Shenzhou 2

Launch, orbit and landing data

Mission details

• ShenZhou-2, the second unmanned test of the ShenZhou spaceship, was launched by a CZ-2F rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre (JSLC) at 09:00 Beijing Time (01:00 GMT) on 9 January 2001.
• The ShenZhou-2 spaceship served as the prototype for the future manned spaceflight, as well as a sophisticated space science laboratory, with a total of 64 science experiment payloads, including 15 in the re-entry module, 12 in the orbital module and 37 on the forward external pallet. These included a micro-gravity crystal growing device, life sciences experiments with 19 species of animals and plants, cosmic ray and particle detectors; and China′s first gamma ray burst detectors.
• The Shenzhou spacecraft carried a monkey, a dog and a rabbit.
• ShenZhou-2 made three orbit-raising manoeuvres during its flight, reaching a 330 x 345km orbit by the end of the initial phase of the mission. After orbiting around the earth 117 times, the descent and service modules were separated from the forward orbital module and external pallet. After retrofire by the service module, the re-entry capsule separated from the service module and landed on the grasslands in Inner Mongolia at 19:22 Beijing Time (11:22 GMT) on 16 January 2001.
  However, lack of publicity photographs of the recovered re-entry capsule led to speculation that the recovery may not have been completely successful, but this cannot be confirmed.
• Shenzhou 3 module (26687 / 01001C) reentered on 24 Aug 2001 - ~09:36 UT
  

Astrophilately covers:

Launch Shenzhou 2. Credit: #411a

Launch Shenzhou 2

Launch Shenzhou 2, Shangai cancel. Credit: #402

Launch Shenzhou 2, Tracking navire Yuanwang 2, signed by Capitaine. Credit: #402

Landing Shenzhou 2. Credit: #411a

Landing Shenzhou 2. Credit: #402