18.04.2022
China sending up next space station crew in June
China says it will launch three more astronauts to its newest space station in June after the latest crew returned this weekend following a six-month stay in orbit
BEIJING -- China will launch three more astronauts to its newest space station in June after the latest crew returned this weekend following a six-month stay in orbit, an official said Sunday.
The crew of the Shenzhou 14 capsule will spend six months on the Tiangong to add two modules to the station, Hao Chun, director of the China Manned Space Engineering Office, told a news conference.
China's ambitious space program launched its first astronaut into orbit in 2003, landed robot rovers on the moon in 2013, and on Mars last year. Officials have discussed a possible crewed mission to the moon.
The core module of the Tiangong, or Heavenly Palace, was launched in April 2021. Plans call for completing construction this year.
The Wentian module will be launched in July and the Mengtian module in October, Hao said.
Near the end of the Shenzhou 14 crew's mission, three more astronauts will be launched aboard Shenzhou 15 for a six-month stay, Hao said. He added that the two crews would overlap for three to five days, marking the first time the station has six people aboard.
On Saturday, the crew of Shenzhou 13 landed in the Gobi desert in the northern region of Inner Mongolia.
During the mission, astronaut Wang Yaping carried out the first spacewalk by a Chinese woman. Wang, commander Zhai Zhigang and crewmate Ye Guangfu also beamed back physics lessons for high school students.
China was the third nation to launch an astronaut into space on its own after the former Soviet Union and the United States. Tiangong is China’s third space station following predecessors launched in 2011 and 2016.
The government announced in 2020 that China’s first reusable spacecraft had landed following a test flight but no photos or details have been released.
China is excluded from the International Space Station due to U.S. unease that its space program is run by the ruling Communist Party’s military wing, the People’s Liberation Army.
Quelle: abcNews
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Update: 19.04.2022
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Core module of China's space station achieves anticipated goal
Photo taken on Jan. 6, 2022 at Beijing Aerospace Control Center shows the transposition test of the Tianzhou-2 cargo craft using its space station's robotic arm. (Xinhua/Guo Zhongzheng)
Tianhe, the core module of China's space station, has completed its verification of key technologies and achieved its expected goal.
Yang Hong, chief designer of the space station system of the China Manned Space Program at the China Academy of Space Technology, made the remarks at a press conference in Beijing on Sunday.
Yang said the core module has been in orbit for almost one year, and all missions have been carried out smoothly and according to plan, including rendezvous and docking with two manned spacecraft and two cargo spacecraft, as well as the three-month stay of the Shenzhou-12 crew and the six-month stay of the Shenzhou-13 crew.
Missions including extravehicular activities and manual remote operations were carried out in the past year.
Key technologies related to physical and chemical recycling and life support, large complex control, as well as large flexible solar cell wings and driving, have been verified.
Evaluation results show that Tianhe's current functions perform better than their design, Yang said.
Tianhe's recycling and life-support system has provided a good environment for astronauts' metabolism needs in orbit, Yang said.
Moisture discharged by astronauts is collected as condensed water, and urine is recycled and processed into drinking water and oxygen. Tianhe's water recycling efficiency is higher than 95 percent.
The amount of drinking water and oxygen that needs to be carried by cargo spacecraft has been greatly reduced thanks to the technology.
Large-scale flexible solar cell wings have been providing energy for the core module and its complex. The assessment showed that the solar cell wings have a power generation capacity approaching 10 kilowatt, beyond the expectations of their design.
Four extravehicular activities conducted by the Shenzhou-12 and Shenzhou-13 crews covered the operations, installation and maintenance of electronics, machines, pipelines and other typical equipment outside the cabin, and laid a solid foundation for astronauts to install and maintain extravehicular facilities during long-term operational periods after the completion of the space station, Yang said.
The robot arm played an important role in the whole key technology verification process and performed excellently. Its joint motion ability and terminal positioning accuracy met its design expectations. Its stiffness proved to be capable of lifting and transferring large loads, Yang said.
Since 2020, China has successfully carried out six flight missions, including the space station core module Tianhe, the Shenzhou-12 and Shenzhou-13 manned spacecraft, and the Tianzhou-2 and Tianzhou-3 cargo spacecraft, Hao Chun, director of the China Manned Space Agency, said at the press conference.
All six missions achieved success and completed their goal of verifying key technologies, Hao said.
According to schedule, China will complete the in-orbit construction of its space station by 2022. A total of six missions are planned for this year, including the launch of the Tianzhou-4 cargo spacecraft in May, the Shenzhou-14 manned spacecraft in June, the lab module Wentian in July, and the lab module Mengtian in October.
The three modules will form a T shape to complete the in-orbit construction of China's space station, followed by the launch of the Tianzhou-5 cargo spacecraft and the Shenzhou-15 manned spacecraft, Hao said.
Quelle: Xinhua
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Two lab modules to be central work area on China's space station
The Wentian and Mengtian lab modules will be sent into space this year, and will become the central working area for astronauts in orbit after China's space station construction is completed, according to a press conference on Sunday.
The Wentian lab module will be launched in July and Mengtian in October, Hao Chun, director of the China Manned Space Agency, said at the press conference.
Yang Hong, the chief designer of the space station system of the China Manned Space Program at the China Academy of Space Technology, said that both modules are equipped with experiment cabinets and an installation platform for extravehicular payloads. In the two lab modules, astronauts will be able to research space science, space materials, space medicine and space exploration.
The Wentian lab module is equipped with the same astronaut living facilities as the Tianhe core module, including three sleeping areas, a toilet and a kitchen. Wentian and Tianhe can support six astronauts living in space during the rotations of two spacecraft crews.
A small mechanical arm is installed on the Wentian lab module. It can be used alone or work with the larger robotic arm on the Tianhe core module to assist astronauts in extravehicular activities.
An airlock cabin in the Wentian lab module will serve as the main exit-entry point for extravehicular activities once the construction is completed. The node cabin in Tianhe will then serve as a backup.
To ensure the reliability of the space station, Wentian will act as a backup for the management and control of the space station complex if there is an issue with the core module.
In the Mengtian lab module, a cargo airlock cabin and a deployed extravehicular platform will serve future extravehicular research projects. The science equipment that needs to be installed outside will first be sent to the space station by cargo craft, then transferred outside through the cargo airlock cabin, and then installed on the extravehicular platform by mechanical arms or astronauts.
Yang said the Wentian lab module has completed integrated assembly and testing in Tianjin and is ready for launch. The Mengtian lab module has completed part of its integrated assembly and testing, and is currently undergoing further testing as planned.
Zhong Hong'en, deputy chief designer of the China Manned Space Program's space utilization system, said that the container-free experiment cabinet and high-quality microgravity experiment cabinet in the Tianhe core module have achieved world-leading conditions to carry out frontier research.
In addition to these cabinets, the space station will have another 12 experiment cabinets installed, said Zhong, who is also a researcher at the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Every cabinet serves as a miniature space lab.
Three large payload hanging points and two experimental exposure platforms will also be deployed, along with the Xuntian space telescope, which will fly in the same orbit as the space station.
Zhong said that the research facilities aboard China's space station will help researchers make breakthroughs in fundamental and cutting-edge scientific issues and promote China's space science research and applications to reach a new level.
Hao Chun noted at the press conference that crewed spaceflights, which can promote economic and social development, are closely related to the national economy and the people's livelihoods.
Hao said that the Beijing Winter Olympics adopted many aerospace technology achievements, from its opening and closing ceremonies to athlete training equipment.
Since China launched its crewed space program 30 years ago, more than 4,000 technological achievements have been widely used in various industries of the national economy, driving technological innovation and industrial upgrading, Hao said.
He said that more space technology progress will be transferred to civil fields to improve the lives of the people, such as using crystalized protein in space to develop new drugs that fight osteoporosis and muscle atrophy.
In the future, China's space station will carry out scientific experiments and technology verification related to the life sciences, material science, microgravity fluid physics, aerospace technology and aerospace medicine, Hao said.
"We believe that more space technologies will serve social and economic development and people's livelihoods," he said.
Quelle: Xinhua
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China reveals missions of Shenzhou-14, Shenzhou-15 space crews
The crews of China's Shenzhou-14 and Shenzhou-15 missions have been selected, and are carrying out relevant training and mission preparations, according to a press conference on Sunday.
Both crews will stay in orbit for six months, and they will for the first time rotate in orbit to realize the uninterrupted manned residence, Huang Weifen, chief designer of the China manned space program's astronaut system, said at the press conference.
The two crews, totaling six astronauts, will live together in orbit for five to 10 days.
The Shenzhou-14 crew will cooperate with ground control to complete the assembly and construction of the space station, and gradually develop it from a single-module space station into a three-module combination.
Huang said the Shenzhou-14 crew will enter the Wentian and Mengtian lab modules. They will also cooperate with ground control to carry out tests on the two-module complex, the three-module complex, the station's large and small mechanical arms, and the exit function of the airlock cabin in the lab modules, she said.
They will use the airlock cabin to carry out extravehicular activities for the first time.
Huang said the Shenzhou-15 crew will carry out several extravehicular activities; assemble, test and debug the payloads inside modules; and control the mechanical arms to install extravehicular payloads. They will also operate, manage and maintain the largest complex composed of three modules and three spacecraft.
The two crews will undertake science popularization and other public activities, in-orbit scientific research experiments and engineering technology tests, and will collect flight mission data.
They will also carry out in-orbit health monitoring, protective exercises, in-orbit training and drills, station platform inspections and tests, equipment maintenance, and station and material management, Huang said.
Quelle: Xinhua
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China's space station to enter new phase of application: official
China's space station will enter a new phase of application and development that will span more than 10 years after the completion of its construction this year, according to a press conference on Sunday.
The initial plan is to launch two manned spaceships and two cargo spacecraft every year during the new phase, Hao Chun, director of the China Manned Space Agency, said at the press conference.
Astronauts will stay in orbit for a long term, carry out space scientific and technological experiments, and maintain the space station, Hao said.
In order to further improve the comprehensive capabilities and technological level of the country's manned space program, a new generation of carrier rockets and manned spacecraft will be developed, Hao said. The new-generation carrier rockets and the return capsule of the new manned spacecraft will be reusable.
The new-generation manned spacecraft will be capable of carrying seven astronauts, and its payload capacity will also be greatly improved.
In the application and development phase, larger-scale space research experiments and new technology tests will be conducted in fields such as space life science and human body studies, microgravity physics science, space astronomy and Earth science.
In 2023, China plans to launch its first large space survey telescope to carry out wide-area space surveys. "We will conduct cutting-edge scientific research on the formation and evolution of the cosmic structure, dark matter and dark energy, exoplanets and solar bodies, and expect to achieve a number of major innovations," Hao said.
Quelle: Xinhua
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Update: 21.04.2022
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Tianzhou-3 docks with Tianhe's front docking port
China's cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-3 separated from the country's space station core module Tianhe and redocked with the module on Wednesday.
Tianzhou-3 detached from the rear docking port of Tianhe at 5:02 a.m. (Beijing Time), moved to the module's front port and completed a computer-orchestrated rendezvous and docking at 9:06 a.m., according to the China Manned Space Agency.
It also said the combination of Tianhe and Tianzhou-3 is in good condition, waiting to dock with the Tianzhou-4 cargo craft, the Shenzhou-14 manned spaceship and the lab module Wentian.
China plans to complete the in-orbit construction of its space station by the end of 2022.
A total of six missions are planned for this year, including the launch of the Tianzhou-4 cargo spacecraft in May, the Shenzhou-14 manned spacecraft in June, the lab module Wentian in July, and the lab module Mengtian in October.
The three modules will form a T shape to complete the in-orbit construction of China's space station.
Quelle: Xinhua
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Update: 5.05.2022
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China lays out big plans for its new Tiangong space station
The ambitious plans include international cooperation, commercialization and perhaps even expansion.
China will launch six major missions before the end of the year to complete its Tiangong space station, which space officials say could soon link up with a powerful telescope and host commercial activities and international astronauts.
The details were revealed during an April 17 press conference, which was held a day after the return of the Shenzhou 13 astronauts after their national record-setting 182-day mission aboard Tiangong's core module Tianhe.
The six crucial missions will start in May with a resupply mission followed by the six-month-long Shenzhou 14 crewed flight in June, according to Hao Chun, director of the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO).
A second module, Wentian ("Asking the Heavens"), will join Tianhe in orbit in July, followed by the third and final module, Mengtian ("Dreaming of the Heavens"), scheduled to launch in October.
The Tianzhou 5 cargo and Shenzhou 15 crewed missions will launch late in the year, when the Tiangong station will host its first crew rotation with the Shenzhou 14 astronauts welcoming the newcomers aboard, thanks to extra living quarters in the Wentian module.
Once fully assembled, Tiangong will host six-month-long crewed missions during which astronauts will conduct an array of experiments and outreach activities. The experiments will focus mainly on life sciences, microgravity research, astronomy, Earth science and new materials and space technology, Chinese space officials have said.
The original plan, first laid down in 1992, calls for the three-module Tiangong station to host crews non-stop for 10 years. Two crewed spacecraft and two cargo spacecraft would be launched each year.
The Xuntian space telescope, which will co-orbit with Tiangong and be able to dock for refueling and maintenance, is to launch in late 2023, according to Hao.
"The telescope will conduct frontier scientific research in the universe's formation and evolution, dark matter and dark energy, exoplanets and solar system objects, and is expected to secure a batch of major innovative breakthroughs," Hao said.
However, the CMSEO is also looking at extending both the space station and the scope of its activities, while also introducing new ways to reach Tiangong.
"We're developing the extending modules and cabins of the spacecraft to conduct more experiments and provide better living conditions for the astronauts," Hao said. Tiangong could eventually be expanded to six modules, with the addition of new versions of Tianhe and the Wentian and Mengtian experiment modules, according to earlier stated expansion plans.
A reusable next-generation launch vehicle and a next-generation crew spacecraft, capable of carrying up to seven astronauts, are also in development. Currently, China uses the Long March 2F rocket and Shenzhou spacecraft to launch its astronauts into orbit.
Tiangong could also host commercial missions in the near future. "We'll also actively explore new models of commercial human spaceflight and introduce commercial cargo," Hao said.
Asked about international cooperation, Hao stated that China will "certainly carry out more in-depth exchanges and cooperation with all countries in the world committed to the peaceful use of outer space."
In March, Yang Liwei, who made history in 2003 by becoming China's first astronaut to reach space, told media that untrained astronauts would be able to fly to Tiangong, perhaps before the end of the decade.
First, however, China needs to complete Tiangong. The next launch will be the Tianzhou 4 cargo mission. The 29,760-pound (13,500 kilograms) spacecraft will lift off on a Long March 7 rocket from Wenchang and carry fuel and supplies for the Shenzhou 14 mission, which is expected to launch in June.
Quelle: SC
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Update: 8.05.2022
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China prepares to launch Tianzhou-4 cargo spacecraft
Photo taken on May 7, 2022 shows the combination of the Tianzhou-4 cargo spacecraft and a Long March-7 Y5 carrier rocket in south China's Hainan Province. The combination of the Tianzhou-4 cargo spacecraft and a Long March-7 Y5 carrier rocket has been transferred to the launching area of the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said Saturday.
The CMSA said the Tianzhou-4 cargo spacecraft will be launched in the near future at an appropriate time. (Photo by Yang Zhiyuan/Xinhua)
The combination of the Tianzhou-4 cargo spacecraft and a Long March-7 Y5 carrier rocket has been transferred to the launching area of the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said Saturday.
The CMSA said the Tianzhou-4 cargo spacecraft will be launched in the near future at an appropriate time.
The facilities and equipment at the launch site are in good condition, and various pre-launch function checks and joint tests will be carried out as planned, the CMSA added.
Photo taken on May 7, 2022 shows the combination of the Tianzhou-4 cargo spacecraft and a Long March-7 Y5 carrier rocket to be transferred in south China's Hainan Province. The combination of the Tianzhou-4 cargo spacecraft and a Long March-7 Y5 carrier rocket has been transferred to the launching area of the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said Saturday.
The CMSA said the Tianzhou-4 cargo spacecraft will be launched in the near future at an appropriate time. (Photo by Yang Zhiyuan/Xinhua)
Quelle: Xinhua
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Update: 11.05.2022
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Supplies launched to China's new space station for next crew
A Chinese cargo vessel has docked with the country's under-construction space station before a new crew arrives next month
BEIJING -- A Chinese cargo vessel docked with the country’s under-construction space station Tuesday ahead of a new three-person crew expected to arrive next month.
The Tianzhou-4 spacecraft was slung into space atop a Long March-7 Y5 rocket at 1:56 a.m. from the Wenchang Launch Base in the southern island province of Hainan. State media said it docked with the station about seven hours later.
The cargo vessel is carrying supplies for the next crew's six-month stay, along with research equipment and spare parts for maintaining the station.
The station's last crew returned to Earth last month after six months on the station, China's longest space mission to date.
China intends to finish building the station this year with the addition of two laboratory modules in July and October to link with the Tianhe living module that was launched in April 2021. Another cargo craft, the Tianzhou-3, remains docked with the station.
China’s space program launched its first astronaut into orbit in 2003, making China only the third country to do so using its own resources after the former Soviet Union and the U.S.
It has landed robot rovers on the moon and placed one on Mars last year. China has also returned samples from the moon, and officials have discussed a possible crewed mission to the moon.
The government announced in 2020 that China’s first reusable spacecraft had landed following a test flight but no photos or details have been released.
China is excluded from the International Space Station due to U.S. unease that its space program is run by the ruling Communist Party’s military wing, the People’s Liberation Army.
The Shenzhou 14 crewed mission is scheduled to launch next month for a six month stay. Toward the end of that mission, three more astronauts will be launched aboard Shenzhou 15 for a further six months, with the two crews overlapping for three to five days, marking the first time the station has six people aboard.
China launches Tianzhou 4 cargo ship heading for space station
Updated after docking.
China launched the Tianzhou 4 cargo freighter for the country’s space station Monday, beginning a resupply mission to stage hardware, propellant, and provisions at the complex before arrival of the next long-duration crew in June.
Chinese state television broadcasted the launch, which occurred at 1:56:37 p.m. EDT (1756:37 GMT) Monday, roughly the moment Earth’s rotation brought the Wenchang launch base on Hainan Island under the orbital plane of China’s space station.
The unpiloted cargo ship docked with China’s space station at 8:54 p.m. EDT (0054 GMT), about seven hours after liftoff. The three astronauts training to launch on China’s Shenzhou 14 mission, set for launch next month, will unpack the cargo from the Tianzhou 4 spacecraft after they arrive at the station.
A 174-foot-tall (53-meter) Long March 7 rocket carried the Tianzhou 4 cargo ship aloft. Liftoff occurred at 1:56 a.m. Beijing time.
The Long March 7 rocket was powered by six kerosene-fueled engines during the climb off the launch pad at Wenchang. The engines generated 1.6 million pounds of thrust, and the Long March 7 steered southeast over the South China Sea to line up with the Chinese space station’s orbit inclined 41.5 degrees to the equator.
The Long March 7 is a two-stage rocket augmented with four strap-on boosters. The rocket consumed 45,000 gallons, or 170 cubic meters, of kerosene fuel in combination with cryogenic liquid oxygen during the 10-minute ascent into orbit.
The rocket shed its four boosters and core stage about three minutes into the mission. Four YF-115 engines on the second stage fired to continue the push into orbit. The rocket deployed the supply freighter into orbit about 10 minutes after liftoff.
After separating from the Long March 7, the Tianzhou 4 cargo ship extended solar panels and began automated thruster firings to link up with the Chinese space station some 240 miles (385 kilometers) above Earth.
Deng Hongqin, director of the launch center, said the Tianzhou 4 cargo ship “accurately entered the preset orbit.”
“The solar panels have been extended, and the cargo ship is in good condition. I now declare the launch mission a complete success,” Deng said.
The cargo ship carries food, hardware, and propellant, and other provisions for the space station and the next crew to live and work on the research complex for six months. The Tianzhou logistics vehicle is analogous to SpaceX’s Dragon cargo ship, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus freighter, and Russia’s Progress supply craft that support the International Space Station.
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp., or CASC, said the Tianzhou 4 mission carried about 6 metric tons (13,200 pounds) of cargo. The supplies include food, spare parts, experiment hardware, and other items for the next space station crew.
While docked to the Tiangong station, Tianzhou cargo ships can provide propulsion to change the orbit of the complex. Chinese officials said the Tianzhou 4 mission also carries propellant to be pumped into the propulsion system tanks on the Tianhe core module.
The mission is the fourth flight of China’s Tianzhou cargo ship design, and the third Tianzhou mission in support of the Chinese space station, following an initial test flight in 2017. The Tianzhou 3 supply ship, which launched last September, remains docked to the Tianhe core module at the Chinese station, following an automated maneuver last month to relocate from the core module’s rear port to the forward port on Tianhe.
The older Tianzhou 2 cargo ship departed the Tianhe module in March and burned up on re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere, as designed, disposing of trash and other unnecessary equipment loaded into the spacecraft by the station’s previous crew.
The three astronauts of the Shenzhou 13 crew left the station and landed in China’s Inner Mongolia region on April 15, completing a 182-day mission in orbit, the longest Chinese human spaceflight to date.
After the launch of the three Shenzhou 14 crew in June, China plans to launch two new lab modules to expand the Chinese space station in July and October.
The Tianhe module has starboard and port attachment points for the new lab modules, along with forward, rear, and nadir — or Earth-facing — docking ports for crew and cargo ships.
The Tianhe core module launched in April 2021 to begin assembly of the Chinese space station. The in-orbit construction of the station requires 11 launches, according to China’s space agency. The Tianzhou 4 mission is the sixth launch in that series of space station assembly and outfitting missions.
The 11 launches will be followed by a series of resupply and astronaut flights to maintain operations and perform scientific research on the station.
Quelle: SN
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Tianzhou-4 cargo craft docks with Chinese space station
HELSINKI — The Tianzhou-4 cargo spacecraft completed an automated docking in orbit with the Tianhe space station module late Monday following launch from Wenchang.
The Chinese cargo vessel completed docking with the aft port of the Tianhe module at 8:54 p.m. Eastern May 9, seven hours after launch on a Long March 7 rocket from the coastal Wenchang launch center in southern Hainan Province.
Launch took place earlier on Monday at 1:56 p.m. Eastern, marking the fifth flight of the Long March 7, designed specifically for space station cargo missions.
The 13,500-kilogram Tianzhou-4 spacecraft is the sixth of 11 missions for the construction of the T-shaped, three-module Chinese Space Station and delivers around 6.9 tons of supplies for June’s Shenzhou-14 mission.
Shenzhou-14 will see three astronauts enter the Tianhe core module for the start of a six-month-long mission which will oversee the arrival of the second and third space station modules.
Wentian (“Quest for the Heavens”), featuring a new airlock for extravehicular activities, living quarters that will allow crew handovers, and a small robotic arm, is scheduled to launch on a Long March 5B in July.
Mengtian (“Dreaming of the Heavens”) will launch in October. After docking, the modules will be transpositioned to radial docking ports on a docking hub launched with Tianhe.
Tianzhou-4’s cargo mostly consists of supplies for the astronauts but also includes space station maintenance equipment, space science experiment apparatus, and a refrigerator for space science and medical experiments. It also includes a range of seeds to be exposed to radiation in low Earth orbit and later analyzed and used back on Earth.
The daily supplies now include more vegetables than the earlier Shenzhou-12 and 13 missions to Tianhe, following feedback from the astronauts. “So now, we have 32 types of vegetables aboard,” Wang Chunhui, manager of the test team affiliated to China Astronaut Research and Training Center’s Tianzhou-4 mission, told CCTV.
“The changes were made because the astronauts said when they were in orbit they hoped that there would be more vegetables. So this is an optimization we’ve made in terms of food supply,” Wang said.
The first space station cargo mission, Tianzhou-2, was deorbited March 31, having supplied the Shenzhou-12 mission and been used in transposition tests. Tianzhou-3 was subsequently undocked from Tianhe’s aft port and docked with the forward port to make way for the arrival of Tianzhou-4.
Next, Shenzhou-14 will launch on a Long March 2F rocket from Jiuquan in the Gobi Desert. The China Manned Space Agency has not revealed a precise time and date for the launch, but the mission is expected in early June.
Quelle: SN
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Update: 30.05.2022
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China prepares to launch Shenzhou-14 crewed spaceship
The combination of the Shenzhou-14 crewed spaceship and a Long March-2F carrier rocket is to be transferred to the launching area in Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, May 29, 2022. (Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua)
The combination of the Shenzhou-14 crewed spaceship and a Long March-2F carrier rocket is to be transferred to the launching area in Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, May 29, 2022. (Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua)The combination of the Shenzhou-14 crewed spaceship and a Long March-2F carrier rocket is to be transferred to the launching area in Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, May 29, 2022. (Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua)
The combination of the Shenzhou-14 crewed spaceship and a Long March-2F carrier rocket has been transferred to the launching area, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said Sunday.
The facilities and equipment at the launch site are in good condition, and various pre-launch function checks and joint tests will be carried out as planned, said the CMSA. ■
The combination of the Shenzhou-14 crewed spaceship and a Long March-2F carrier rocket is being transferred to the launching area in Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, May 29, 2022. (Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua)
The combination of the Shenzhou-14 crewed spaceship and a Long March-2F carrier rocket is to be transferred to the launching area in Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, May 29, 2022. (Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua)
The combination of the Shenzhou-14 crewed spaceship and a Long March-2F carrier rocket is transferred to the launching area in Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, May 29, 2022. (Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua)
The combination of the Shenzhou-14 crewed spaceship and a Long March-2F carrier rocket is being transferred to the launching area in Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, May 29, 2022. (Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua)
Quelle: Xinhua
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Update: 2.06.2022
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Rocket to launch China’s next space station module arrives at launch center
HELSINKI — A Long March 5B rocket has arrived at Wenchang spaceport as China gears up to send its second space station module into orbit.
The components of the third Long March 5B heavy-lift rocket arrived at Wenchang May 29, the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) announced (Chinese).
The launcher components were manufactured and tested in Tianjin, north China, and shipped to Wenchang, on the coast of the south island province of Hainan via specially constructed cargo vessels.
Assembly and testing of the launch vehicle is underway. The completed 849-metric-ton, 53.7-meter-long Long March 5B, which consists of a cryogenic core stage, four liquid boosters and an elongated payload fairing, is unofficially expected to launch around July 23.
The mission aims to send the roughly 22-ton Wentian experiment module into orbit to join Tianhe, the similarly-sized core module for the Tiangong space station which launched in April 2021.
The 17.9-meter-long Wentian (“Quest for the Heavens”) module will dock with the forward port of Tianhe, which is currently in a 387 by 386-kilometer orbit inclined by 41.5 degrees.
Three Shenzhou-14 astronauts—due to launch from Jiuquan around 10.40 p.m. Saturday, June 4 Eastern—will be aboard Tianhe for the arrival of Wentian and will cooperate with ground control to transpose the new module to a radial docking port using a large robotic arm.
If successful, Wentian would be the second of three modules for the T-shaped Tiangong space station, with the final piece, Mengtian, scheduled for launch in October.
The Chinese space station was first envisioned in 1992 when China approved its Project 921 to develop human spaceflight capabilities. The project suffered delays due to issues with development and performance of the Long March 5B, but could also be expanded to six modules and most commercial and tourist missions.
Wentian features a new airlock for extravehicular activities, a small robotic arm which can work with the larger arm on Tianhe, and additional living quarters that will allow crew handovers.
The first crew handover will take place when the Shenzhou-14 crew greet Shenzhou-15, which is expected to launch in December. Tiangong will then host six astronauts for a period of days.
The new airlock cabin in Wentian will become the main exit-entry point for extravehicular activities (EVAs) once active.
Wentian will also come with 30-meter-long solar arrays, boosting the power available to Tiangong.
Another notable aspect to the mission will be the fate of the roughly 30-meter-long, 21-metric-ton Long March 5B first stage. The core stage also acts as the upper stage, meaning it reaches orbital velocity, rather than falling into a predetermined area on a ballistic trajectory as is most often the case with first stages.
The first two Long March 5B first stages made uncontrolled reentries, gaining widespread public attention.
Two further Long March 5B launches are expected in 2022 and 2023, to launch the Mengtian module and the Xuntian co-orbiting space telescope respectively.
Quelle: SN