Image credit: CCTV/CNSA

There has been an in-space handover of space station operations between the country’s Shenzhou-18 and Shenzhou-19 crews.

“Today, we pass the space station key to you as a relay baton. We trust that you will make our space home even better,” said Ye Guangfu, mission commander of the Shenzhou-18 taikonaut trio.

The transfer of control of the Tiangong space station took place on Friday.

Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong, and Wang Haoze joined their Shenzhou-18 colleagues on Wednesday after their Shenzhou-19 craft completed a rapid automated rendezvous and docking with the space station’s core module, Tianhe.

CCTV/CNSA/Inside Outer Space screengrab

Night landing

Meanwhile, recovery teams are in practice-mode at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region for return to Earth of Guangfu, and Shenzhou-18 crewmates, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu.

Lu Shengwang, a member of the Shenzhou-18 landing site survey team told China Central Television (CCTV) that Shenzhou-18 will return at night.

“We have prioritized the use of infrared thermal imagers for capturing images. To ensure the highest image quality possible, we have conducted technical research on infrared image processing, yielding good results,” Lu said. “In addition, we have employed in-depth learning technology to enhance our target recognition methods, significantly boosting the stability and reliability of target tracking.”

Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab

Monday departure

The Shenzhou-18 crew is set to depart for Earth aboard the Shenzhou-18 spaceship on Monday. The return capsule of the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship, carrying three astronauts, is slated to touch down on Earth in the early morning on November 4.

Wang Guoliang, a communications operator, space search and rescue team at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center added: “Our integrated communication vehicle has undergone upgrades to its satellite antenna system and the command and dispatch vehicle has been thoroughly optimized to ensure that image transmission is now more stable and efficient.”

Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab

Desert lighting

As reported by CCTV, “the Gobi Desert’s uneven terrain, dust and debris stirred up by vehicles, as well as fallen tree branches and barbed wire that can cause tire blowouts, constitute significant challenges to the ground teams’ search efforts.”

The ground team’s vehicles have received upgrades to their lighting systems, including warning lights to maintain safe distances between ground search vehicles.

“This is the lighting equipment we set up at the landing site,” said Sun Liwen, leader of the search and rescue team of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab

“We have installed four 400-kilowatt square lights on it. The pole can be elevated to 10 meters, ensuring that the area is illuminated as brightly as during the day,” Sun said.

The Dongfeng landing site has successfully carried out six search and rescue missions for Shenzhou spacecraft.

To handle the incoming Shenzhou-18 mission, the landing site has upgraded its communication equipment, refined contingency plans, and conducted multiple rounds of specialized night training and coordinated drills.

For CCTV video on recovery trial-runs go to:

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/yd8bNHWkyhGKppE8/

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/sRcD4mAnwH3THyp7/

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