China launched the crewed Shenzhou-17 mission to the Tiangong House Station on Thursday, Oct. 26, at 3:14 AM UTC. Launched by way of a Chang Zheng 2F (CZ-2F) rocket, the three crew members set sail for the station over the next hours after liftoff. This can start the handover from the Shenzhou-16 crew to the Shenzhou-17 crew.
The Crew
The crew for the mission, with commander Tang Hongbo, was introduced on Oct. 25, only a day earlier than the launch. Tang Hongbo was joined by Operator Tang Shengjie and System Operator Jiang Xinlin, who was flying to area for the primary time.
The crew of Shenzhou-17. (Credit score: CASC)
A part of the mission might be “experimental station restore/upkeep,” carried out throughout an EVA. The precise particulars of this operation are unknown at this time limit.
Tang Hongbo
Tang Hongbo. (Credit score: CASC)
Tang Hongbo (48) is the commander of the Shenzhou-17 mission. That is his second spaceflight, after the Shenzhou-12 mission in 2021, the place he served as a crew member. Tang Hongbo joined the astronaut corps of China in 2010 as a tier-one astronaut. He’s a member and fighter pilot of the Individuals’s Liberation Military and would be the first taikonaut to go to the Tiangong Station twice.
He joined the PLA Air Power in September 1995, and rapidly superior to group commander in a fighter jet regiment. Initially, he was additionally a part of the backup crew for Shenzhou 11 earlier than flying on 12. He was a part of the primary EVA on the Tiangong House Station, which he carried out with Liui Boming in July 2021. His time in area thus far was 92 days, 4 hours, and 11 minutes.
Tang Shengjie
Tang Shengjie. (Credit score: CASC)
Tang Shenghie (34) joins the mission as a crew member. He has been within the PLA Air Power since 2008 and served time as a fighter pilot there. He joined the astronaut corps of the Individuals’s Liberation Military in 2020. His rang within the military is Lieutenant Colonel.
Shenzhou-17 might be his first spaceflight. He’s certainly one of two rookie members on this mission.
Jiang Xinlin
Jian Xinlin (35) is the third member of the Shenzhou-17 crew. Like the opposite two, he’s additionally a pilot for the PLA Air Power, and similar to Tang Shengjie, he holds the title of Lieutenant Colonel.
Jian Xinlin. (Credit score: CASC)
He joined the astronaut corps in the identical yr as Tang in 2020 and has been within the Air Power since 2006. Earlier than his profession as an Air Power pilot, he was skilled to be a tank driver however later modified careers to the Air Power.
The Shenzhou Spacecraft
Shenzhou, which interprets to “divinite boat,” was the spacecraft for this mission. It’ll carry a crew of three to the Tiangong House Station. Closely impressed by the Russian Soyuz capsule, Shenzhou has accomplished a number of flights since its first flight in 1999.
It lots about 7,840 kilograms, relying on actual mission specs, and is about 9.25 meters lengthy and a couple of.8 meters in diameter. It options an inside quantity of 14 cubic meters and is designed to at all times host as much as three individuals for low-Earth orbit (LEO) journey. Its most time in area is the limiting issue for these rotations, and about 183 days.
Like Soyuz, it consists of three modules. The orbital module could be transformed right into a habitation area throughout the time in area and sometimes hosts a number of payloads and scientific devices throughout the missions. The reentry module, positioned in the midst of the 2 different modules, incorporates a heatshield and different components wanted for reentry and is the one celebration of the Shenzhou spacecraft that can attain the Earth’s floor once more. On the very finish, there may be the service module, which, much like different spacecraft, hosts the life help, propulsion, and energy provide.
The Tiangong House Station would be the vacation spot for the spacecraft. The “palace within the sky” is designed to function for as much as 15 years and is floating in low-Earth orbit at an inclination of 41.58 levels and an altitude of 389 kilometers.
Chang Zheng 2F
The rocket for this mission was the crew-certified Chang Zheng 2F, the principle spine of the Chinese language crewed area program. Thus far, it has a 100% success price and is principally used to launch the Shenzhou spacecraft to LEO.
Chang Zheng 2F inside its service construction. (Credit score: CASC)
A planet satellite tv for pc captured the rocket on the pad a couple of week in the past after it rolled out to the pad in preparation for the mission.
A @planet satellite tv for pc captured Shenzhou-17 on the pad at Jiuquan after rolling out earlier at the moment.
Crew and crowds could be seen gathering close by the rocket because it’s ready to launch three people to the Chinese language House Station later this month. Extra: pic.twitter.com/axwZp5TNAq
— Harry Stranger (@Harry__Stranger) October 19, 2023
The rocket stands 62 meters tall with a liftoff mass of 464,000 kilograms. It may elevate 8,400 kilograms into LEO.
The 4 liquid-fueled boosters and the middle core present about 6,512 kN of thrust at liftoff because the YF-20B engines ignite. This would be the case for roughly 155 seconds earlier than the boosters decouple, adopted by the middle core shortly after.
After this, the second stage of CZ-2F will burn for about 460 seconds earlier than releasing the Shenzhou-17 spacecraft for the ultimate stage of the flight to Tiangong.
Shortly after docking, the handover between crews will start, because the Shenzhou-17 crew will take over the station’s operation. The crew of Shenzhou-16 will then depart Tiangong and return to Earth in simply days from now.
(Lead picture: Shenzhou-17 spacecraft atop CZ-2F. Credit score: CASC)
