On May 30, 2023, at 1:31 UTC, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) launched the Shenzhou-16 crewed spaceship atop a Long March 2F launch vehicle from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.
China on Tuesday successfully launched Shenzhou-16 manned spaceship for 5-month intensive tasks at space station. #SpaceChina #Shenzhou16 #Taikondream
— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) May 30, 2023
For more: https://t.co/n3ITgwkKXw pic.twitter.com/0YNbZ4KRP1
This mission is the first crewed one after the completion of the Chinese Space Station and after the Tiangong program entered the stage of application and development.
After entering Earth’s orbit, the spacecraft performed an automated rendezvous and docking with Thiane, the station core module.
The taikonauts (Chinese astronauts) were welcomed by the members of the Shenzhou-15 mission already living and working aboard Tiangong.
The three taikonauts aboard China's Shenzhou-16 spaceship entered the country's space station combination on Tuesday and met with the Shenzhou-15 crew members living and working there. (Photos via China Manned Space Agency) https://t.co/Aq6Tkk4jea pic.twitter.com/1g1jxfdjHP
— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) May 30, 2023
The Shenzhou-16 crew will stay in space for about five months and will return to Earth in October after the arrival of the Tianzhou-5 cargo spacecraft and the crew rotation with Shenzhou-17.
The in-orbit activities include:
- Make high-level scientific achievements in the study of novel quantum phenomena, high-precision space-time-frequency systems, the verification of general relativity, and the origin of life.
- Popularization of science: the crew will give lectures about space from orbit and shoot videos for students and the public.
- Maintenance of the space station complex, equipment inspection, and installation of tools inside and outside the modules
During the launch, CMSA announced that China is open to cooperation in space exploration and will welcome the participation of international astronauts in Tiangong flight missions.
Advertisement
The crew
Jing Haipeng is serving as the Commander.
He is the country’s first taikonaut to carry out four space missions; Jing Haipeng was part of the Shenzhou-7 mission in 2008 and commanded the Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-11 crews in 2012 and 2016.
Jing Haipeng was selected in 1996 to join the first batch of taikonauts (Chinese astronauts).
Zhu Yangzhu is the Spaceflight Engineer.
He is a former university teacher with a doctoral degree in aircraft systems and engineering who joined the Chinese People’s Liberation Army in 2005
Zhu Yangzhu is now a member of China’s third batch of taikonauts, whose selection was completed in September 2020.
During his stay in orbit, his tasks will include routine maintenance and repair of the space station, as well as conducting technical tests and experiments.
Gui Haichao is the Payload Expert.
He is a professor from Beihang University and is making history as the first Chinese civilian astronaut to participate in a space mission.
His role is to oversee the in-orbit operations of science experiments onboard the Tiangong Space Station.
Gui Haichao is a member of China’s third batch of taikonauts, whose selection was completed in September 2020.
Advertisement
An updated spacecraft
China’s Shenzhou-16 is the first of a new series of six Shenzhou ships with many improvements, including the use of more domestically produced components; it’s similar to the previous ones as its main functions and technical indicators remain unchanged, but, according to China, some important changes have been made to enhance its capabilities.
Shenzhou is a Soyuz-looking spacecraft built by the China Manned Space Agency for its space program.
It can be launched into space atop the Long March 2F carrier rocket which is the human-rated version of the Long March 2E. Its first flight took place in November 1999.
There are now two of these spacecraft in space and one of them will soon return to Earth carrying the Shenzhou-15 crew.
Advertisement
