Tiangong, space stations, China

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The first astronauts on board the China Space Station

Jun 17, 2021

Shenzhou-12 hatch opening: the Shenzhou-12 crew entered the Tianhe core moduleon 17 June 2021, at 10:48 UTC (18:48 China Standard Time). Astronauts Nie Haisheng (commander), Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo will spend three months on board Tianhe core module (天和核心舱), the first and main component of the China Space Station (中国空间站), informally known as Tiangong (天宫, Heavenly Palace).

 

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Article "Chinese astronauts reach new space station for three-month mission"
Shenzhou-12 carrying three astronauts docks with Tiangong space station after seven-hour flight

by Helen Davidson
June 17, 2021

 

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Shenzhou-12 crew begins three-month mission

Jun 18, 2021

The Shenzhou-12 crew, astronauts Nie Haisheng (commander), Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo, opened the hatch and entered the Tianhe core module on 17 June 2021, at 10:48 UTC (18:48 China Standard Time). Shenzhou-12 (神舟十二号) will spend three months attached to the Tianhe core module (天和核心舱), the first and main component of the China Space Station (中国空间站), informally known as Tiangong (天宫, Heavenly Palace).

 

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The Tianhe core module has Hall-effect thrusters

Jun 22, 2021

The Tianhe core module (天和核心舱), the first and main component of the China Space Station (中国空间站), has two propulsion systems: chemical propulsion that creates thrust from chemical reactions between solid or liquid propellants, and Hall-effect thrusters that generate thrust by accelerating ions using electricity.

 

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The robotic arm on the China Space Station

Jul 4, 2021

The robotic arm on the China Space Station (CSS) is designed to help astronauts perform extravehicular activities. The space station arm is attached to the Tianhe core module, the first and main component of the CSS.

 

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First spacewalk on the China Space Station

Jul 4, 2021

First Extravehicular Activity on the China Space Station: On 4 July 2021, at 00:11 UTC (08:11 China Standard Time), astronaut Liu Boming successfully opened the hatch of the Tianhe core module, starting the first spacewalk on the China Space Station. Astronauts Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo are working to install various equipment on the outside of the Tianhe core module, the first and main component of the CSS.

 

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Shenzhou-12 astronauts present the Tianhe core module

Sep 6, 2021

The Shenzhou-12 crew, astronauts Nie Haisheng (commander), Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo, presented the Tianhe core module to university students and secondary school pupils in Hong Kong. The Tianhe core module (天和核心舱), the first and main component of the China Space Station (中国空间站), informally known as Tiangong (天宫, Heavenly Palace).

 

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Shenzhou-12 landing

Sep 17, 2021

The Shenzhou-12 crew, astronauts Nie Haisheng (commander), Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo, has landed at the Dongfeng landing site, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, north China, on 17 September 2021, at 05:34 UTC (13:34 local time).

 

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Shenzhou-12 astronauts after landing

Sep 17, 2021

The Shenzhou-12 crew, astronauts Nie Haisheng (commander), Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo, has landed at the Dongfeng landing site, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, north China, on 17 September 2021, at 05:34 UTC (13:34 local time).

 

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Tianzhou-3 launch

Sep 20, 2021

The Long March-7 Y4 launch vehicle launched the Tianzhou-3 cargo spacecraft from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, Hainan Province, China, on 20 September 2021, at 07:10 UTC (15:10 local time). Tianzhou-3 (天舟三号) is the second cargo mission scheduled to autonomously dock to the Tianhe Core Module (天和核心舱), the first and main component of the China Space Station.

 

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Tianzhou-3 docking

Sep 20, 2021

The Tianzhou-3 cargo spacecraft was launched by The Long March-7 Y4 launch vehicle on 20 September 2021, at 07:10 UTC (15:10 China Standard Time). Tianzhou-3 carries nearly 6 tonnes of goods and materials, including living supplies for the astronauts, one extravehicular space suit for back-up, supplies for extravehicular activities, space station platform materials, payloads and propellants. Tianzhou-3 autonomously docked to the Tianhe Core Module on 20 September 2021, at 14:08 UTC (22:08 China Standard Time). Tianzhou-3 (天舟三号) is the second cargo mission scheduled to autonomously dock to the Tianhe Core Module (天和核心舱), the first and main component of the China Space Station (中国空间站).

 

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Shenzhou-13 crew announced

Oct 14, 2021

China National Space Administration has announced the crew for the Shenzhou-13 mission: Zhai Zhigang (commander), Ye Guangfu and Wang Yaping. A Long March-2F launch vehicle will launch the Shenzhou-13 crew spacecraft from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Gansu Province, China, on 15 October 2021, at 16:23 UTC (16 October, at 00:23 China Standard Time). Shenzhou-13 (神舟十三号) will transport the second crew of three astronauts to the China Space Station (中国空间站).

Shenzhou 13 on Wikipedia

 

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Shenzhou-13 launch

Oct 14, 2021

The Long March-2F Y13 launch vehicle (长征二号F遥十三) launched the Shenzhou-13 (神舟十三) crew spacecraft, from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Gansu Province, China, on 15 October 2021, at 16:23:53 UTC (16 October, at 00:23:53 China Standard Time). Shenzhou-13 transports the second crew of three astronauts, Zhai Zhigang (commander), Ye Guangfu and Wang Yaping, to the China Space Station (中国空间站). Shenzhou-13 is scheduled to perform a fast rendezvous and docking with the Tianhe Core Module (天和核心舱).
Long March-2F Y13 launches Shenzhou-13

 

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Article "China launches Shenzhou 13 astronauts on historic mission to new space station"
The trio includes Wang Yaping, the first woman to live aboard the station.

by Mike Wall
October 15, 2021

 

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Shenzhou-13 docking

Oct 16, 2021

The Shenzhou-13 crew spacecraft autonomously docked to the radial port of the Tianhe Core Module (天和核心舱) on 15 October 2021, at 22:56 (16 October, at 06:56 China Standard Time). Shenzhou-13 (神舟十三) transports the second crew of three astronauts, Zhai Zhigang (commander), Ye Guangfu and Wang Yaping, for the first six-month mission on the China Space Station (中国空间站).

 

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Shenzhou-13 hatch opening

Oct 16, 2021

The hatch of the Shenzhou-13 (神舟十三) crew spacecraft was opened on 16 October 2021 and the second crew of three astronauts, Zhai Zhigang (commander), Ye Guangfu and Wang Yaping, entered the Tianhe Core Module (天和核心舱) at 01:58 UTC (09:58 China Standard Time), for the first six-month mission on the China Space Station (中国空间站). CSS consists now of the Tianhe Core Module with the Tianzhou-2, Tianzhou-3 cargo spacecraft and the Shenzhou-13 crew spacecraft docked.

 

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What’s next for the China Space Station

Oct 18, 2021

China National Space Administration’s plan for the construction of the China Space Station includes two large modules: Wentian Experiment Capusule-1 and Mengtian Experiment Capsule-2. The current configuration is: the Tianhe Core Module, the Shenzhou-13 crew spacecraft and the cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-2 and Tianzhou-3.

 

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Astronaut Wang Yaping begins first spacewalk

Nov 7, 2021

On 7 November 2021, Wang Yaping became the first Chinese female astronaut to perform a spacewalk. Astronauts Zhai Zhigang (翟志刚, commander of the Shenzhou-13 mission) and Wang Yaping (王亚平) exited the Tianhe core module (天和核心舱), the first and main component of the China Space Station (中国空间站), for a six-hour extravehicular activity (EVA).

 

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Shenzhou-13 astronauts complete first spacewalk

Nov 8, 2021

The Shenzhou-13 crew successfully completed the first extravehicular activity planned for the mission. Astronaut Zhai Zhigang opened the hatch of the Tianhe core module on 7 November 2021, at 10:51 UTC (18:51 China Standard Time), starting the third extravehicular activity on China Space Station. As of 12:28 UTC (20:28 CST), astronauts Zhai Zhigang (翟志刚) and Wang Yaping (王亚平) exited the Tianhe core module (天和核心舱) for a planned six-hour spacewalk. This is the first EVA for astronaut Wang Yaping and the first time a Chinese female astronaut performs a spacewalk. For astronaut Zhai Zhigang, the first Chinese astronaut to spacewalk on 27 September 2008, it was the second EVA. With the support of the robotic arm, the astronauts installed new hardware and tested the performance of the EVA spacesuits. The activities were successfully completed at 17:16 UTC (8 November, at 01:16 CST), astronauts Zhai Zhigang and Wang Yaping returning inside the Tianhe core module, the first and main component of the China Space Station (中国空间站), informally known as Tiangong (天宫, Heavenly Palace).

 

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Tianzhou-2 undocking and departure

Mar 28, 2022

The Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft undocked from the Tianhe Core Module of the China Space Station on 27 March 2022, at 07:59 UTC (15:59 China Standard Time). According to China National Space Administration (CNSA), the Tianzhou-2 spacecraft is in good condition and will reenter into the atmosphere under ground control. Tianzhou-2 (天舟二号) performed “China’s first fast automatic rendezvous and docking”, autonomously docking to the Tianhe Core Module (天和核心舱), the first and main component of the China Space Station (中国空间站), on 29 May 2021, at 21:01 UTC (30 May, at 05:01 China Standard Time).