Shenzhou 1: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Crew

• none

• Mass: 7,600 kg
• Perigee: 195 km
• Apogee: 315 km
• Inclination: 42.6°
• Period: 89.6 minutes
• NSSDC ID: 1999-061A

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 is reported to be an 7.8 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. After four unmanned flights, the same model carried a "taikonaut" in 2003. (A reported variant of Taikonaut is Taikongaut, "Tai Kong" meaning Cosmos.)