When Chinese astronauts eventually walk in space, a small satellite will be used to monitor their movements, said a satellite expert on Thursday. The satellite will be launched from the manned spacecraft and orbit around it. It will keep a close watch on spacecraft conditions and help monitor the astronauts' spacewalks, China News Service reported.
The next step in China's manned spaceflight program — which could happen as early as 2008 — involves allowing the astronauts to walk out of the spacecraft and dock the spacecraft with another target object, according to Sun Laiyan, head of China's National Space Administration.
Yang Genqing, a researcher with the Shanghai-based Small and Micro Satellite Research Institute, said small satellites weigh between 100 and 1,000 kilograms.
Compared with traditional satellites, small satellites are cheaper and quicker to manufacture, consume less energy consumption and are more reliable, Yang said.
Small satellites can link to form a "constellation" and outperform traditional satellites, according to Yang.
