The second phase of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum (SSTM) will be open to the public beginning this weekend. Hu Xuezeng, the museum's second phase chief designer, said that within the 1,830 square meters of aerospace exhibition, the most precious item was not the rocket, not the satellite, but a white space suit. This is the latest model of China's space suit, and the first time it is on display in public. The suit was on board the Shenzhou V spacecraft, accompanying Yang Liwei into space and will accompany the next hero who steps on Shenzhou VI for the space voyage this year.

Judged on its appearance, this white space suit includes a pressurized suit, helmet, gloves and boots. According to the people in charge, this suit is worn inside the cabin by the astronaut. Its most important constituent part is the pressurized suit, including underwear, heat insulation layer, cooling layer, vacuum insulation layer etc. Its main purpose is to protect the astronaut's safety if the spaceship leaks and suddenly becomes de-pressurized.

Purportedly the space suit was bought by the museum for 600,000 RMB (US$72,494). "Since it cost three million yuan (US$362,472) to make, we got this suit real cheap, almost a steal." quipped a museum's official.

(Chinanews May 12, 2005)