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June 6th, 2022
Credit: CNSA/Inside Outer Space screengrab
The three Shenzhou-14 astronauts — commander Chen Dong and co-astronauts Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe — entered the space station core module Tianhe on Sunday, just hours after the spaceship was launched into space from a launch center in northwest China.
Credit: CNSA/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Now safely in the core module, their first tasks involved setting up the crew-related environment, including the condition of drinking water, oxygen production, sleep, sanitation and other statuses, said Wang Saijin, deputy chief designer of the China manned space program’s astronaut system at Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center, in a China Central Television (CCTV) interview.
“These are all very important status settings. They also have to organize and move supplies, including arranging those from the Tianzhou-3 and Tianzhou-4 cargo spaceships,” Wang said.
Six-month stay
This trio has begun their six-month stay in orbit to complete the final stage of constructing the space station Tiangong.
Credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
“We have greatly shortened the time for astronauts to reach the space station since the launch of Shenzhou-12, achieving one-day journey that started at dawn and arrived at dusk. The astronauts had breakfast at Wentian Pavilion in the morning and soon can go to sleep at the space station at night. The space station complex is in great condition for the manned mission,” Gao Xu, deputy chief designer of the China manned space program’s astronaut system under the China Academy of Space Technology told CCTV.
Emergency rescue
Even before the launch of China’s Shenzhou-14 piloted spaceship, the Shenzhou-15 spaceship has been well-prepared for emergency rescue and the rotation mission, according to spacecraft designers.
The trio will complete the assembly and construction of Tiangong, developing it from a single-module structure into a national space laboratory with three modules — the core module Tianhe and two lab modules — Wentian and Mengtian.
Credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
The Shenzhou-14 spaceship was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China’s Gobi Desert on Sunday and successfully docked with the in-orbit space station core module Tianhe, forming a complex with the core module and the cargo craft Tianzhou-3 and Tianzhou-4.
Continuous technological improvements have made the Long March-2F carrier rocket, China’s only rocket to carry out crewed missions, more reliable and safer, Liu Feng, the launch vehicle’s deputy chief designer said before the launch of the crewed spaceship Shenzhou-14.
International taikonauts
Speaking of the future plan for China’s space station, Huang Weifen, chief designer of taikonaut training system of the China Manned Space Program, said China has been cooperating with other countries and she believes there will be more international taikonauts taking part in joint missions with Chinese taikonauts.
Credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
“Since 2012, in fact, we’ve been cooperating with the European Astronaut Center in selecting and training, medical monitoring and support and space foods. We also sent taikonauts to each other for training. Such exchanges aim for the taikonauts from the European Space Agency to come to the China Space Station. So, we’ve been making relevant technical preparations and discussing how we should select and train,” Huang told CCTV. “We are actively doing this. And many other countries, for example Pakistan, expressed willingness to join flight missions on the China Space Station. I believe there will certainly be a time for international taikonauts to come.”
For newly-issued videos about the Shenzhou-14 mission, go to:
Posted in Space News
