,” he was aiming to follow the route taken by French airman Louis Blériot 99 years ago when he became the first person to fly across the English Channel in a plane. In Dover , Mr Rossy flew past South Foreland lighthouse - which the building’s manager Simon Ovenden said Blériot used as a target during his pioneering flight - and looped onlookers before landing in a field.
“It’s a remarkable achievement, we saw the climax of his attempt as he came down to earth with his parachute. It’s been an exciting afternoon, ” said Geoff Clark, a 54-year-old spectator from Chatham , in Kent. Mark Dale, the senior technical officer for the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, described Rossy’s flight as a “fabulous stunt“. In an interview earlier this week, Mr Rossy said: “If I calculate everything right, I will land in Dover. But if I get it wrong, I take a bath.”
The flight was broadcast live for the National Geographic Channel. Its producer, Kathryn Liptrott, told the BBC Mr Rossy was fearless: “When we’ve talked to him and asked him are you worried about risk his quote consistently is: I’m not worried about risk, I manage risk…..He flew Mirage fighters for the Swiss army, he now flies an Airbus. And in his sort of heart he’s a pilot and a parachutist and what they do is manage risk.”
The longest flight he had previously taken lasted 10 minutes.
The wing had no rudder or tail fin, so Mr Rossy had to steer it using his head and back. As well as a helmet and parachute, he wore a special suit to protect him from the four kerosene-burning turbines mounted just centimetres from him on the wing.
Source: BBC News
I Hope Blossom Proves Me Wrong!!
I’ve been aware of this channelling prediction for quite a while now but to be honest once I drew the parallels between, “The Federation Of Light” and “Vrillons” pirate radio broadcast from the 1970’s then I’ve hesitated in posting anything about it, mainly as it wouldn’t have been complimentary. But as the countdown is most definitely on with the predicted event to occur in a fortnight and especially as it’s received quite a bit of mainstream coverage then I thought I’d at least mention it.
The most recent message states that:
“There shall be many who deny.
There shall be many who dismiss.
There shall be those who KNOW of this TRUTH.
Which ever you may be … let this be understood.
IT SHALL TAKE PLACE.”
Unfortunately I’m not one of those that, “Knows the truth” so rather than post reams of reasons why I’m not, and as I’m not going to offer any disparaging comments as to this imminent celestial unveiling then I’ll simply say that I undoubtedly and 100% hope I’m wrong about Blossom Goodchild (Australian actress, author and direct-voice medium) and Mike Quinsey, (well-known United States-based medium) and of course their outlandish predictions.
But while we’re on this subject then what I will add (and in my humble opinion) I think ALL (yes, that’s every single one of them WITHOUT exception) mediums are charlatans and that’s certainly the nicest way I can think of phrasing it……
ET is coming on vacation
September 28 2008 at 03:07PM
By Eleanor Momberg
Reminiscent of a bad script from a science-fiction movie, Earthlings are being warned in a bombardment of Internet postings that the aliens are coming. And, their date of arrival is October 14. While sceptics are brushing off the messages as something that will give ufology a bad name, others are saying the messages received by two mediums on opposite ends of the globe are real.
The mediums, Blossom Goodchild, an Australian actress, author and direct-voice medium, and Mike Quinsey, a well-known United States-based medium, say they have been contacted by the galactic Federation of Light who have made it known that they will park their massive space ship over Alabama ” in the south of your hemisphere ” on October 14, and will remain there for three days. The visitation to humans has been brought forward from the initially planned End of Days in 2012 because of the damage being caused to the planet by man and the fact that “dark forces” remain in charge.
The most recent message was channelled to Mike Quinsey this week from SaLuSa of Sirius on behalf of the federation, which warned that it would not be long before people would get a clear indication of where humanity was going.
“There are events that are approaching manifestation that will be the precursor of greater happenings… You are being helped to break away from the iron grip of the dark forces, and this is vital if you are to tread a different path that shall allow you full expression in the Light,” part of the message said.
SaLuSa continued that soon there would be “irrefutable proof” that we are not alone in this universe and that extraterrestrial craft were no strangers to the planet. “What will be different is that the event of October 14 will happen in such a way that it will be undeniable and will open the door to first contact,” the being apparently told Quinsey, who was also informed that without the help of extraterrestrials, man would have been unable to progress as far.
But the initial announcement that the federation was en route was made by Goodchild, who recently published a book documenting the messages channelled to her by these cosmic beings. She said that in her most recent contacts the beings informed her that they come to “help us and our planet move to a new higher vibration of love“.
In their message to the “leaders, governors, politicians and all people of Earth“, the federation stated that they would be attacked by those who would try to deny their existence. They were not coming to take over the world or destroy it, but to give people hope so that they would see the Light. Their presence would be televised, but there would be no direct human contact.
The aliens claimed that man had been prepared for their arrival - through the movies.
One blogger questioned whether the Federation of Light was the alien force that Captain Kirk and Mr Spock had to deal with in at least three of the original Star Trek episodes. Others debated whether this was not part of Nasa’s Blue Beam Project, part of which apparently involved a gigantic “space show” consisting of three-dimensional optical holograms sounding the new “god’s” voice to mark the start of a new world order.
Yet others debated whether these messages were reminiscent of doomsday cults such as Jim Jones’s People’s Temple and the Heaven’s Gate in which followers committed mass suicide. The 38 Heaven’s Gate followers believed souls would board a space ship hiding in the Hale-Bopp comet in 1997. In additional communications posted on Goodchild’s website, the aliens tell her they are coming to collect those humans who have seen the Light, which some said might explain alien abductions.
Cristo Louw, the founder of South Africa ’s UFO Resource, said he believed anything was possible and that “vibrations have been happening throughout the history of humankind“. While he would not bet money on the aliens arriving on October 14, he did believe it ” might be a good thing to get people to focus on something more positive “.
“If it happens, it is not unexpected. It is not going to change the fact that these beings are real…..Most people are in survival-mode thinking, so they have not had a chance to think about the deeper questions in life. This might be their chance.”
Man, he said, was ready for this visit.
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