Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, northwest China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Launching area
2. Various of technicians testing heating capacity of air conditioning in the closed area of launch tower
3. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Li Pengchong, engineer, test and launch control system at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (ending with shot 4):
"During the construction of the space station, we comprehensively upgraded the air conditioning equipment in the launch tower, equipping it with heat pumps,unit electric heating and air duct electric heating systems. After debugging twice, the heating effect has apparently improved."
4. Various of technicians working
5. Various of flags fluttering in wind and snow
6. Various of technicians putting foam on launch tower to cope with low-temperature environment
7. Worker checking gauges
8. Various of facilities at launch area in wind and snow
9. Various of technicians testing temperature of surface of rocket
10. Snow
11. Various of engineers working at control center
12. Various of technician checking facilities
13. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) (Chinese) Li Pengchong, engineer, test and launch control system at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (ending with shot 14):
"There is a time interval of about 10 to 20 hours from the end of propellant filling to the launch. In this process, the propellant will be subject to ambient temperature, so we need to pre-adjust the temperature of the propellant. The principle of thermal regulation is similar to putting cold milk in hot water to heat it for breakfast, and this propellant is the milk. The heating will meet our launch requirements."
14. Various of technician checking facilities
15. Technician walking to check optical measuring equipment
16. Various of technicians checking optical measuring equipment
17. Various of technicians preheating optical measuring equipment with newly-developed remote control device
18. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Li Pengchong, (Chinese) Li Pengchong, engineer, test and launch control system at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (ending with shot 19):
"Focusing on the vision of intelligent space launch, the center has developed a brand-new rocket ground test and launch control system, which greatly improves the automation and intelligence level of rocket test and launch. Now all the systems at the launch site are in good shape and up to the requirements for launching."
19. Various of engineers working at control room

Space engineers at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch center are working around clock to keep the Long March 2F Y-15 carrier rocket in proper temperature against the bitter cold.

The rocket will carry the Shenzhou-15 crewed spaceship to the universe, yet the weather at the site is chilly at about minus 20 Celsius degrees. This temperature would be the lowest in the launching history of manned spaceship.

The air conditioning technicians at the center’s ground test and launch control system are testing the heating capacity of the pylon area as the temperature is a key factor for thousands of delicate components inside the rocket.

"During the construction of the space station, we comprehensively upgraded the air conditioning equipment in the launch tower, equipping it with heat pumps,unit electric heating and air duct electric heating systems. After debugging twice, the heating effect has apparently improved," said Li Pengchong, a test and launch control system engineer at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

Technicians also used a special canvas to seal all chinks of the launch tower, and all stages of the rocket are equipped with thermal insulation material so that the temperature, humidity and cleanliness can be precisely adjusted.

Regarding the temperature control of the fuel, another important part for launch control system, relevant personnel have to put on enclosed protective gear weighing 7.5 kilograms and check the fuel and temperature control equipment for nearly four hours prior to the propellant filling to the rocket.

"There is a time interval of about 10 to 20 hours from the end of propellant filling to the launch. In this process, the propellant will be subject to ambient temperature, so we need to pre-adjust the temperature of the propellant. The principle of thermal regulation is similar to putting cold milk in hot water to heat it for breakfast, and this propellant is the milk. The heating will meet our launch requirements," said Li.

Amid such ultra-low temperature in winter, technicians preheat the optical measuring equipment with a newly-developed remote control device, to effectively calculate the rocket drift quantity and optimize the design of rocket system.

"Focusing on the vision of intelligent space launch, the center has developed a brand-new rocket ground test and launch control system, which greatly improves the automation and intelligence level of rocket test and launch. Now all the systems at the launch site are in good shape and up to the requirements for launching," said Chen Tingzheng, expert of overall ground test and launch control technology at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.