英闻天下——275 Yearender: From Space to the Sea

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　　CRI's Qi Zhi has more.

 

　　"Shenzhou 9 has successfully accomplished³ the manual docking operation as planned, and we have re-entered in Tiangong 1."

 

　　It was June 24th, 2012.

 

　　As astronaut Liu Wang announced, China had just completed its first-ever manual docking between a manned spacecraft and an orbiting lab module⁴.

 

　　As a highly sophisticated space maneuver⁵, manual docking requires an astronaut to connect two orbiters traveling at 7.8 kilometers per second without a hitch⁶.

 

　　China has grasped space rendezvous⁷ and docking technologies and the country is fully² capable of transporting humans and cargo⁸ to an orbiter in space.

 

　　The historical moment put it a step closer to its goal of a permanent space station.

 

　　On the same day at the Mariana Trench⁹ in the western Pacific.

 

　　"Jiaolong has reached 7, 020 meters below sea level in the Mariana Trench at 09:07 June 24, 2012 (Beijing time). We three aquanauts, Ye Cong, Liu Kaizhou and Yang Bo, wish great success to the manual docking and brilliant achievements of China's manned space and manned deep-sea dive programs."

 

　　That was the fourth dive of Jiaolong, China's manned deep-sea submersible.

 

　　The aquanauts succeeded in reaching depths below 7,000 meters, surpassing their record of 5,188 meters set in 2011.

 

　　On September 25th, China's first aircraft carrier Liaoning was formally handed over to the navy and entered into service.

 

　　The delivery made China the tenth country in the world and the final among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council to have an aircraft carrier in active service.

 

　　Du Wenlong is with the People's Liberation Army Academy of Military Science.

 

　　"China's overseas interests have been increasing, so we want to establish a naval¹⁰ capacity that suits the size of our country. Furthermore, we will have more tasks in the future to safeguard our territory and our people's interests."

 

　　On November 26th, the J-15, China's first generation carrier-borne fighter jet, made its debut¹¹ during flight-landing tests on the aircraft carrier Liaoning.

 

　　The J-15 is able to carry multiple types of anti-ship, air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, as well as precision-guided bombs.

 

　　According to military expert Yin Zhuo, the landings are no small feat¹².

 

　　"Carrier-borne fighter jet like J-15 needs a runway longer than 3,000 meters if it lands on land, but it is different when landing on the carrier. There are only 195 meters and you must fulfill¹³ every step within the short distance."

 

　　With the J-15's successful test flight on the Liaoning, the gesture used by carrier flight crews to signal an aircraft to take off was instantly popularized across the country.

 

　　It's one way to look at how ordinary Chinese are feeling proud of the country's progress.

 

　　However, China has repeatedly stated that its progress in space exploration and maritime¹⁴ force are based on peaceful purposes.

 

　　As the Liaoning entered into service, the People's Liberation Army stressed that the carrier will be mostly used for scientific research and military training missions.

 

　　Mrs. Shi, a military enthusiast¹⁵, makes her comment on the country's first aircraft carrier.

 

　　"The carrier means that we have new fighting ability. However, our country always sets peaceful development as our target. It is not necessary to cause war or disputes once we have aircraft carriers. On the other hand, the carrier is also an important force to protect the security of the Asia-Pacific region."

 

　　For CRI, this is Qi Zhi.

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