By 
June 16th, 2021
Credit: CMS
China is set to launch three crewmembers on a Shenzhou-12 spacecraft, the first human mission to China’s space station construction site.
Commander Nie Haisheng (Shenzhou-6, Shenzhou-10), Pilot Liu Boming (Shenzhou-7) and Pilot Tang Hongbo (first flight) will liftoff at 9:22 a.m. (Beijing time) on Thursday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, the China Manned Space Engineering Office announced on Wednesday.
Left to right: Pilot Tang Hongbo, Commander Nie Haisheng, Pilot Liu Boming.
Credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
The crew will stay in orbit for three months.
Auto rendezvous and docking
The Shenzhou-12 spaceship will fly a fast autonomous rendezvous and docking with the now orbiting space station core module Tianhe and form a complex with Tianhe and the cargo craft Tianzhou-2.
Credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
This upcoming crewed mission is among the planned 11 spaceflight missions for 2021 and 2022, including three space station modules, four cargo ships, and four piloted spaceships, in order to complete the construction of China’s space station by the end of 2022.
Challenging spacewalks
The Shenzhou-12 crew will carry out the most challenging series of extravehicular activities ever conducted by China’s space program. While in space, the space trio will test the long-term spaceflight supporting technologies, such as regenerative environment control and life support, the resupply of space station goods and materials, and astronaut health management.
Robotic arm helps on space station construction.
Credit: CCTV/CNSA/Inside Outer Space screengrab
With the support of a robotic arm, the astronauts will carry out the extravehicular activities for relatively longer durations for the first time and perform such operations as extravehicular equipment installation, repair and maintenance.
New landing site
After their three-month mission, the Shenzhou-12 astronauts will test the search and recovery capability of the Dongfeng landing site for the first time.
The landing site has shifted from Siziwang Banner to the Dongfeng landing site in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. A regular emergency standby and search mode for that landing site will be initiated for the first time.
Credit: New China TV/GLOBALink/Inside Outer Space screengrab
China launched the space station core module Tianhe on April 29, followed by the Tianzhou-2 cargo ship on May 29 that docked with the Tianhe early on May 30 to deliver 6.9-tons of supplies, equipment and propellant.
A number of videos focused on the Shenzhou-12 mission have been issued by China Central Television (CCTV)/China National Space Administration (CNSA)/New China TV/GLOBALink.
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