View source for Shenzhou 3

{{Short description|2002 Chinese uncrewed spaceflight}}
{{no footnotes|date=December 2010}}
{{Infobox spaceflight
| name                  = Shenzhou 3
| image                 = 
| image_caption         = 
| insignia              =

| mission_type          = Test flight
| operator              = 
| COSPAR_ID             = 2002-014A
| SATCAT                = 27397
| mission_duration      = 6&nbsp;days, 18&nbsp;hours, 51&nbsp;minutes
| orbits_completed      = 107

| spacecraft_type       = [[Shenzhou (spacecraft)|Shenzhou]]
| manufacturer          = 
| launch_mass           = 
| landing_mass          =

| launch_date           = {{start-date|March 25, 2002, 14:15:04|timezone=yes}}&nbsp;UTC 
| launch_rocket         = [[Long March 2F|Chang Zheng 2F]]
| launch_site           = [[Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center|Jiuquan]] [[Jiuquan Launch Area 4|LA-4/SLS-1]]

| landing_date          = {{end-date|April 1, 2002, 08:51|timezone=yes}}&nbsp;UTC 
| landing_site          = Inner Mongolia{{vague|date=September 2013}}

| orbit_epoch           = 
| orbit_reference       = [[geocentric orbit|Geocentric]]
| orbit_regime          = [[low Earth orbit|Low Earth]]
| orbit_periapsis       = 
| orbit_apoapsis        = 
| orbit_inclination     = 42.40&nbsp;degrees
| orbit_period          = 
| apsis                 = gee

| previous_mission      = [[Shenzhou 2]]
| next_mission          = [[Shenzhou 4]]
| programme             = [[Shenzhou program|Shenzhou]] missions
}}

'''Shenzhou 3''' ({{zh|c=神舟三号}}) launched on March 25, 2002, was the third unmanned launch of [[China]]'s [[Shenzhou spacecraft]]. This was the first Shenzhou spacecraft launched that could have actually carried a human and as such the main objective of the mission was to test the systems required to support a human in space. On board it carried a dummy to simulate physiological signals of a human&nbsp;— [[palpitation]], [[pulse]], [[breath]]ing, [[eating]], [[metabolism]], and [[excretion]].

The launch had been delayed several months due to design changes. It had been planned that Shenzhou 3 would use a new interior design but implementation problems meant reverting to the previous version. The rocket and spacecraft were eventually rolled out on the pad during the Fifth Session of the Ninth [[National People's Congress]] and the Ninth National Committee of the [[Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference]] in early March 2002.

== Orbit ==
It is thought that Shenzhou 3 changed its orbit twice during the mission. The first was on March 29 at 10:15 [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]] when the aft maneuvering thrusters fired for about 8 seconds putting it into a 330.2&nbsp;km x 337.2&nbsp;km orbit. The second was on March 31. Both times were to raise its orbit. Shenzhou 3 operated in a slightly less inclined orbit of 42.40° to the previous [[Shenzhou 1]] and [[Shenzhou 2|2]] flights, which were in about 42.59° inclined orbits.

== Scientific payload ==
On board were carried 44 different experiments. These included an imaging [[spectrograph]], [[cloud]] sensor, [[radiation]] sensor, solar [[ultraviolet]] monitor, [[solar constant]] monitor, [[atmospheric composition]] detector, [[atmospheric density]] detector, multi-chamber space crystallization furnace, space [[protein crystal]] equipment, a cell [[bioreactor]], a [[solid matter]] tracking detector and [[microgravity]] gauge. Also on board was a [[video camera]] that broadcast images of the Earth as seen through one of the windows on the spacecraft. To test the radio transmitting systems, a pre-recorded female voice was transmitted.

== Reentry ==
Shenzhou 3 reentered and landed successfully after 107 orbits. Unlike Shenzhou 2 where no photos had been released of the landing capsule, this time photos were released confirmed a successful touchdown. As with Shenzhou 2 the Orbital Module stayed in orbit for an extended mission. During this time it made some orbital adjustments, raising its orbit. Although it was speculated that it could serve as a docking target for [[Shenzhou 4]], this did not turn out to be the case. Its mission ended in October 2002 and it reentered on November 12 at about 06:38 UTC over 22°S 109° E over the Indian Ocean off western Australia.

== Launch ==
The launch of Shenzhou 3 was attended by [[General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party]] and [[President of the People's Republic of China|President]] [[Jiang Zemin]]. Along with him were [[Wu Bangguo]], member of the [[Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party]] and [[Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China|Vice-Premier]]; [[Zeng Qinghong]], alternate member of the Politburo and member of the [[Secretariat of the Chinese Communist Party]]; [[Yu Yongbo]], member of the [[Central Military Commission (China)|Central Military Commission]] and director of the [[People's Liberation Army]]'s General Political Department; and [[Cao Gangchuan]], member of the Central Military Commission and director of the People's Liberation Army's General Armament Department.

== Escape system ==
Shenzhou 3 was the first [[Long March 2F]] launch to feature a working [[launch escape system]]. Also added were two manual system that would have allowed an astronaut to activate the system in case of emergency. It was tested during the launch phase though Chinese officials did not confirm if the test was successful.

A day after launch [[China Central Television]] broadcast an artist impression of the spacecraft in orbit. Of interest was that the front of the orbital module appeared to have been equipped with three seven element [[log-periodic antenna]]e. It is thought that it was designed for a frequency range of 300–1000 [[MHz]]. Also shown was an animation of the orbital module after it had separated from the rest of the spacecraft. Three booms were extended from the front package, one left, another right and the third forward. It is speculated that this could have been some sort of [[ELINT]] package.

== See also ==
{{Portal|Spaceflight|China}}
* [[Chinese space program]]
* [[Tiangong program]]
* [[Shenzhou spacecraft]]
* [[Long March rocket]]
* [[Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center]]
{{Clear}}

== References ==

* {{cite news
  | last = Wei
  | first = Long
  | url = http://www.spacedaily.com/news/china-02r.html
  | title = Shenzhou 3 On The Pad Awaiting Launch
  | publisher = SpaceDaily
  | date = March 12, 2001
  | accessdate = 2010-12-13
  }}
* {{cite news
  | last = Wei
  | first = Long
  | url = http://www.spacedaily.com/news/china-02s.html
  | title = Shenzhou Design Changes Reason For Launch Delay
  | publisher = SpaceDaily
  | date = March 13, 2001
  | accessdate = 2010-12-13
  }}
* {{cite news
  | author = People's Daily
  | author-link = People's Daily
  | url = http://www.spacedaily.com/news/china-02zb.html
  | title = China's President Attends Launch
  | publisher = SpaceDaily
  | date = March 26, 2001
  | accessdate = 2010-12-13
  }}
* {{cite news
  | last = Wei
  | first = Long
  | url = http://www.spacedaily.com/news/china-02zd.html
  | title = Shenzhou 3 Proceeds Smoothly Halfway Through Mission
  | publisher = SpaceDaily
  | date = March 28, 2001
  | accessdate = 2010-12-13
  }}
* {{cite news
 |last        = David
 |first       = Leonard
 |url         = http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/shenzhou_update_020328.html
 |title       = Voice Heard From China's Shenzhou 3
 |publisher   = Space.com
 |date        = March 28, 2001
 |accessdate  = 2010-12-13
 |url-status     = dead
 |archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20090523163340/http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/shenzhou_update_020328.html
 |archivedate = May 23, 2009
}}
* {{cite news
  | last = Wei
  | first = Long
  | url = http://www.spacedaily.com/news/china-02ze.html
  | title = Shenzhou 3 Back On Earth Monday
  | publisher = SpaceDaily
  | date = March 31, 2001
  | accessdate = 2010-12-13
  }}
* {{cite news
  | last = Wei
  | first = Long
  | url = http://www.spacedaily.com/news/china-02zf.html
  | title = New Details Of Shenzhou And Its Launcher Revealed
  | publisher = SpaceDaily
  | date = April 1, 2001
  | accessdate = 2010-12-13
  }}
* {{cite news
 |last        = Andrews
 |first       = Ted
 |url         = http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/shenzhou_touchdown_020401.html
 |title       = China's Shenzhou 3 Capsule Returns to Earth
 |publisher   = Space.com
 |date        = April 1, 2001
 |accessdate  = 2010-12-13
 |url-status     = dead
 |archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20091110033002/http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/shenzhou_touchdown_020401.html
 |archivedate = November 10, 2009
}}
* {{cite news
  | last = Wei
  | first = Long
  | url = http://www.spacedaily.com/news/china-02zzi.html
  | title = Shenzhou 3 Module Reentry Wraps Up Long-Duration Mission
  | publisher = SpaceDaily
  | date = November 25, 2001
  | accessdate = 2010-12-13
  }}
* {{cite web
  | last = Grahn
  | first = Sven
  | url = http://www.svengrahn.pp.se/histind/China12/sz3notes.html
  | title = The flight of Shenzhou 3
  | accessdate = 2010-12-13
  }}
__NOTOC__
{{Shenzhou program | before = [[Shenzhou 2]] | after = [[Shenzhou 4]] }}
{{Orbital launches in 2002}}

[[Category:China Manned Space Program|Shenzhou 03]]
[[Category:2002 in China]]
[[Category:Spacecraft launched in 2002]]