China is able to ensure a safe return of its second manned spacecraft Shenzhou VI as it has reached the world level in recovery technologies, Hou Ying, chief designer of the manned spacecraft landing system, said Thursday.

The landing system has been upgraded along with the development of the manned spacecraft, Hou said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

When China launched Shenzhou I, an unmanned spacecraft, in 1991, there was only one landing field, and an emergency landing ground was added for Shenzhou II ten years later.

In March and December of 2002, when China launched Shenzhou III and Shenzhou IV space vehicles respectively, a standby landing field and offshore landing sites for emergency landing.

When Shenzhou V was put in orbit two years ago, the landing system had been quite perfect, Hou said. The rescue squad arrived at the landing field in less than half minute after the spacecraft landed, he said.

Currently, the landing system is composed of the main landing field, the standby landing field, and a number of other emergency landing sites, which are equipped with advanced radio measuring systems to help monitor the movements of the return capsule.

These sites have aerial rescue squads equipped with helicopters, land rescue squads equipped with special vehicles, and medical squads consisted of medical experts.

According to officials, the last drilling for the recovery of Shenzhou VI re-entry capsule will be conducted in the main landing field in Siziwang Banner (county) of Inner Mongolia, Thursday night.

(Xinhua News Agency October 14, 2005)