BEIJING: China on Tuesday (Nov 29) successfully launched a spacecraft carrying three astronauts to its under-construction space station, where they will meet with their partners and handover work amid intensifying competition with the United States. . The Shenzhou-15 spacecraft, atop a Long March-2F Y15 carrier rocket, launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Tuesday night, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). It carried three astronauts – Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu.
Fei will be the mission commander, Ji Qiming, assistant to the director of CMSA, told the media.
minutes after the launch, which was broadcast live, a officer in control room The launch was declared successful.
CMSA said that for the first time in China’s space history, the Shenzhou-15 astronauts will orbit the Shenzhou-14 crew, which were sent to the space station in June.
of china #shenzhou15 The manned spacecraft has been successfully launched! Another step towards peaceful exploration of the universe. pic.twitter.com/mpkycihL50— Hua Chunying (@SpokespersonCHN) November 29, 2022
This is the first time the under-construction space station will house six astronauts. After five days, the crew of Shenzhou-14 will return to Earth after completing a six-month mission.
wonderful moment #shenzhou15 pic.twitter.com/WJml0mCA6n— Hua Chunying (@SpokespersonCHN) November 29, 2022
Ji said that during its six-month mission, the Shenzhou-15 crew will conduct tests related to long-term habitation aboard China’s space station in its three-module configuration.
Official media reported that this would be the last flight mission in the construction phase of China’s space station.
The launch was done from the Long March-2F carrier rocket.
The crew will remain in orbit for about six months, a period in which construction of the low-orbit space station is expected to be completed.
Ji told the media on Monday that after entering orbit, the Shenzhou-15 spacecraft would dock with a fast, automated rendezvous and the front port of the space station’s core module, called Tianhe. This is the third manned mission launched by China to connect with its space station.
Two batches of three astronauts each were sent to the space station on missions of six months each to man the orbital station. While one set of astronauts returned, another set of three astronauts is currently based in Tianhe.
According to previously announced plans by China, the space station is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
Once ready, China will be the only country to have a space station.
Russia’s International Space Station (ISS) is a collaborative project of several countries. The China Space Station (CSS) is also expected to be a competitor to the ISS built by Russia.
Observers say the CSS could become the only space station to remain in orbit after the ISS is retired in the coming years.