posted 05-29-2022 11:34 AM               

China prepares to launch Shenzhou 14 crewed spaceship

The combination of the Shenzhou 14 crewed spaceship and a Long March-2F carrier rocket has been transferred to the launching area, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said Sunday (May 29).

The facilities and equipment at the launch site are in good condition, and various pre-launch function checks and joint tests will be carried out as planned, said the CMSA.

posted 06-04-2022 10:01 PM               

Shenzhou 14 crew launches to complete China's space station

China has launched three taikonauts on a six-month mission to expand the country's single-module space station into a complete orbital outpost.

Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe lifted off on board China's Shenzhou 14 spacecraft on Saturday (June 4). The three crewmates flew atop a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert at 10:44 p.m. EDT (0240 GMT or 10:44 a.m. local time on June 5).

posted 09-02-2022 07:59 AM               

China's Shenzhou-14 astronauts complete first extravehicular activities

China's astronauts Chen Dong and Liu Yang have completed their extravehicular activities (EVAs) and returned to the space station lab module Wentian, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said on early hours of Friday (Sept. 2).

This was the first time Chinese astronauts have used Wentian's airlock cabin, aided by its small mechanical arm, to carry out EVAs, said the CMSA, who has declared Friday's mission a complete success.

The pair returned to the lab module at 0:33 a.m. (Beijing Time) [12:33 p.m. EDT Sept. 1] after about six hours of EVAs, according to the CMSA.

Under the coordination between space and Earth, and coordination with astronaut Cai Xuzhe inside the lab module, the pair completed a series of tasks, including the installation of the extended pump set of the Wentian lab module, lifting the lab module's panoramic camera, and the verification of capability for independent transfer and emergency return to the spacecraft.

The EVAs tested the cooperation ability between astronauts and the small mechanical arm, and tested the function and performance of Wentian's airlock cabin and support equipment related to EVAs, the CMSA said.

posted 09-17-2022 12:38 PM               

Shenzhou 14 astronauts complete second spacewalk

China's Shenzhou 14 astronauts have completed their extravehicular activities (EVAs), the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said on Saturday (Sept. 17).

At 1:35 p.m. Beijing Time (1:35 a.m. EDT or 0535 GMT), Cai Xuzhe opened the hatch of Wentian's airlock cabin. By 3:33 p.m. (3:33 a.m. EDT or 0733 GMT), both Cai and Chen Dong were outside.

The pair returned to the lab module at 5:47 p.m. (5:47 a.m. EDT or 0947 GMT) after about five hours of EVAs, according to the CMSA, which has declared the mission a complete success.

During the EVA, astronaut Liu Yang was inside the core module, supporting her crewmates.

They have completed a series of tasks, including the installation of extravehicular assistance handles and the extended pump set of the load circuits. They also verified the extravehicular rescue capability.

The EVAs have further examined the coordination capability of astronauts and the small mechanical arm, and verified the functional performance of Wentian's airlock cabin and supporting facilities for EVAs.

posted 11-17-2022 08:54 AM               

Shenzhou-14 taikonauts complete third spacewalk

The Shenzhou-14 crew on board the orbiting Chinese Tiangong space station completed their third spacewalk on Thursday (Nov. 17 at 4:50 p.m. Beijing Time (3:50 a.m. EST or 0850 GMT), according to the China Manned Space Agency.

Chen Dong and Cai Xuzhe — together with Liu Yang who worked inside the core module to support her crewmates — collaborated to pull off all set tasks. Chen and Cai have since safely returned to the Wentian lab.

During the extravehicular activities (EVAs) lasting about five and a half hours, they installed an out-of-cabin "bridge" that links the core module with the Wentian lab and the Mengtian lab, while Cai completed the first cross-module spacewalk through the bridge.

They also unlocked Wentian's Panoramic Camera A and mounted assistance handles for the small mechanical arm.

These were the first EVAs conducted after the formation of the space station's basic T-shape configuration.

The spacewalk examined, for the first time, the collaborative capability of astronauts and mechanical arms, and also further verified the performance of Wentian's airlock cabin and supporting facilities in conducting EVAs.

posted 11-22-2022 11:59 AM               

Taikonaut Chen Dong sets China's record for longest stay in space

Chen Dong has set a new record for the most cumulative days living and working in space by a Chinese taikonaut.

Above: Screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on July 25, 2022 shows Shenzhou-14 taikonaut Chen Dong at Wentian space lab module.

The China Manned Space Agency said on Tuesday (Nov. 22) that the twice-time space traveler, who is on board the orbiting China's Tiangong space station, has become the first Chinese to stay in orbit for more than 200 days.

Together with two other taikonauts, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe, Chen was sent into the space station core module Tianhe aboard the Shenzhou-14 spaceship on June 5 for a six-month stay.

The crew has spent more than 170 days in orbit. This is the second time Chen has ventured into space, following his first 33-day Shenzhou-11 mission in Tiangong-2, the space station's predecessor, in 2016 with taikonaut Jing Haipeng.

"Chen is a perfectionist. He never leaves problems unsolved," said Jing. After his first space trip, Chen was conferred with a third-class medal and the honorary title "heroic taikonaut."

Chen was born in 1978 in central China's Henan Province. He was recruited into China's taikonaut team in May 2010.

Appointed as the mission commander, Chen has led the Shenzhou-14 crew to complete multiple tasks over the past five months, including three spacewalks, a series of scientific experiments, a live science lecture, and several in-orbit operations of rendezvous, docking, and transposition. They have been called "the busiest space crew" by Chinese netizens.

During the mission, the trio in orbit oversaw the arrivals of the station's two lab modules, Wentian and Mengtian, and saw off two cargo crafts, Tianzhou-4 and Tianzhou-5. They will also witness the historical moment when the Chinese space station is fully completed by the end of this year.

"Building China's space station is the dream of all Chinese people. We are so lucky and happy to see that the construction of the space home will be completed in our hands," Chen said while the trio met the press ahead of the mission.

"We will make good use of such a platform to carry out more complicated sci-tech experiments, so as to generate more achievements to serve the world and benefit all mankind."

China is ready to send the next manned mission into space as the Shenzhou-15 spaceship and its carrier rocket have been transferred to the launch area on Monday. Chen and his team members will be involved in the first Chinese space station crew handover in orbit when the Shenzhou-15 taikonauts arrive. The manpower in Tiangong will grow to six for a short period before the Shenzhou-14 heads back to Earth.

The Shenzhou-14 crew is scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in December.

posted 12-04-2022 07:38 AM               

Shenzhou 14 crew lands after six months working to complete China's space station

Three Chinese astronauts are safely back on Earth after six months working to complete their country's space station.

Taikonauts Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe touched down Sunday (Dec. 4) on the Shenzhou 14 spacecraft at the Denfong landing site in the Gobi Desert within China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region. Descending under a parachute, the capsule reached the ground at about 7:10 a.m. EST (1210 GMT or 8:10 p.m. Beijing time).