Shenzhou-11 Space Mission News

[cirr]

 

[Taimoor Khan]

Great achievement! While others are doing the same in collaboration like space station, China has done it all alone.

 

[Syed Taha Wajahat]

That is indeed a great achievement for China. We wish you peace and prosperity!! Congratulations Chinese nation.

 

[alibaz]

Congratulations

 

[Max]

Congratulations, China.

 

[GDP Adil Khan Niazi]

China launches longest manned space mission

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10154273174842663

China launched its longest manned space mission on Monday, sending two astronauts into orbit to spend a month aboard a space laboratory that is part of a broader plan to have a permanent manned space station in service around 2022.

The Shenzhou 11 blasted off on a Long March rocket at 7:30 am (2330 GMT) from the remote launch site in Jiuquan, in the Gobi desert, in images carried live on state television.

The astronauts will dock with the Tiangong 2 space laboratory, or "Heavenly Palace 2", which was sent into space last month. It will be the longest stay in space by Chinese astronauts, state media reported.

Early on Monday, Fan Changlong, a vice chairman of China's powerful Central Military Commission, met astronauts Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong and wished them well, state news agency Xinhua reported.

"You are going to travel in space to pursue the space dream of the Chinese nation," Fan said.

"With all the scientific and rigorous training, discreet preparation, and rich experience accumulated from previous missions, you will accomplish the glorious and tough task... We wish you success and look forward to your triumphant return."

Shenzhou-11 manned spacecraft carrying astronauts Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong blasts off from the launchpad in Jiuquan, China, October 17, 2016. China Daily/via REUTERS

Chinese astronauts Jing Haipeng (L) and Chen Dong wave in front of a Chinese national flag before the launch of Shenzhou-11 manned spacecraft, in Jiuquan, China, October 17, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer

Shenzhou-11 manned spacecraft carrying astronauts Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong blasts off from the launchpad in Jiuquan, China, October 17, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer

Shenzhou-11 manned spacecraft carrying astronauts Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong blasts off from the launchpad in Jiuquan, China, October 17, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer

Shenzhou 11 is the third space voyage for Jing, who will command the mission and celebrate his 50th birthday in orbit.

In a manned space mission in 2013, three Chinese astronauts spent 15 days in orbit and docked with a space laboratory, the Tiangong 1.

Advancing China's space program is a priority for Beijing, with President Xi Jinping calling for the country to establish itself as a space power.

China insists its space program is for peaceful purposes.

Shenzhou 11, whose name translates as "Divine Vessel", will also carry three experiments designed by Hong Kong middle school students and selected in a science competition, including one that will take silk worms into space.

The U.S. Defense Department has highlighted China's increasing space capabilities, saying it was pursuing activities aimed at preventing other nations using space-based assets in a crisis.

China has been working to develop its space program for military, commercial and scientific purposes, but is still playing catch-up to established space powers the United States and Russia.

China's Jade Rabbit moon rover landed on the moon in late 2013 to great national fanfare, but soon suffered severe technical difficulties.

The rover and the Chang'e 3 probe that carried it there were the first "soft landing" on the moon since 1976. Both the United States and the Soviet Union had accomplished the feat earlier.

China will launch a "core module" for its first space station some time around 2018, a senior official said in April, part of a plan for a permanent manned space station in service around 2022.



(Reporting by John Ruwitch and Ben Blanchard in BEIJING; Editing by Michael Perry)

Sources : http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-space-idUSKBN12G10V?il=0

 

[mike2000 is back]

Congrats to China. Always appreciate countries who are forward looking .

 

[ahojunk]

The space blue: China unveils new astronaut suits
2016-10-17 15:23 | chinadaily.com.cn | Editor: Li Yan

Astronaut Jing Haipeng (left) and Chen Dong are captured in photos with new suits. (Photo/www.81.cn)​

China launched the Shenzhou XI manned spacecraft on Monday, sending two astronauts to the Tiangong II space laboratory - another step towards becoming one of the leading players in global space technology.

On Sunday morning, one day ahead of the launch, the two astronauts, 49-year-old Jing Haipeng and 37-year-old Chen Dong, met reporters during a news briefing at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. In addition to their space mission, the new astronaut suits they wore were also in the limelight.

The new uniforms, worn by astronauts while working on Earth, features different shades of navy blue - inspired by the color of the skyline and space, according to the the Astronaut Center of China's spacesuit laboratory. The V-shaped pattern on the chest carries an auspicious meaning of "victory" in each mission.

The suits are among the newly unveiled autumn and winter series for astronauts, using thick woolen fabric to maintain warmth. Others include outdoor training suits and winter coats.

Since May 2015, China's Astronaut Center has begun to design astronauts' attire, including on-orbit suits, on-ground suits and accessories.

Autumn and winter uniforms (Photo/www.81.cn)

Winter coats (Photo/www.81.cn)

Outdoor training coats for winter (Photo/www.81.cn)

Summer uniforms (Photo/www.81.cn)​

 

[TaiShang]

China Amps Up Space Program in Race to Challenge U.S.

Challenge the US?

China's space program is self-sustained.

I would say China is a league of its own.

***

Fairing fragments of Shenzhou 11 found

Chinanews.com, October 18, 2016


Fairing fragments and a black box from the Shenzhou 11 manned spacecraft are found in Yuyang District, Yulin City, North China's Shaanxi province, Oct 17, 2016. The Long March-2F carrier rocket for China's Shenzhou 11 manned spacecraft blasted off from the launch pad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Jiuquan, Gansu province on Monday. [Photo/Chinanews.com]


Fairing fragments and a black box from the Shenzhou 11 manned spacecraft are found in Yuyang District, Yulin City, North China's Shaanxi province, Oct 17, 2016. [Photo/Chinanews.com]


Fairing fragments and a black box from the Shenzhou 11 manned spacecraft are found in Yuyang District, Yulin City, North China's Shaanxi province, Oct 17, 2016. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

 

[GS Zhou]

Baby-faces at the Shenzhou-11 mission!

Mr. Hu Guolin, Chief Designer of the General Plan Department of the Shenzhou-11 mission

Mr. Liu Bing, Chief Dispatcher of the Shenzhou-11 mission

Mr. Zhu Dengfeng, Chief Designer of the Ascending Controlling Department of the Shenzhou-11 mission

 

[Nilgiri]

Baby-faces at the Shenzhou-11 mission!

Mr. Hu Guolin, Chief Designer of the General Plan Department of the Shenzhou-11 mission
View attachment 344404

Mr. Liu Bing, Chief Dispatcher of the Shenzhou-11 mission
View attachment 344403

Mr. Zhu Dengfeng, Chief Designer of the Ascending Controlling Department of the Shenzhou-11 mission
View attachment 344402

Good to see the young faces. I feel same way when I see such at ISRO.

 

[GS Zhou]

Scientific researches to be conducted by Tiangong-2. Our two taikonauts will soon step into Tiangong-2 to assist in the research work.

 

[terranMarine]

Challenge the US?

China's space program is self-sustained.

I would say China is a league of its own.

I agree, China is not having a space program to challenge US. We have a steadied long term planning and vision for that. Space exploration, science, tech, new discoveries. We are not in a space race, this isn't the 60s when USSR and US were having a race trying to be the first to do this or that. Both countries had reached their mile stones and wrote histories with their own accomplishments. China is a late comer but at the same time it's making good and fast progress which is recognized by everyone in the world (except for those haters ofcourse). I would also like to point out that China has also done some remarkable things like being the first country to have an atomic clock in space, quantum satellite, will also be the first one to send a manned mission to the dark side of the moon by 2018 (if all goes to schedule). Yes many things are being replicated by China such as sending the Yutu rover to the moon, having a space walk, building her own space station etc. nonetheless still remarkable achievements which no other country can independently do on her own.

 

[ahojunk]

Innovative features of Shenzhou-11 spacecraft
(People's Daily Online) 16:37, October 17, 2016

Simulated image of Shenzhou-11 docking with Tiangong-2 space lab​

The Shenzhou-11 manned spacecraft was launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Oct. 17. In the wake of that momentous event, Luo Guqing, director of guidance, navigation and control system for the spacecraft, introduced four highlights of innovation at work on the Shenzhou-11.

Equipped with a wide-beam data relay system, the increased scope and working capacity of relay terminal have helped to secure link between the ground and space. Astronauts are therefore able to stay in better contact with ground control.

For docking with the Tiangong-2 space laboratory, Shenzhou-11 adopted CRDS imaging sensor technology, which is capable of taking measurements under the harsh illumination. This feature increases the reliability of space rendezvous, ensuring that the spacecraft can dock in complicated circumstances.

Shenzhou-11 features an emergency return system to guarantee the astronauts' safety. In the event of an emergency, the spacecraft can break free and return to Earth, either automatically or manually. Extra food and drinking water are stockpiled to support the daily life of astronauts in space.

The thermal design of Shenzhou-11 has been improved to reduce temperature risks caused by rotations and shifts of the spacecraft. The solar panel of the spacecraft faces the sun at all times in order to ensure an adequate supply of energy.

All in all, the Shenzhou-11 manned spacecraft is expected to fly higher, facilitate more experiments and remain for a longer time in space than any of its predecessors.

 

[TaiShang]

Permanent station plans ride on mission
(China Daily) 08:22, October 18, 2016

Nation awaits taikonauts' arrival at the Tiangong II lab for a 30-day stay



The Shenzhou XI manned spacecraft blasts off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Monday. Feng Yongbin / China Daily

As a Chinese spaceship rockets through the void toward a rendezvous with a new Chinese space lab, experts say a monumental step in the nation's long march in space exploration is about to occur.

On Monday morning, China's Shenzhou XI manned spacecraft was sent skyward atop a Long March 2F rocket that thundered away from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.

Shenzhou XI carries two male taikonauts — 49-year-old Jing Haipeng and 37-year-old Chen Dong. After a two-day journey, they are to dock with and spend 30 days living and working in Tiangong II, a new Chinese space lab. It will be double the longest stay by Chinese astronauts in space.

Tiangong II was launched in mid-September to replace the Tiangong I space lab, after the latter was retired in March according to plan.

But even more important than the length of stay, the mission is a giant step toward China having a permanent space station. Not only that, it's a station that experts said is likely to be the world's only one after the International Space Station is retired around 2024.

The Shenzhou XI-Tiangong II mission is a sign of China's full readiness for a space station, according to Lieutenant General Zhang Yulin, deputy head of the Central Military Commission's Equipment Development Department and the manned space program.

Once the station is put into use, China will launch "several space missions" each year to transport astronauts, engineers and even tourists to it, Zhang said.

As Chinese across the nation raptly watched the new step into the heavens, President Xi Jinping sent a congratulation message from the Indian state Goa where he was attending a summit of the emerging-market countries over the weekend.

Premier Li Keqiang and other high-ranking officials watched the start of the space mission from the headquarters of China Manned Space Agency in Beijing.



As part of the current mission, the Shenzhou XI-Tiangong II combination will test rendezvous and docking technologies, verify the life-support capability of the spacecraft-space lab combination, conduct research and test engineering experiments, according to Wu Ping, deputy director of the China Manned Space Agency.

The journey's most important task is to examine China's technologies and equipment to support long-term stays in space and to observe the physical and psychological effects on astronauts, explained Shi Yong, a senior designer of manned spacecraft at the China Academy of Space Technology.

He said Jing and Chen will use a treadmill, exercise bike and other equipment in Tiangong II to keep fit, and they will also wear a special uniform to avoid muscle atrophy.

Zhang Bonan, chief designer of Shenzhou XI at China Academy of Space Technology, said the reason the spacecraft is carrying two astronauts instead of three like its predecessor, the Shenzhou X, is that the spacecraft and space lab have a limited accommodation capacity. Also, the astronauts' duration in space is longer.

The Tiangong II's life-support system does not use recycling technologies, which limits the number of astronauts, he said, although future additions to the space station will include such technologies.

Experts said the Shenzhou XI-Tiangong II mission, together with the previous missions, would pave the way for the nation's aspiration to have a permanent manned station, which planners say will consist of three parts — a core module that will be attached to two labs, each weighing about 20 metric tons.

China plans to launch the core module of the space station in about 2018 and complete the construction of the whole station around 2022.

Astronauts Jing Haipeng (right) and Chen Dong salute inside the spacecraft at the moment of launching on Monday. [Photo/Xinhua]