China's Space Program: Tiangong/Tianhe

[Randy W]

The three Chinese astronauts carried into space on board the #Shenzhou13 spacecraft, entered Tianhe, the core module of China's space station. The trio, who will stay in space for about six months, entered Tianhe hours after the spaceship successfully docked with the core module.
The spaceship, launched on early Saturday morning, completed orbital status setting after entering the orbit and conducted a fast automated rendezvous and docking with Tianhe, forming a complex together with the cargo craft Tianzhou-2 and Tianzhou-3.
The whole process took approximately 6.5 hours, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
This is the second crewed mission during the construction of China's space station Tiangong. #SpaceChina #SpaceLog

from CGTN on Facebook 
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[Randy W]

China Has Successfully Launched Shenzhou-13 Spacecraft

China has successfully launched the Shenzhou-13 spacecraft carrying three astronauts including the country’s first female astronaut to carry out a six-month space station-building mission.

Read more: http://ow.ly/D6fP50Gsf0i

from the Sixth Tone on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/sixthtone/videos/393710225811117/

China to Send First Female Taikonaut to Its Space Station
Wang Yaping will travel with two other astronauts as part of the country’s longest crewed mission to date.

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Lin Xiqiang, a spokesperson with China Manned Space Program, said during a press conference Thursday that the mission will further assess the technologies involved in controlling the two robotic arms attached to the space station and test conditions that support lengthy missions. He added that Wang will also conduct a spacewalk, making her the first female taikonaut to perform the task.

Though China’s space program has accelerated rapidly in the past few years, it remains mostly dominated by men. Wang will only be the second female taikonaut to head to space after Liu Yang completed her mission in 2012.

However, Wang’s journey to space Saturday isn’t her first. The now 41-year-old flew on the Shenzhou-10 in 2013 to the prototype of the space station before the official unit was launched this year. At that time, she had given a science lecture to students from space.

 

 

Edited December 12, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Students attend a live class given by the Shenzhou-13 crew members, in south China’s Macao, Dec. 9, 2021. The first live class from China’s space station was held on Thursday afternoon, given by Shenzhou-13 crew members Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu to students on Earth.

from China Pictorial on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/ChinaPic/posts/4405302062928482

 

[Randy W]

Why China reacted so strongly to its Tiangong space station’s near-misses with Elon Musk’s satellites

• The two incidents this year involving satellites from Elon Musk’s company SpaceX prompted a complaint to the UN and calls on the US to act
• China is worried America wants to dominate space and some observers believe the tech entrepreneur’s company may serve that ambition

from the SCMP

SpaceX already has thousands of satellites from its Starlink programme in orbit around the Earth. Photo: Handout
 

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Chinese observers said Washington wants to maintain its dominance in space and warned that the South African-born entrepreneur’s company SpaceX, which has been given a contract to build a new satellite for the US military capable of tracking hypersonic missile launches, may form part of that strategy.

The two near-misses – in July and October – have also highlighted concerns about the low-Earth orbit becoming overcrowded with satellites and space detritus, increasing the danger of a serious accident.

The Chinese space station was forced to manoeuvre to avoid hitting the satellites, one of which came within 4km (2.8 miles) of a collision, and Beijing later sent a note to the United Nations complaining about the close encounters.

Beijing has repeatedly demanded the US avoids similar incidents, and called on Washington to be a “responsible player”.

SpaceX has sent more than 1,900 satellites into space since 2019 and will have more than 42,000 in orbit when its programme is complete.

 . . .

Song said China should speed up its own space technological development. “On the one hand, China has to respect leading players such as SpaceX, on the other hand, China has to develop both space technology and the relevant defensive technology in space, so that China can at least mitigate unexpected risks in outer space,” he said.

“China should make a strong call that outer space shouldn’t be militarised and weaponised; this place cannot become a new battlefield.”

 

 

[Randy W]

Because . . . Who WOULDN'T want to save the earth?

China to send rocket on collision course with asteroid to knock it into safer orbit

It’s an ambitious plan to move the heavens to protect Earth.

from the SCMP on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/scmp/videos/733548381137530/

[Randy W]

China plans to launch its Shenzhou XIV manned mission on 10:44 am Sunday, sending three astronauts for a six-month stay inside the Tiangong space station.

from China Daily on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/chinadaily/posts/pfbid0UbDKQa3Ka7DkC4HF39ej8XJR4cj3ipSWLWxbTPpSTxniKb1SuB6kk2eAMz9pLQx8l

China to launch Shenzhou XIV manned mission

By Zhao Lei | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2022-06-04 09:12

The combination of the Shenzhou XIV manned spaceship and a Long March 2F carrier rocket is seen being transferred to the launch site at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwestern Gansu province, on May 29, 2022. [Photo by Wang Jiangbo/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

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The Shenzhou XIV mission - China's ninth manned spaceflight – is scheduled for launch on Sunday morning from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwestern Gobi Desert, according to a senior mission official.

Lin Xiqiang, deputy head of the China Manned Space Agency, said at a news conference inside the Jiuquan center Saturday morning the three crew members – Senior Colonel Chen Dong, Senior Colonel Liu Yang and Senior Colonel Cai Xuzhe -- will be sent to the Tiangong space station and stay there for half a year to continue the assembly of the colossal station.

The Long March 2F carrier rocket lifting the Shenzhou XIV spacecraft will blast off at 10:44 am, he said.

 

 

Edited June 4, 2022 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Because . . . who cleans up after themselves?

China says closely tracking rocket debris hurtling towards Earth

Beijing says uncontrolled re-entry of rocket debris poses little risk to anyone on the ground.

from Al Jazeera

Remnants of a large Chinese rocket are expected to streak back through the atmosphere coming weekend in an uncontrolled re-entry [File: China Daily via Reuters]

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Remnants of a large Chinese rocket are expected to streak through the atmosphere this weekend in an uncontrolled re-entry that Beijing says it is closely tracking but poses little risk to anyone on Earth.

The Long March 5B rocket blasted off Sunday to deliver a laboratory module to the new Chinese space station under construction in orbit, marking the third flight of China’s most powerful rocket since its maiden launch in 2020.

As occurred during its first two flights, the rocket’s entire main-core stage – which is 100 feet (30 metres) long and weighs 22 tonnes (48,500 pounds) – has already reached low orbit and is expected to tumble back towards Earth once atmospheric friction drags it downward, according to American experts.

Ultimately, the rocket body will disintegrate as it plunges through the atmosphere but is large enough that numerous chunks will likely survive a fiery re-entry to rain debris over an area some 2,000km (1,240 miles) long by about 70km (44 miles) wide, independent US-based analysts said on Wednesday.

The probable location of the debris field is impossible to pinpoint in advance, though experts will be able to narrow the potential impact zone closer to re-entry in the days ahead.

The latest available tracking data projects re-entry will occur at about 00:24 GMT on Sunday, plus or minus 16 hours, according to the Aerospace Corp, a government-funded nonprofit research centre near Los Angeles.

 

 

 

Edited July 28, 2022 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

A Chinese rocket launched to space on Sunday. Watchers of space debris will be tracking the 10-story, 23-ton rocket booster as wisps of air friction slowly pull it back down. https://nyti.ms/3RZXER6

from the NY Times on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/nytimes/videos/417060320383884/

Wait Begins for Falling 23-Ton Rocket Booster After China Space Station Launch
China successfully docked a new lab module to its space station. But no one knows where debris will land from the rocket stage that sent it to orbit.

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The chance that it will strike anyone on Earth is low but significantly higher than what many space experts consider acceptable.

The powerful rocket was designed specifically to launch pieces of China’s Tiangong space station. The latest mission lifted Wentian, a laboratory module that will expand the station’s scientific research capabilities. It will also add three more spaces for astronauts to sleep and another airlock for them to conduct spacewalks.

Completing and operating the space station is described in state media broadcasts as important to China’s national prestige. But the country has taken some damage to its reputation during earlier flights of the rocket.

After the first Long March 5B launch in 2020, the booster re-entered over West Africa, with debris causing damage but no injuries to villages in the nation of Ivory Coast.

The booster from the second launch, in 2021, splashed harmlessly in the Indian Ocean near the Maldives. Still, Bill Nelson, the NASA administrator, issued a statement criticizing the Chinese. “It is clear that China is failing to meet responsible standards regarding their space debris,” he said.

China rejected that criticism with considerable fanfare. Hua Chunying, a senior spokeswoman at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accused the United States of “hype.”

“The U.S. and a few other countries have been hyping up the landing of the Chinese rocket debris over the past few days,” Ms. Hua said. “To date, no damage by the landing debris has been reported. I’ve seen reports that since the launch of the first man-made satellite over 60 years ago, not a single incident has occurred where a piece of debris hit someone. U.S. experts put the chances of that at less than one in a billion.”

 

 

Edited July 31, 2022 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Chinese space debris seen burning up in night sky over Malaysia as rocket parts land in sea

The fiery remains of a Chinese Long March 5B were seen streaking across the night sky from Malaysia as it re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and landed in the sea on July 31, 2022. China’s space agency has faced criticism for failing to inform other nations and regions about the trajectory of such space debris. Chinese state-run media has dismissed the criticism as an exaggeration. China’s space agency said that whatever did not burn up upon re-entry crashed into the Sulu Sea between Malaysia and the Philippines.

Related story: Debris from China’s Long March 5B rocket crashes back to Earth https://sc.mp/m1l1

 

[Randy W]

China's Shenzhou-15 manned spaceship successfully docked with the space station combination early on Wednesday, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
China launched the manned spaceship Shenzhou-15 on Tuesday night, with three astronauts onboard to meet with their colleagues on the country's space station and conduct the work handover.
The spaceship, atop the Long March-2F Y15 carrier rocket, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).  Photos by Wang Jiangbo

from China Pictorial on Facebook
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[Randy W]

Three Chinese astronauts on board the Shenzhou-14 manned spaceship returned to Earth safely on Sunday, after accomplishing many "firsts" during their six-month space station mission.
Shenzhou-14's return capsule, carrying astronauts Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe, touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 8:09 p.m. Beijing Time, according to the China Manned Space Agency.
The astronauts were all in good physical condition, and the Shenzhou-14 manned mission was a complete success, the agency announced.China's major internet enterprises saw their spending on research and development (R&D) resume a double-digit expansion in the first 10 months of 2022, official data showed.
During this period, R&D spending of these firms totaled 63.67 billion yuan (about 9.03 billion U.S. dollars), up 10.4 percent year on year, with a pace 1.6 percentage points faster than that recorded in the first three quarters, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

from China Pictorial on Facebook 
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[Randy W]

China's Mars rover Zhurong has provided key observational evidence of liquid water at low Martian latitudes, the warmest regions on the red planet, according to a new study published in the journal Science Advances this week.
Previous studies found evidence of a large amount of liquid water on early Mars, but dramatic climate changes led to very low pressure and water vapor content, making it difficult for liquid water to exist sustainably on the present-day planet. Scientists believe that water can now only exist there in solid or gaseous forms.
However, droplets observed on the robotic arm of NASA's Phoenix Mars lander prove that salty liquid water can appear in the summer at high latitudes on Mars. Numerical simulations also suggest that climatic conditions suitable for liquid water can briefly occur in certain areas of Mars. But evidence of liquid water at the planet's low latitudes, where surface temperatures are highest, is still lacking.
Findings from the Zhurong rover now fill that gap.

from China Pictorial on Facebook
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[Randy W]

The three astronauts in the Shenzhou-15 return capsule are in good physical condition after they touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in China's Inner Mongolia on Sunday. #GLOBALink

from China Xinhua News on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/XinhuaNewsAgency/videos/613408887514253/

 

 

GLOBALink | Shenzhou-15 astronauts out of return capsule

The three astronauts in the Shenzhou-15 return capsule are in good physical condition after they touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in China's Inner Mongolia on Sunday. #GLOBALink

Posted by China Xinhua News on Saturday, June 3, 2023

 

[Randy W]

Lift off for China’s Shenzhou 17 space mission

A team of three astronauts is on its way to the Tiangong space station.

from the SCMP on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/scmp/videos/191119930700013/

 

Edited October 31, 2023 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

China’s Shenzhou 16 space crew returns to Earth

After five months in space, China's astronauts are back on Earth.

from the SCMP on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/scmp/videos/300400472923367/