Backgrounder: Flight command center for Shenzhou 7

WATCH VIDEO

The Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Center, or BACCC,  is a command center for the Chinese space program. It's  located in a northwestern suburb of the Chinese capital.

Shenzhou VII will carry three astronauts into space, a first for the Shenzhou series of spaceship.

An added difficulty for the BACCC is the fact that there's been a change in the command model. The center is facing a number of challenges it has never encountered before.

One of the biggest differences to previous missions is the space walk by one of the astronauts. It involves many advanced technologies relating to space walk operation and protection, as well as the accurate measurement and control of the spacecship.

Another new aspect is the addition of an accompanying microsatellite, which will be released from the spaceship. As it flies away, the satellite takes pictures of the spaceship. And while astronauts are on their way back to Earth in the re-entry capsule, they will program the satellite to catch up with the orbital capsule left in space, and circle the orbital capsule taking pictures.