The First Chinese Crew is Busy on their New Space Station

[Seldom Bucket]

On Thursday, June 17th, China took another major step in its ongoing drive to become a superpower in space. Just two months after the core module of the Tiangong space station (literally, “Heavenly Palace”) was sent to orbit, the three astronauts that will be the station’s first crew launched to space. The mission, Shenzhou 12, lifted off atop a Long March-2F rocket at 09:22 p.m. on Wednesday evening local time (09:22 a.m. EDT; 06:22 a.m. PDT) from the Jiuquan launch center in the Gobi desert.


The launch, which was the seventh crewed mission of the Shenzhou spacecraft and the first crewed expedition to the new space station, was broadcast live on the state network CCTV. According to the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO), the launch was a complete success, with the spacecraft separating from the rocket 573 seconds later and entering orbit to rendezvous the station.

The First Chinese Crew is Busy on their New Space Station - Universe Today

In the past week, the first three Chinese astronauts to go the Tiangong space station prepared for all the operations they will conduct during their 30-day stay.

www.universetoday.com

 

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You don't get to hear much about the Chinese space program, but they are doing really interesting things.

 

[biometrics]

You don't get to hear much about the Chinese space program, but they are doing really interesting things.

They are really impressive, orbit, moon, mars all happening. Manned Mars mission by 2033! The US must be worried.

China plans its first crewed mission to Mars in 2033

China aims to send its first crewed mission to Mars in 2033, with regular follow-up flights to follow, under a long-term plan to build a permanently inhabited base on the Red Planet and extract its resources.

www.reuters.com

Can you believe people on Mars in our lifetime? (Assuming we make it another 12).

 

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Can you believe people on Mars in our lifetime? (Assuming we make it another 12).

You are quite right, if somebody told me while I was growing up that it would happen, I would have laughed and told them to keep on reading their SF. I am waiting with bated breath for one of the various to get it right.
The Chinese have been keeping their cards pretty close to their chest so I think I should try and follow their projects a bit more closely.