5.06.2022
China plans to complete space station with latest mission
China is preparing to launch a new three-person mission to complete work on its permanent orbiting space station
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese astronauts from left Cai Xuzhe, Chen Dong and Liu Yang, right, wave as they attend a press conference for the upcoming Shenzhou-14 mission at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China on Saturday, June 4, 2022. China is preparing to launch a new three-person mission to complete work on its permanent orbiting space station, the country's China Manned Space Agency said Saturday. (Cai Yang/Xinhua via AP)
BEIJING -- China is preparing to launch a new three-person mission to complete work on its permanent orbiting space station, the China Manned Space Agency said Saturday.
The Shenzhou 14 crew will spend six months on the Tiangong station, during which they will oversee the addition of two laboratory modules to join the main Tianhe living space that was launched in April 2021.
Their spaceship is due to blast off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on the edge of the Gobi Desert at 10:44 a.m. Sunday (0244 GMT), the agency said. The crewed space flight program's workhorse Long March 2F rocket will provide propulsion.
Commander Chen Dong and fellow astronauts Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe will assemble the three-module structure joining the existing Tianhe with Wentian and Mengtian, due to arrive in July and October. Another cargo craft, the Tianzhou-3, remains docked with the station.
The arrival of the new modules will “provide more stability, more powerful functions, more complete equipment,” said Chen, 43, who was a member of the Shenzhou 11 mission in 2016.
Liu, 43, is also a space veteran and was China's first female astronaut to reach space aboard the Shenzhou 9 mission in 2012. Cai, 46, is making his first space trip.
China’s space program launched its first astronaut into orbit in 2003, making it only the third country to do so on its own 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 lunar samples and officials have discussed a possible crewed mission to the moon.
China's space program is run by the ruling Communist Party's military wing, the People's Liberation Army, prompting the U.S. to exclude it from the International Space Station.
Chen, Liu and Cai will be joined at the end of their mission for three to five days by the crew of the upcoming Shenzhou 15, marking the first time the station will have had six people aboard.
Quelle: abcNews
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China discloses tasks of Shenzhou-14 crewed space mission
A press conference on the Shenzhou-14 crewed space mission is held at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, June 4, 2022. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)
The upcoming Shenzhou-14 crewed space mission will complete the construction of the Tiangong space station, with a basic three-module structure consisting of the core module Tianhe and the lab modules Wentian and Mengtian, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) on Saturday.
The mission will build the space station into a national space laboratory, said Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the CMSA, at a press conference.
China is set to launch the Shenzhou-14 crewed spaceship on Sunday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, sending three astronauts to its space station combination for a six-month mission.
The Shenzhou-14 crew will work with the ground team to complete the rendezvous, docking and transposition of the two lab modules with the core module, Lin said.
They will enter the two lab modules for the first time and help make the environment suitable for their stay, he said, adding that they will unlock and install a dozen of scientific experiment cabinets in the two modules.
They will also carry out relevant function tests on the two-module space station complex, three-module space station complex, large and small mechanical arms, as well as exit from the airlock cabin in the Wentian lab module, with the assistance of the ground team.
The crew will, for the first time, use the airlock cabin in Wentian to carry out extravehicular activities for two to three times, Lin said.
They will continue to give "Tiangong Class" series to students for science popularization and perform other activities for public good.
The trio will also carry out in-orbit health monitoring, protective exercises, in-orbit training and drills, space station platform inspections and tests, equipment maintenance, as well as station and material management.
During their stay in orbit, the Shenzhou-14 crew will witness the two lab modules, Tianzhou-5 cargo craft and Shenzhou-15 crewed spaceship dock with the core module. They will experience nine space station complex configurations and conduct rendezvous and docking for five times.
The three astronauts will rotate with the Shenzhou-15 crew in orbit, before returning to the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in December, Lin said.
Quelle: Xinhua
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China to launch Shenzhou-14 crewed spaceship on June 5
The Shenzhou-14 crewed spaceship will be launched at around 10:44 a.m. Sunday (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, announced the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) on Saturday.
After entering orbit, the spaceship will adopt fast automated rendezvous and docking with the radial port of the space station core module Tianhe, forming a complex with Tianhe as well as the cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-3 and Tianzhou-4, said Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the CMSA, at a press conference held at the launch center.
At present, the complex of Tianhe, Tianzhou-3 and Tianzhou-4 works in normal condition and is ready for rendezvous, docking and the astronauts' entry, Lin said.
The quality of both the Shenzhou-14 spaceship and the Long March-2F carrier rocket has been well checked. The crew is in good condition, and the ground system facilities are in stable operation, Lin said.
All preparations for the launch have been basically completed, Lin said.
Quelle: Xinhua
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Update: 21:00 MESZ
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China launches 3 astronauts to oversee construction of new Tiangong space station
China has sent its third crew to the nation's new Tiangong space station.
A Long March 2F rocket carrying the Shenzhou 14 spacecraft lifted off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert today (June 4) at 10:44 p.m. EDT (0244 GMT; 10:44 June 5 local time).
The three Shenzhou 14 crewmembers — commander Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe — were officially revealed as the crew earlier on Saturday. They are now heading for Tianhe, the core module of the still-under-construction Tiangong, with Shenzhou 14 expected to dock around six hours after launch.
The three spaceflyers are expected to spend six months aboard Tianhe. The 43-year-old Chen, a veteran of the 2016 Shenzhou 11 mission, is embarking on his second mission and first as commander. Liu, 43, became China's first woman in space aboard Shenzhou 9 in 2012 and is making her second flight, while Cai, 46, is making his first trip to space.
"The three of us are relatively young in terms of age," Chen told media at a press conference on Saturday. "But we are fully prepared, enthusiastic and confident. The Shenzhou 14 mission is key to the construction of the space station, with more difficulties and greater challenges."
All three crew members were selected in China's second astronaut selection round in 2010, meaning this is the first mission without one of China's older, first batch of astronauts along for the ride.
Awaiting the astronauts is Tianhe, the 54-foot-long (16.6 meters) space station core module that was launched in April 2021. It has so far been visited by a total of six astronauts, who made up the Shenzhou 12 and Shenzhou 13 crews.
The three new arrivals are tasked with overseeing the arrival of two new modules, named Wentian ("Quest for the Heavens") and Mengtian ("Dreaming of the Heavens"), which are due to launch in late July and October, respectively.
After the modules reach and dock with Tianhe, the crew, in cooperation with ground teams, will use Tianhe's large robotic arm to reposition the modules from the forward docking port to lateral ports.
The success of these missions would see the completion of the T-shaped Tiangong space station. The Shenzhou 14 trio are also expected to embark on spacewalks, engage in outreach activities, install new equipment both inside and outside the space station and conduct science experiments.
The Wentian module includes new crew quarters. So, if all goes according to plan, the Shenzhou 14 astronauts will welcome aboard the next trio of astronauts late in the year.
Shenzhou 15 is expected to launch in the December timeframe. Its arrival at Tiangong would see the first crew handover on the Chinese space station, with the orbital outpost hosting six astronauts for a few days.
China initiated its space station project back in 1992, first developing the ability to send humans to space and developing small test labs for short-term visits.
The completed Tiangong station is about 20% as massive as the International Space Station, according to Chinese space officials.
China last month launched the Tianzhou 4 cargo spacecraft to deliver thousands of pounds of supplies, propellant and science experiments to Tianhe to support the Shenzhou 14 mission.
Meanwhile, the Shenzhou 15 spacecraft and a Long March 2F rocket will be on standby at Jiuquan in case of an emergency affecting Shenzhou 14.
Quelle: SC
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Shenzhou-14 crewed mission arrives at Chinese space station
HELSINKI — China’s Shenzhou-14 crewed spacecraft docked with the Tianhe space station module early Sunday, marking the start of a crucial six-month-long mission.
Shenzhou-14 completed a fast automated rendezvous and docking with the Tianhe module at 5:42 a.m. Eastern, June 5, marking the safe arrival of astronauts Chen Dong (commander), Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe.
The Long March 2F rocket carrying Shenzhou-14 and the three astronauts lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 10:44 p.m. Eastern Saturday. The spacecraft completed docking with the nadir, or Earth-facing, port of the Tianhe docking hub just under seven hours after launch from the Gobi Desert.
Also docked with the 16.6-meter-long, 4.2-meter-diameter Tianhe is the Tianzhou-4 cargo spacecraft, launched in May, containing supplies for the crew, along with propellant, science experiments and a number of CubeSats.
The Shenzhou-14 mission will, crucially, manage the arrival of two new 20-metric-ton-plus modules to the space station, namely Wentian and Mengtian, in July and October respectively.
“During the six months, we will be very busy,” Liu, who in 2012 became China’s first woman in space, said at a pre-launch press conference on Saturday. The astronauts were separated from the media by a screen, due to quarantine procedures.
“We will modify our space station from a single module into a three-module, three-spacecraft complex, during which three will be nine combination formations, five dockings, three departures and evacuations and two position changes.”
The missions will see the completion of the T-shaped, three-module Tiangong space station, a project initiated back in 1992.
Tianhe was launched in April 2021 and has so far hosted two crewed missions, Shenzhou-12 and Shenzhou-13, supported by the Tianzhou-2 and Tianzhou-3 logistics missions respectively.
“We will enter Wentian and Mentian lab modules for the first time,” Liu said. “We will conduct extravehicular activities with the aid of an airlock and robotic forearm, and carry out the combined operation of the [Tianhe] large arm and [Wentian] small arm.”
The crew will also complete a high number of scientific experiments and hold science outreach events, Liu added.
Chen, 43, first went to space on the month-long Shenzhou-11 mission to the Tiangong-2 test lab in 2016. Liu, 43, flew on Shenzhou-9 to visit Tiangong-1, while Cai, 46, is embarking on his first mission.
The new airlock cabin in Wentian will become the main exit-entry point for extravehicular activities (EVAs) once active. The Shenzhou-12 and Shenzhou-13 crews have so far used Tianhe’s docking hub for EVA entry and exit.
China’s first human spaceflight mission, Shenzhou-5, reached orbit in October 2003. Shenzhou-14 is only the ninth crewed mission launched by China in almost two decades, but the country is now committing to rolling six-month-long missions to the Tiangong space station for at least a decade.
Shenzhou-14 will handover to the Shenzhou-15 mission, expected to launch in December, when Tiangong will briefly host six astronauts for the first time.
Tiangong is designed to operate in orbit for at least ten years. It could be extended to six modules and host international astronauts.
China is also considering making the station available for tourist visits and will open Tiangong to commercial missions.
The country also plans to launch a co-orbiting optical telescope module, named Xuntian, in late 2023. It will be capable of docking with Tianhe for repairs, maintenance, refueling and upgrades, and aims to survey 40 percent of the sky across a decade.
Xuntian features a two-meter-diameter aperture and a field of view more than 300 times greater than the 32-year-old Hubble Space Telescope.
Russian officials have stated an interest in deeper human spaceflight cooperation with China while threatening to end its involvement in the International Space Station.
However, the 41.5 degree inclination of the Tiangong space station makes it very difficult for a Soyuz to launch to Tiangong from Russian territory, while ESA’s Kourou, which was being considered for hosting crewed Soyuz missions, is no longer available to Russia in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine.
Quelle: SN
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Update: 8.06.2022
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Successful launch of Shenzhou-14 draws worldwide attention
Screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on June 5, 2022 shows three Chinese astronauts, Chen Dong (C), Liu Yang (R) and Cai Xuzhe, saluting after entering the space station core module Tianhe. (Xinhua/Li Xin)
The successful launch of the crewed spaceship Shenzhou-14 was reported by several international media outlets as worldwide observers called it a new step in China's efforts to complete its own space station and explore space.
On Sunday, three Chinese astronauts onboard the Shenzhou-14 spaceship were sent to space and entered the country's space station core module Tianhe. This is the 23rd flight mission since the approval and launch of the country's manned space program and the third crewed mission for China's space station project.
The flight of the Shenzhou-14 spacecraft to the Tiangong space station marked the beginning of a decade during which Chinese astronauts will constantly live and work in low-orbit Earth, Russia's Regnum news agency reported.
The Moscow Komsomolets newspaper detailed China's plans to build the Tiangong space station.
Noting that China has successfully sent another team of astronauts into space to complete its space station, Germany's DPA reported the space station underpins China's aspirations to catch up with the world's major manned spaceflight nations. China's space program has already achieved some successes, it added.
Croatian astronomer Ante Radonic said in an interview with Xinhua that the successful launch shows that China's manned spaceflight technology is mature and everything is going according to schedule.
The construction of China's space station would be completed soon, the astronomer said.
Noting that China is the third country in the world capable of independently carrying out manned spaceflight activities, Radonic said that China's manned spaceflight program already holds a leading position globally, and the space station program further demonstrates the rapid development of China's manned spaceflight technology.
South Korea's mainstream media, including Yonhap news agency and KBS, also reported on the launch.
China's space station has drawn wide attention, Yonhap news agency said, adding that if the International Space Station is decommissioned, China's Tiangong space station would be the world's only space station.
Quelle: Xinhua
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Shenzhou-14 astronauts enter Tianzhou-4 cargo craft
The Shenzhou-14 crew has entered the Tianzhou-4 cargo craft after finishing the environmental tests, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) on Monday.
After successfully stationing in China's space station core module Tianhe, the Shenzhou-14 crew opened the hatch of the Tianzhou-4 cargo craft and entered it at 12:19 p.m. (Beijing Time), the CMSA said.
The crew will also enter the Tianzhou-3 cargo craft, and carry out cargo transfer and other related work as planned.
The Shenzhou-14 spaceship was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Sunday.
The crew entered the core module Tianhe after Shenzhou-14 successfully completed a fast automated rendezvous and docking with the combination of the core module, the Tianzhou-3 cargo craft and the Tianzhou-4 cargo craft.
They will stay in orbit for six months and complete the assembly and construction of the space station.
Quelle: Xinhua
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Update: 11.06.2022
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Shenzhou-14 taikonauts to conduct 24 medical experiments in space
Taikonauts of the Shenzhou-14 crew will carry out 24 in-orbit medical experiments during their six-month stay in China's space station, according to the China Manned Space Agency on Thursday.
These space medical experiments are mainly designed to study how the weightless environment and spaceflights affect taikonauts, said Li Yinghui, deputy chief designer of China's manned space program taikonaut system.
Compared with previous crewed missions, the Shenzhou-14 will collect body fluid samples, including taikonauts' blood, urine, and saliva. The trio will also use non-invasive optical methods to measure muscle loss and analyze urine metabolites.
Li also noted that the body data collected by the previous Shenzhou-12 and Shenzhou-13 taikonauts has laid a good foundation for subsequent research by the Shenzhou-14 crew.
China on June 5 launched the three-person Shenzhou-14 mission, which is the third crew for the country's space station project. The taikonaut trio will cooperate with the ground team to complete the assembly and construction of the Tiangong space station. They will also work in its experiment cabinets for scientific exploration of life, ecology, and biotechnology.
Quelle: Xinhua
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Update: 21.06.2022
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China develops new coating for spacecraft thermal control
Chinese scientists have developed a metallic-based thermal-control coating for the Shenzhou-14 crewed spaceship that will protect the taikonauts from extreme heat and cold during their six-month stay in orbit.
The new coating works in two ways: providing low solar absorption to help reduce the sun's effect on the spacecraft's interior temperature; and providing low infrared emittance to block heat release from internal sources.
Tasked with completing the construction of China's Tiangong space station, the orbiting Shenzhou-14 taikonauts will witness several complex station configurations during their six-month journey. Cargo craft and lab modules that dock with the space station core module are likely to block the sunlight to the spaceship, resulting in long-term exposure to the extreme cold found in the shadows of deep space. The spaceship also has to cope with the intense heat found in the direct sunlight of outer space.
Without thermal controls, the temperature of the spacecraft's sun-facing side can soar to above 100 degrees Celsius, while the dark side can plunge to minus 100 degrees Celsius. The extreme high- and low-temperature environments pose challenges to the health of the taikonauts and the functioning of the spacecraft.
Developed by the China Academy of Space Technology, the thermal-control coating was first used on the Shenzhou-13 spacecraft, which was launched on Oct. 16, 2021. It kept the cabin environment within acceptable temperature ranges (between 18 and 26 degrees Celsius) during its six-month space journey, allowing the taikonauts to stay cool and comfortable in their orbiting home.
China launched the three-person Shenzhou-14 mission on June 5, providing the third crew for the country's space-station project. During their stay in orbit, the crew will witness two lab modules, the Tianzhou-5 cargo craft and Shenzhou-15 crewed spaceship docking with the space station core module.
Quelle: Xinhua
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Update: 8.07.2022
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China Focus: Shenzhou-14 taikonauts conduct in-orbit science experiments, prepare for space walks
Scientific endeavors aboard China's space station are expected to bear fruits, as the Shenzhou-14 taikonauts have devoted more time to microgravity experiments on the orbiting core module Tianhe since entering it a month ago.
China's space station is designed to be a versatile space lab, capable of accommodating 25 experiment cabinets for scientific exploration. The China Manned Space Agency has released video updates from space, which show that the station's core module is packed with research equipment, and the experiments in orbit span a range of disciplines, including microbiology, physics and medicine.
The three-member crew has conducted microbial tests in water, air and surface samples, aiming to ensure that they can stay safe and comfortable during the six-month spaceflight. They also installed a device for carbon dioxide reduction and regeneration in their orbiting home.
In the latest update, the trio was seen undergoing an eye examination and medical aid training.
Commander Chen Dong was spotted testing a spacesuit, preparing for the upcoming spacewalks out of the lab module Wentian, which is scheduled to be launched this month.
The experiment cabinets installed on Wentian will allow the taikonauts to perform experiments on molecules, cells, tissues and organs by using diverse online detection methods, such as visible light, fluorescence, or microscopic imaging.
However, it has not been all about the experiments and construction of the space station for the trio. They are also maintaining a decent work-life balance in orbit.
Recent videos captured them doing workouts on treadmills and exercise bikes to reduce the impact of microgravity exposure on the body.
Female taikonaut Liu Yang, donning a light pink waistcoat, was seen folding colorful paper stars for leisure and collecting them in a glass bottle. The video has drawn more than 1.2 million hits since China's space agency shared it on the microblogging site Sina Weibo on Tuesday.
Some media reports linked Liu's pastime activity to what she said before the mission --"write blessings to her children 'in the stars' during the space trip."
"Expecting her to bring back a bottle full of stars," commented a social media user.
Wu Dawei, deputy chief designer of China's manned space program taikonaut system, praised the Shenzhou-14 crew as "a young, lively and rigorous team with good physical, operational and psychological conditions."
China launched the Shenzhou-14 spaceship on June 5, sending three taikonauts Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe to its space station combination for a six-month mission. During their stay in orbit, the crew will witness two lab modules, the Tianzhou-5 cargo craft and Shenzhou-15 crewed spaceship, docking with the space station core module.
Quelle: Xinhua
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Update: 11.07.2022
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China's Shenzhou 14 astronauts mark busy 1st month aboard Tiangong space station
The trio has installed a variety of equipment while they await the arrival of a new module.
China's Shenzhou 14 astronauts entered the Tiangong space station on June 5, 2022. From left to right: Cai Xuzhe, Chen Dong and Liu Yang. (Image credit: CNSA/CCTV+)
China's three Shenzhou 14 astronauts have completed their first month in orbit as they prepare for the arrival of the Chinese space station’s second module.
Astronauts Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe launched aboard the Shenzhou 14 spacecraft on June 5 and docked with Tianhe, the core module of the under-construction Tiangong space station, around six hours later.
So far, all is going well for the crew, who have been exercising using treadmills and stationary bikes to reduce the impact of microgravity on their bodies.
Wu Dawei, deputy chief designer of China's human space program taikonaut (as Chinese astronauts are called) system, described the Shenzhou 14 crew as "a young, lively and rigorous team with good physical, operational and psychological conditions," according to the Chinese state media outlet Xinhua(opens in new tab).
The crew will spend six months in orbit and will oversee the arrival of two new modules, which will complete the T-shaped orbital outpost. The first new module, named Wentian, is expected to launch late this month.
During the first month, the taikonauts have conducted tests on the water, air and microorganisms inside Tianhe.
They also installed a carbon dioxide reduction system for improving the air aboard the station, tested Feitian spacesuits for future spacewalks, and debugged equipment aboard Tianhe.
The crew will deliver a first live lecture from the Wentian module after its arrival, Xinhua reported(opens in new tab) on Wednesday (July 6).
The Shenzhou 14 taikonauts will also be involved in the first Chinese space station crew handover when the Shenzhou 15 crew arrives in December.
Quelle: SC
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Update: 16.07.2022
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China prepares for July 24 launch of second space station module
Hausjärvi, FINLAND — China is gearing up to send a second module to its under-construction space station with a launch from the coastal Wenchang spaceport later this month.
A Long March 5B heavy-lift rocket will launch the roughly 22-ton Wentian experiment module around 02:20 a.m. ET (0620 UTC) July 24, according to recently announced area clearance notices consistent with such a launch.
The 53.7-meter-long, 837.5 metric ton rocket will be rolled out to the pad at Wenchang in the coming days.
Wentian is expected to rendezvous and join Tianhe, the similarly-sized core module for the Tiangong space station which launched in April 2021. Tianhe made orbital adjustments earlier this month to prepare for the arrival of Wentian.
The new module has a length of 17.9 meters and a maximum diameter of 4.2 meters. It features crew quarters and an airlock cabin which will become the main exit-entry point for extravehicular activities (EVAs) once active, replacing the role now played by the Tianhe docking hub.
The new crew facilities will allow China to perform a first crew handover. This will take place when the current Shenzhou-14 crew greet three new astronauts due to fly aboard Shenzhou-15 in December. Tiangong will then host six astronauts for a period of days.
Its main role is hosting experiment racks for science experiments, while also providing backups to the life support and control functions of Tianhe. Wentian carries a five-meter-long robotic arm, supplemental to the 10-meter-long Tianhe arm. The two arms can also join together.
Wentian will also come with 30-meter-long solar arrays, boosting the power available to Tiangong. Wentian will host a new round of live science lectures, following on from those presented by the Shenzhou-13 crew aboard Tianhe.
“Wentian is a critical stage in the building of China’s space station,” says Brian Harvey, author of China in Space: The Great Leap Forward. “The Tianhe crew has overseen numerous undockings and redockings, so such maneuvers are well practiced, but nothing can be taken for granted, especially for the first time.”
The Shenzhou-14 astronauts aboard Tianhe have been undergoing a training program including rendezvous and docking operations and using Tianhe’s mechanical arm in preparation for the arrival of Wentian.
Tianzhou-2, a cargo craft initially charged to deliver supplies to Tianhe for the first crew, Shenzhou-12, was used early this year for a transposition test to verify procedures for moving a module from the forward docking port and towards a lateral port.
Tianhe has so far been visited by three separate three-person crews. The most recent, Shenzhou-14, arrived on June 5 and will oversee the arrival of Wentian and Mengtian, another 22-ton experiment module scheduled for launch in October.
The arrival of the latter will complete the planned T-shaped Tiangong space station, though China has suggested it could later expand the complex to six modules.
“The real work of the station, which we can expect to fly into the 2040s, will begin,” Harvey says, once Mengtian is docked in position.
The Chinese space station was first envisioned in 1992 with the approval of Project 921 which called for the development of 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.
The country also plans to launch a co-orbiting optical telescope module, named Xuntian, in late 2023. It will be capable of docking with Tianhe for repairs, maintenance, refueling and upgrades, and aims to survey 40 percent of the sky across a decade.
Xuntian features a two-meter-diameter aperture and a field of view more than 300 times greater than the 32-year-old Hubble Space Telescope. NASA plans a new survey mission, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, around 2027.
Wentian fallout?
The two previous Long March 5B launches, which carried a test new generation crew spacecraft prototype and the Tianhe module respectively, notably saw the large first stage of the rocket enter orbit and make uncontrolled reentries.
Attention will be on whether or not the launch profile has been altered or deorbiting capabilities, such as restarting engines, have been added. If not, the mission could see another uncontrolled reentry occur. Exceptionally, the Long March 5B includes a core stage and boosters.
Usually smaller second or further stages do the final work to carry a spacecraft into orbit, with the larger first stage cutting off before reaching orbital velocity and falling within a calculated, safe area.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin stated last year that it was “common practice across the world for upper stages of rockets to burn up while reentering the atmosphere.” In this case, the large first stage is also the upper stage.
While such an event would involve particularly large and massive spacecraft, the standalone threat of the spent rocket stage causing damage or harm will be very low. Most of the stage will burn up in the atmosphere and is likely to land in the oceans or uninhabited areas.
There is however a larger cumulative risk, according to academics, from uncontrolled reentries stemming from space launch activities.
Area clearance notices provide drop zones for the boosters and payload fairings for the upcoming Wentian launch, but no indication of a zone for the first stage.
Quelle: SN
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Update: 18.07.2022
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China's Tianzhou-3 cargo craft separates from space station combination
This simulated image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on July 17, 2022 shows the Tianzhou-3 cargo craft separating from the orbiting station combination. The Tianzhou-3 cargo craft, carrying supplies for China's space station, separated from the orbiting station combination at 10:59 a.m. Sunday (Beijing Time), after completing all assigned tasks, according to the China Manned Space Engineering Office.(Xinhua/Guo Zhongzheng)
The Tianzhou-3 cargo craft, carrying supplies for China's space station, separated from the orbiting station combination at 10:59 a.m. Sunday (Beijing Time), after completing all assigned tasks, according to the China Manned Space Engineering Office.
China launched the Tianzhou-3 on Sept. 20, 2021 from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern province of Hainan, delivering six tonnes of goods to the country's under-construction space station.
At present, the Tianzhou-3 cargo craft is in good condition and will re-enter the atmosphere under ground control in the future, said the engineering office.
Screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on July 17, 2022 shows the Tianzhou-3 cargo craft separating from the orbiting station combination. The Tianzhou-3 cargo craft, carrying supplies for China's space station, separated from the orbiting station combination at 10:59 a.m. Sunday (Beijing Time), after completing all assigned tasks, according to the China Manned Space Engineering Office. (Xinhua/Guo Zhongzheng)
Screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on July 17, 2022 shows the Tianzhou-3 cargo craft separating from the orbiting station combination. The Tianzhou-3 cargo craft, carrying supplies for China's space station, separated from the orbiting station combination at 10:59 a.m. Sunday (Beijing Time), after completing all assigned tasks, according to the China Manned Space Engineering Office.(Xinhua/Guo Zhongzheng)
Screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on July 17, 2022 shows the Tianzhou-3 cargo craft separating from the orbiting station combination. The Tianzhou-3 cargo craft, carrying supplies for China's space station, separated from the orbiting station combination at 10:59 a.m. Sunday (Beijing Time), after completing all assigned tasks, according to the China Manned Space Engineering Office. (Xinhua/Guo Zhongzheng)
This simulated image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on July 17, 2022 shows the Tianzhou-3 cargo craft separating from the orbiting station combination. The Tianzhou-3 cargo craft, carrying supplies for China's space station, separated from the orbiting station combination at 10:59 a.m. Sunday (Beijing Time), after completing all assigned tasks, according to the China Manned Space Engineering Office. (Xinhua/Guo Zhongzheng)
Quelle: Xinhua
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Update: 24.07.2022
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China launches one of 2 lab modules to join space station
China has launched one of two laboratory modules to complete its permanent orbiting space station
BEIJING -- China on Sunday launched one of two laboratory modules to complete its permanent orbiting space station.
The Wentian was launched from tropical Hainan Island with a large crowd of amateur photographers and space enthusiasts watching. Designed for science and biology experiments, the module lifted off on the Long March 5B remote 3 rocket, and spent roughly eight minutes in flight before it entered orbit, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.
A second lab module, called the Mengtian, is due to be launched in October, and both will join the Tiangong space station. Three astronauts are already living in the core module and will oversee the arrival and docking of the lab.
The launch is the third since the Chinese space station entered its construction phase. It was preceded by the Tianzhou-class cargo spacecraft and the Shenzhou-14 crewed spacecraft.
China’s space program is run by the ruling Communist Party’s military wing, the People’s Liberation Army, prompting the U.S. to exclude it from the International Space Station. As a result, China largely had to work on its own in its Tiangong space station program, building and then abandoning two experimental stations before embarking on the latest iteration.
The 23-ton lab module is heavier than any other single-module spacecraft that is currently in space, according to the state-owned Global Times.
China’s space program launched its first astronaut into orbit in 2003, making it only the third country to do so on its own after the former Soviet Union and the U.S.
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Quelle: abcNews
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China launches Wentian lab module to its space station
China successfully launched its space station lab module Wentian, the largest spacecraft ever developed by the country, into orbit on Sunday afternoon.
The Long March-5B Y3 rocket, carrying Wentian (which means "quest for the heavens"), blasted off at 2:22 p.m. Beijing Time from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province.
About eight minutes later, the lab module separated from the carrier rocket and entered its preset orbit. The China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) declared the launch mission a complete success.
In the next few hours, the Wentian will rendezvous and dock with the Tianhe core module in orbit, forming the second part of China's three-module space station.
On July 17, the Tianzhou-3 cargo craft undocked from Tianhe, leaving its front docking port for the upcoming Wentian lab module.
The Shenzhou-14 crew currently in the core module will then enter the Wentian cabin. They will become the first Chinese astronauts to witness the docking of two large space station modules in orbit.
The trio watched the launch of the Wentian in orbit.
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About the Wentian lab module
With a length of 17.9 meters, a maximum diameter of 4.2 meters and a takeoff weight of 23 tonnes, the Wentian module is the largest and heaviest spacecraft China has developed.
It has the same astronaut living facilities as the Tianhe core module, including three sleeping areas, a toilet and a kitchen.
The lab module will provide a bigger platform for scientific experiments in space. It is mainly for space life science research. The module is equipped with laboratory cabinets for life ecology, biotechnology and variable gravity science.
A small robotic arm half the weight and length of the existing robotic arm on the space station's core module is aboard the Wentian module. The robotic arm has a load capacity of about one-eighth of its predecessor, and its end positional accuracy is five times higher than its predecessor, allowing it to conduct more elaborate operations.
The small robotic arm will have similar missions to its predecessor, including assisting astronauts during extravehicular activities and carrying out inspections of extravehicular conditions.
The Wentian lab module. /Xinhua
What's next?
The Mengtian lab module, the final component of the space station, will be launched in October.
By that time, China's space station will be expanded from the foundational core module into a basic T-shaped three-module structure, with the core module Tianhe in the center and the two lab modules, Wentian and Mengtian, on each side of it.
The Mengtian module is for microgravity science research and is equipped with multi-disciplinary laboratory cabinets for fluid physics, materials science, combustion science, basic physics and aerospace technology experiments.
Nearly 100 experiments are planned during the construction phase of the space station, said Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the CMSEO, at a press conference before the launch of the Shenzhou-14 crewed mission in June.
He said large-scale scientific research will be carried out after the operation is normalized. The research is expected to effectively promote breakthroughs in major frontier scientific fields, such as dark matter and dark energy, galaxy formation and evolution, the laws of nature and the sustainable development of the Earth.
Quelle: CGTN
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China sends Wentian lab module into space in a first for manned Tiangong station
- The Wentian lab module will help carry out cutting-edge experiments in life sciences and biotechnology
- This is the first time in China’s space history that a docking will take place with astronauts present at Tiangong
China has sent a huge component to its space station to carry out cutting-edge experiments in life sciences and biotechnology, in a first for the country’s manned space programme.
The 17.9 metres (59 feet) tall, 20-tonne Wentian laboratory module, packed inside the Long March 5B heavy-lift rocket, took off on Sunday at 2.22pm Beijing time from the Wenchang spaceport in southern China.
The docking process of the Wentian, the first experiment module of China’s space station Tiangong, will be overseen by the three astronauts aboard the station. Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe arrived at the under-construction Tiangong in early June on a six-month mission.
This is also the first time in China’s space history that a docking will take place with astronauts present on board Tiangong.
Wentian contains four fridge-size experiment cabinets and 22 external mounting points expected to support a wide range of research at the forefront of space-based life sciences.
For instance, there will be experiments to investigate how microgravity and space radiation affect the cultivation of cells, the crystallisation of proteins, and the growth of plants, insects, small mammals and microbes.
A third cabin will use centrifuges to create between one hundredth to twice the gravity pull on earth to simulate, for instance, the growth conditions on the moon and Mars.
The maximum capacity for the Wentian is eight experiment cabinets, and 25 for the entire Tiangong station, state-owned China Space News reported on Saturday.
Tiangong will host more than 1,000 scientific experiments over the next 10 years, Wang Ke, a senior member of the experiment cabinet development team, said last month.
On Friday, a whole-system test was carried out at the launch site to assess Wentian’s functionality and launch environments, such as wind speed and atmospheric conditions.
“The testing data from Wentian is consistent with our design. We can say that the entire module is working well,” Liao Jinlin, Tiangong’s deputy chief designer from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, told state broadcaster CCTV.
Wentian contains four fridge-size experiment cabinets. Photo: Handout
A few hours after lift-off, Wentian will rendezvous with Tiangong from the core module’s front docking port. It will be transferred to another docking port in two months to make way for another experimental module – the Mengtian – which is scheduled to arrive in October.
Mengtian will support an even larger number of experiments, ranging from fundamental physics to materials science, including the most precise clock in orbit. The atomic clock developed by Chinese scientists has the accuracy of losing or gaining one second every 30 billion years.
The International Space Station (ISS) – a joint project of the United States, Russia, Canada, Japan and 11 European nations – has hosted more than 3,000 experiments since astronauts began to be permanently stationed there in 2000.
While the ISS and Tiangong are likely to operate separately, “having more than one orbital outpost in operation will lead to more productive research results that can be shared globally,” said John Logsdon, a space policy expert based in Washington.
China has also taken measures to make sure that the core segment of the Long March 5B rocket is brought back to earth in a controlled manner this time, Xu Yansong, director general of the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization, said during a live-stream of the launch on China Global Television Network – CCTV’s English-language channel.
China was criticised for letting the first stage of the rocket enter orbit in an uncontrolled manner with the previous two Long March 5B launches.
Quelle: South China Morning Post
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