Shenzhou 18 docking
On April 26,2024, the Shenzhou 18 manned spacecraft successfully docked at the space station's Tianhe Core module. The entire autonomous rendezvous and docking process lasted about 6.5 hours. The docking was done using the autonomous rapid rendezvous and docking mode, and the space station assembly was docked in a radius. The rendezvous and docking was a difficult task because the space station assembly blocked the spacecraft's measurement sensors and the interaction between the engines would pose a challenge. In order to eliminate these risks, the development team controlled the deviation of the performance parameters of the docking mechanism through the development of product and process standards, and conducted several ground standard process capture buffer tests. The docking of Shenzhou 18 marked the further maturity of China's self-developed space rendezvous and docking technology.
2024 Shenzhou 18
Shenzhou 18 was the 18th spacecraft launched by China's manned space program. The Shenzhou 18 manned spacecraft and the Long March 2F Yao 18 launch vehicle combination had been transferred to the launch area and was scheduled to be launched in the near future. The total weight of Shenzhou 18 was more than 40 tons and the total height was close to 60 meters. The mission would be carried out by Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu. The launch of Shenzhou 18 would be an important milestone for China's aerospace engineering, marking a breakthrough in China's space exploration. The exact launch date and mission details were not provided.
Shenzhou 17
Shenzhou 17 was the 17th spacecraft in China's manned space program. Shenzhou 17 was successfully launched at 11:14 on October 26,2023, carrying three astronauts, Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie, and Jiang Xinlin. The crew was made up of China's second and third batches of astronauts, with the youngest average age. The Shenzhou 17 manned spacecraft successfully docked at the forward port of the Tianhe Core module, forming a three-module three-ship combination of the space station. During their working life on the space station, the Shenzhou 17 astronauts would carry out multiple extraterrestrial activities to carry out various missions and experiments, including space science experiments, equipment installation, testing, maintenance, and so on. This mission was the second manned mission for China's manned space project to enter the space station application and development stage. It was also the 30th launch mission since the project was established. The Shenzhou 17 astronauts were scheduled to return to Earth around April 2024.
Shenzhou 18 and 19
Shenzhou 18 and Shenzhou 19 were two launch missions in China's manned space program. According to the information provided, the flight crews of Shenzhou 18 and Shenzhou 19 had been confirmed and were undergoing training. The two manned missions would carry out a series of missions, including space station maintenance, scientific experiments, and assembly missions. The launch mission labels of Shenzhou 18 and Shenzhou 19 were a yellow line that highlighted the Chinese space station and a red, yellow, and blue circular logo. The numbers "18" and "19" represented the mission number and corresponded to the number of stars. The launch time and specific details of these missions have not been provided.
Shenzhou 18
Shenzhou 18 was the 18th spacecraft launched by China's manned space program. It was launched at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 20:58:57 on April 25,2024 and successfully entered the scheduled orbit. The Shenzhou 18 manned spacecraft was made up of three astronauts, Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu. They would stay in the space station for about six months to carry out space station management, maintenance, and repair tasks. The launch of Shenzhou 18 was a complete success, and the astronauts were in good condition. During their work on the space station, the Shenzhou 18 astronauts would also carry out several extraterrestrial activities. The return of Shenzhou 18 was scheduled for late October.
2024 Shenzhou 17
In 2024, the Shenzhou 17 manned spacecraft carried out two extraterrestrial activities. The second extraterrestrial activity was the first time a Chinese astronaut completed the maintenance mission of a spacecraft extraterrestrial facility in orbit. The focus of this extraterrestrial activity was to complete the maintenance work of the solar wings in the Tianhe core module, eliminating the impact of the impact of small space particles in the early stage. After evaluation and analysis, the power generation performance of the solar wings was normal. After the mission of the extraterrestrial activity was completed, the Shenzhou 17 manned spacecraft and the space station combination were successfully separated, and the astronauts safely returned to the Wentian experiment module. The mission of the Shenzhou 17 manned spacecraft was a complete success.
Shenzhou vi
Shenzhou-6 was China's second manned space mission, and it was also China's second spacecraft to carry astronauts. It was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on October 12, 2005, and successfully landed in a predetermined area in central Inner Mongolia on October 17. Shenzhou VI's mission was to launch and operate the two-person spacecraft safely. It also conducted scientific experiments on bone cells on the Earth's surface, cardiovascular medicine, digital photographs, and spacecraft testing. The success of this manned space flight marked the smooth start of China's manned space project and was one of China's major achievements in the aerospace field.
Shenzhou 18 spacecraft
Shenzhou 18 was the 18th spacecraft launched by China's manned space program. It was successfully launched at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 20:59 on April 25,2024. The combination of the Shenzhou 18 spacecraft and the Long March 2F Yao 18 launch vehicle had a total weight of more than 400 tons and a total height of nearly 60 meters. The spacecraft was made up of three astronauts, Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu. They would stay in the space station for about six months, during which they would perform tasks such as space station management, maintenance, and experiments. The Shenzhou 18 spacecraft was equipped with a fault detection system and an escape rescue system to ensure the safety of the astronauts. The spacecraft would perform an autonomous rapid rendezvous and docking with the space station assembly and rotate in orbit with the Shenzhou 17 astronauts. The Shenzhou 18 spacecraft is expected to return in late October this year.
Shenzhou 17 spacecraft
The Shenzhou-17 spacecraft was the second manned spacecraft after the Chinese space station entered a new stage of application and development. It adopted the autonomous rapid rendezvous and docking mode and successfully docked at the forward port of the space station and the core module about 6.5 hours after entering orbit, forming a three-cabin three-ship combination. The mission objectives of Shenzhou 17 included completing the on-orbit rotation with Shenzhou 16, staying for about six months, carrying out space science and application load on-orbit experiments, carrying out astronauts 'extraterrestrial activities and load extraterrestrial activities, and for the first time carrying out extraterrestrial maintenance and installation of extraterrestrial loads. During their stay in orbit, the Shenzhou 17 astronauts would also welcome the Tianzhou 7 cargo spacecraft and the Shenzhou 18 manned spacecraft. He planned to return to Earth around April next year. This mission was the 30th mission since the implementation of China's manned space project, and it was also the 12th manned mission.
Information on Shenzhou 13
Shenzhou-13 was the 13th spacecraft launched by China's manned space project. It was also the sixth mission of the China Space Station's key technology verification phase. The spacecraft was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on October 16,2021 and completed an autonomous rapid rendezvous and docking with the space station's core module. The Shenzhou-13 crew flew in orbit for a total of 183 days, setting a record for the longest continuous flight time in orbit for Chinese astronauts. This flight mission also verified the first time the rendezvous and docking technology was used, and an emergency rescue launch standby mission was implemented. During the flight, the astronauts carried out a number of tasks, including hand-controlled remote operation rendezvous and docking, robotic arm-assisted module rotation, and so on. The success of Shenzhou-13 marked the successful completion of the space station's key technology verification phase mission, and the Chinese space station was about to enter the construction phase.