Shenzhou 9 returns to Earth after completing Milestone Mission |
June 29, 2012 |
Photo: Xinhua
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The Shenzhou 9 Spacecraft and its three Crew Members, Jing Haipeng, Liu Wang and Liu Yang – China’s first women in space, have returned to Earth safely on Friday June 29, 2012 after completing a 13-day mission. Shenzhou 9 was China’s longest space flight and featured its first manned docking and the first time a human controlled a Chinese Spacecraft manually. Also, it was the first time people visited the Chinese Tiangong 1 Space Laboratory Module.
After launching aboard a Long March 2F Rocket on June 16, 2012 and being delivered to low Earth Orbit ten Minutes later, the Shenzhou 9 Spacecraft was on a two-day journey to China’s first Space Station Module, Tiangong-1. On June 18, the Spacecraft arrived at Tiangong 1 making a flawless Rendezvous in Automated Mode using Shenzhou’s sophisticated suite of Rendezvous Sensors consisting of a high-tech suite of radar, laser and optical sensors designed to provide range and relative velocity as well as alignment data to the vehicle's navigation computers that guided the vehicle in order to make a smooth docking to the Space Laboratory. After establishing a hard-mate between the vehicles, the three crew members entered the mini Space Station. |
Over the next 6 days, the three crew members completed scientific experiments aboard the complex and performed technical demonstrations required for building bigger Space Station Modules and flying missions with longer durations. These experiments included studies in various fields of science including biology. For a biological study, live butterflies as well as eggs and pupae were flown on this flight and afterwards being returned to Earth to examine the effect the Microgravity Environment had on them. In the middle of the flight, the crew completed another big step:
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Liu Wang assumed control over the combined spacecraft and manually changed the orientation of the vehicle which marked the first time a Chinese Spacecraft was operated manually in orbit. On June 24, another Milestone in Chinese Human Space Flight was achieved by Shenzhou 9. The crew entered their Spacecraft, closed the hatches to Tiangong 1 and prepared for the complex maneuver of performing China’s first Manual Space Docking. The vehicle retreated to distance of 400 meters and started to close in on Tiangong 1 again initiating a period of Stationkeeping at a Range of 140 meters. Once entering the range of Chinese Ground Stations, the Re-Docking Maneuver began with Liu Wang keeping the Cross Hairs of the Docking System perfectly aligned at all times. He and Haipeng practiced the maneuver more than 1,000 times during training for this flight. Maintaining perfect alignment, Liu did not need a long period of Stationkeeping at 30 meters and continued with the approach. Contact and capture occurred as expected – successfully concluding the maneuver with Shenzhou 9 docked to Tiangong 1 again. Following the maneuver, the crew entered their mini Space Station again to complete the final six days of their mission. Aboard Tiangong 1, the crew completed more science activities and operated the systems of the spacecraft. On June 26, the three crew members received a very special call. China’s President Hu Jintao came to the Beijing Aerospace Control Center from where he spoke to the crew members via radio and live video downlink. "You have spent nearly 10 days in the space, we care about you. How are you feeling?" Jintao asked. “We are feeling good. Chinese astronauts have their own home in the space now. We are proud of our country,” Shenzhou 9 Commander Jing Haipeng answered – also noting that all operations were proceeding smoothly. Getting ready for the return to Earth, the three crew members spent their final night aboard Tiangong 1 on Thursday with Jing Haipeng and Liu Wang sleeping inside the Tiangong 1 crew quarters and Liu Yang staying inside the Shenzhou Spacecraft.
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Photo: China Manned Space Engineering Office
Photo: Xinhua
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Landing Preparations kicked off on Wednesday at 22:00 GMT when the three Crew Members had completed Tiangong 1 Close Out Operations and entered the Shenzhou Spacecraft. They completed clean-up and close-out operations aboard Tiangong 1 to leave it in a stable condition, ready for the next Space Flight to the ‘Heavenly Palace' which is currently set for early 2013. After returning to Shenzhou 9, the crew closed Tiangong's Hatch and latched the APAS Hatch of the Orbital Module of Shenzhou 9. When hatches were closed at 22:27 GMT, the three crew members started the final preparations for undocking, donning their Launch and Entry Suits and strapping themselves into their Seats. Liu Wang entered the center seat to perform a manual undocking from the complex. Physical Separation occurred at 1:22 GMT on Thursday with Liu Wang at the Controls of Shenzhou 9. With undocking complete, Shenzhou 9 retreated to a safe distance to Tiangong 1 for the deorbit burn - sticking to the trajectory that was flown on the Shenzhou 8 Demonstration Mission in 2011 with about 25 hours between Undocking and Deorbit. During the free flight period, the crew members prepared the vehicle and themselves for the return to Earth.
Photo: Xinhua
Photo: Xinhua
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Late on Thursday (GMT), they once again entered their Launch and Entry Suits and strapped themselves into their seats - this time Commander Jing Haipeng entered the Center Seat for the Deorbit and Landing Operation. To prepare for the Deorbit Burn, The Orbital module of Shenzhou 9 was separated. At about 1:18 GMT, the four 2,500-Newton Main Engines of the Shenzhou Service Module ignited for approximately 75 Seconds to perform the Deorbit Burn. The engine firing was completed successfully and Shenzhou 9 was on a Trajectory back to Earth on a path to intercept Earth's Atmosphere at a precise point to target is landing site. The prime landing site for Shenzhou 9 was located in the Old Long Prairie area of Inner Mongolia to which recovery forces were deployed and the convoy of helicopters and vehicles was in readiness early on Friday preparing to race to the Shenzhou Spacecraft after landing. Just before hitting the atmosphere, the Entry Module of the Shenzhou Vehicle separated from the Service Module and made a re-orientation maneuver to place itself in the correct attitude for Entry. When Entry interface began, radio communications with the Spacecraft broke up as expected and Shenzhou 9 experienced the harsh environment of Re-Entry relying on its heat shield to protect the module and its crew. As the vehicle descended, its computers constantly monitored attitude, velocity and altitude to target a landing ellipse 30 km in range and 15 km laterally. The Entry module is equipped with a single-fault tolerant parachute system. At an altitude of 10 Kilometers, the parachute hatch was jettisoned and the pilot chutes were deployed pulling out the drogue chute that was followed by the main chute that is 1,200 square meters and has a mass of 90 Kilograms. The main chute slowed the vehicle down to 8 meters per second as it made its descent. At an altitude of 6 Kilometers, the Entry Module's heat shield was jettisoned exposing an altimeter device and soft-landing engines. The altimeter was used to provide altitude and rate of descent information to the flight computers during the final minutes of the landing sequence. Four solid rocket engines ignited 1 meter above the ground to reduce the vehicle's velocity to its touchdown speed of 3.5 meters per second.
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Shock absorbers in the seats of the crew provided further cushioning as the vehicle made its impact - a fairly turbulent landing occurred for the Shenzhou 9 Spacecraft that flipped once before coming to a stop on its side. The crew reported that they were in good condition following the bumpy landing. Touchdown occurred at 2:01 GMT on June 29 and was on target. After the landing, recovery forced rushed to the landing site to start vehicle safing and crew extraction operations. Just 5 Minutes after landing, initial teams arrived in the vicinity of Shenzhou 9. The integrity of the Shenhzou Entry Module was verified before teams started hatch opening procedures. Air Samples from the atmosphere inside the Spacecraft were taken and recovery forces spoke to the crew members making sure all of them were in good condition. The three Taikonauts exited their seats and started initial re-adaptation to Earth's Gravity with medical personnel entering Shenzhou 9 to help. One hour after landing, the crew members were extracted from the vehicle. They were placed in chairs that were set up not far from the spacecraft for initial medical checks. All crew members appeared to be healthy and happy to be back on Earth after concluding their Milestone Mission. The crew will depart the landing site several hours after landing.
The Shenzhou 9 Flight is another step China is taking towards its ultimate goal of developing a complex Space Station in Orbit by 2020. One more manned flight (Shenzhou 10) is planned for Tiangong 1 in 2013 before China will deliver its more sophisticated Tiangong 2 to orbit. Tiangong 3 will follow by 2016 to prepare the final steps on the way to a large Station in Low Earth Orbit. Chinese Officials have indicated that their new space station will be as big as the US Skylab Space Station that orbited Earth in the 1970s. This large station is expected to open for business by 2020 - according to Chinese sources.
The Shenzhou 9 Flight is another step China is taking towards its ultimate goal of developing a complex Space Station in Orbit by 2020. One more manned flight (Shenzhou 10) is planned for Tiangong 1 in 2013 before China will deliver its more sophisticated Tiangong 2 to orbit. Tiangong 3 will follow by 2016 to prepare the final steps on the way to a large Station in Low Earth Orbit. Chinese Officials have indicated that their new space station will be as big as the US Skylab Space Station that orbited Earth in the 1970s. This large station is expected to open for business by 2020 - according to Chinese sources.
Photo: Xinhua
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Photo: Xinhua
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Shenzhou 9 Return Preparations underway
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June 27, 2012
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UPDATE: Shenzhou 9 has successfully undocked from the Tiangong 1 Space Station Module early on Thursday GMT and is now on its own for about 24 hours setting up for a 2:00 GMT Landing on Friday. At 22:00 GMT on Wednesday, the three Crew Members, Jing Haipeng, Liu Wang and Liu Yang entered their Shenzhou Vehicle and closed the hatches of their spacecraft at 22:37 GMT. Undocking occurred just after 1:00 GMT and Shenzhou 9 has started a series of Orbit Adjustment Maneuvers to set the stage for its deorbit burn and landing process.
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The
Shenzhou 9 Spacecraft and its three Crew Members, currently docked with the
Tiangong 1 Space Station Module, are getting ready for the return to Earth. End
of Mission activities are planned to begin late on Thursday (GMT) with the
Undocking of the Spacecraft. Re-Entry and Landing are expected to be taking
place early on Friday.
The crew of Commander Jing Haipeng and Taikonauts Liu Wang and Liu Yang – China’s first women in space, are gearing up for the departure from their ‘Home in Space’ and the return trip to Earth after completing their docked mission. Aboard Tiangong 1, the three crew members completed scientific experiments and performed technical demonstrations required for building bigger Space Station Modules and flying missions with longer durations. These experiments included studies in various fields of science. China’s President Hu Jintao came to the Beijing Aerospace Control Center on June 26 and he spoke to the crew members via radio and live video downlink. "You have spent nearly 10 days in the space, we care about you. How are you feeling?" Jintao asked. “We are feeling good. Chinese astronauts have their own home in the space now. |
Photo: CCTV
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We
are proud of our country,” Shenzhou 9 Commander Jing Haipeng answered – also
noting that all operations were proceeding smoothly
They will complete clean-up and close-out operations aboard Tiangong 1 to leave it in a stable condition, ready for the next Space Flight to the ‘Heavenly Palace.’ The Taikonauts will enter the Shenzhou Spacecraft and close and latch the Hatches of Tiangong and the Orbital Module of the Shenzhou Vehicle. They will put on their Launch and Entry Suits and strap themselves into their seats with Jing Haipeng entering the Center Seat of the Entry Module for landing and Liu Wang sitting in the center for the manual Undocking Sequence. Undocking is expected early on Thursday (GMT) and the Shenzhou 9 Spacecraft will then depart the vicinity of the Tiangong 1 Space Laboratory before firing its engines for about 75 Seconds to conduct the deorbit burn. The Burn is expected early on Friday, Chinese Media reported a time of ignition of 1:10 GMT. Just before the Burn, the Orbital Module of the Shenzhou Spacecraft will be separated.
They will complete clean-up and close-out operations aboard Tiangong 1 to leave it in a stable condition, ready for the next Space Flight to the ‘Heavenly Palace.’ The Taikonauts will enter the Shenzhou Spacecraft and close and latch the Hatches of Tiangong and the Orbital Module of the Shenzhou Vehicle. They will put on their Launch and Entry Suits and strap themselves into their seats with Jing Haipeng entering the Center Seat of the Entry Module for landing and Liu Wang sitting in the center for the manual Undocking Sequence. Undocking is expected early on Thursday (GMT) and the Shenzhou 9 Spacecraft will then depart the vicinity of the Tiangong 1 Space Laboratory before firing its engines for about 75 Seconds to conduct the deorbit burn. The Burn is expected early on Friday, Chinese Media reported a time of ignition of 1:10 GMT. Just before the Burn, the Orbital Module of the Shenzhou Spacecraft will be separated.
Photo: Xinhua
Photo: CCTV
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When the burn
is complete, Shenzhou 9 will be on a trajectory to intercept Earth’s atmosphere
and begin Re-Entry moments after the Entry Module will have separated from the
Service Module. The Entry module will maneuver to its proper orientation for
Entry and experience Peak Heating and high accelerations during the process
with its computers constantly monitoring its position and orientation as well
as all system parameters. The computers monitor attitude,
velocity and altitude to target a landing ellipse 30 km in range and 15 km
laterally. The Entry module is equipped with a single-fault tolerant parachute
system. At an altitude of 10 Kilometers, the parachute hatch is jettisoned and
the pilot chutes are deployed pulling out the drogue chute that is followed by
the main chute that is 1,200 square meters and has a mass of 90 Kilograms. The
main chute slows the vehicle down to 8 meters per second as it makes its
descent. At an altitude of 6 Kilometers, the Entry Module's heat shield is
jettisoned exposing an altimeter device and soft-landing engines. The altimeter
is used to provide altitude and rate of descent information to the flight
computers during the final minutes of the landing sequence. Six solid rocket
engines ignite 1 meter above the ground to reduce the vehicle's velocity to its
touchdown speed of 3.5 meters per second. Shock absorbers in the seats of the
crew provide further cushioning. Landing will occur at about 2:00 GMT on Friday
(Based on Orbital Trajectories and the official NOTAMs issued for the Landing
Zone and Time) in the
Old Long Prairie area of Inner Mongolia where a Landing Zone was set up.
Landing Zone personnel and equipment were sent to the area on June 25 to
prepare for the landing. Recovery Forces will be in the area for landing flying
helicopters and driving all-terrain vehicles as well as normal convoy
vehicles. Seven helicopters will be deployed on landing day to reach the spacecraft
as fast as possible following touchdown. Once recovery forces reach the landed
vehicle, operations to open the hatch and extract the three crew members will
get underway. The three Taikonauts will be seated in chairs that will be set up
not far from their vehicle and undergo initial medical exams. They will depart
the landing site and begin post-landing operations later in the day.
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Shenzhou 9 completes China's first Manual Docking
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June 24, 2012
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Image: China Manned Space Engineering Office
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Shenzhou 9
and its Crew of three performed China’s first manual docking in Space early on
Sunday, June 24, 2012 – successfully departing the Tiangong Space Station
Module, retreating to a distance of 400 meters and bringing the Shenzhou
Spacecraft back in under manual control for a safe docking and capture.
After docking to the Orbiting Laboratory on June 18, the three Shenzhou 9 Crew Members, Jing Haipeng, Liu Wang and Liu Yang, performed science activities, completed regular exercise and communicated with mission control and their families. Experiments that were going on have been focused on human research and medicine as well as engineering demonstrations. Preparing for Sunday’s maneuver, Liu Wang assumed manual control of the complex via the Shenzhou 9 Spacecraft and used the onboard controls to make attitude changes which marked the first time a Chinese Spacecraft was controlled manually in space, according to Chinese Media. |
Early on
Sunday, the crew donned their Launch and Entry Suits, closed the hatches
between Shenzhou 9 and Tiangong 1 and strapped themselves into their seats with
Liu Wang taking the center seat that features the control equipment. Undocking
occurred at ~3:08 GMT on Sunday and Shenzhou retreated in automated mode until
reaching a distance of 400 meters when Stationkeeping was initiated. Shortly
thereafter, the auto pilot started closing in on the Space Laboratory again.
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At
a range of 140 meters, the Spacecraft paused again and Liu Wang switched to
manual control at about 4:38 GMT. Once entering the range of Chinese Ground Stations,
the Re-Docking Maneuver began with Liu Wang keeping the Cross Hairs of the
Docking System perfectly aligned at all times. He and Haipeng practiced the
maneuver more than 1,000 times during training for this flight. Shenzhou 9’s
Rendezvous Sensors were used to provide navigational data used by the crew to
operate the vehicle, ready to switch to automated mode in case of any problems.
Rendezvous Navigation Data is acquired by a high-tech suite of radar,
laser and optical sensors designed to provide range and relative velocity as
well as alignment data to the vehicle's navigation computers. This Rendezvous
Navigation system was developed in China. Shenzhou 9 and its Systems were
monitored closely by the Beijing Aerospace Command Center and the Crew aboard
the vehicle. Maintaining perfect alignment, Liu did not need a long period of
Stationkeeping at 30 meters and continued with the approach. At ~4:48 GMT,
contact and capture occurred – successfully concluding the maneuver with
Shenzhou 9 docked to Tiangong 1 again. Both, Shenzhou and Tiangong, are
equipped with an APAS-Type Docking System. APAS stands for Androgynous
Peripheral Attach System. APAS docking rings can mate with any other APAS
Docking ring unlike the traditional probe-and-drogue system that is still used
by the Russian Soyuz Spacecraft. For APAS, one docking system is configured as
passive unit while the other fulfills the active part. Once a soft-mate is
achieved after contact and relative motion between the two spacecraft has
dampened out, latches are closed to form a hard-mate between the interfaces. 9
Minutes after contact, a hard mate was established by closing 12 locking pins
and the two vehicles were joined. The crew aboard and mission controllers
performed thorough checks to make sure both vehicles were not harmed during the
operation. After a hard-mate was achieved, a big round of applause sounded
inside Mission Control and the three Taikonauts shook hands.
With Shenzhou 9 joined to Tiangong 1 once again, the three crew members will resume docked operations for several more days - completing more experiments and continuing their daily routines of measuring blood pressure, body temperature and body weight as well as exercising aboard a stationary bike. |
Credit: CCTV
Credit: CCTV
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Aboard
Tiangong 1, the crew can watch movies, listen to music and exchange emails
with their loved ones. Also, the three Taikonauts can use a video communication
channel to talk to their families when communications are available. The return
to Earth is currently set for June 29, Chinese Time.
The Shenzhou 9 Flight is another step China is taking towards its ultimate goal of developing a complex Space Station in Orbit by 2020. One more manned flight (Shenzhou 10) is planned for Tiangong 1 in 2013 before China will deliver its more sophisticated Tiangong 2 to orbit. Tiangong 3 will follow by 2016 to prepare the final steps on the way to a large Station in Low Earth Orbit. Chinese Officials have indicated that their new space station will be as big as the US Skylab Space Station that orbited Earth in the 1970s. This large station is expected to open for business by 2020 - according to Chinese sources.
The Shenzhou 9 Flight is another step China is taking towards its ultimate goal of developing a complex Space Station in Orbit by 2020. One more manned flight (Shenzhou 10) is planned for Tiangong 1 in 2013 before China will deliver its more sophisticated Tiangong 2 to orbit. Tiangong 3 will follow by 2016 to prepare the final steps on the way to a large Station in Low Earth Orbit. Chinese Officials have indicated that their new space station will be as big as the US Skylab Space Station that orbited Earth in the 1970s. This large station is expected to open for business by 2020 - according to Chinese sources.
Shenzhou 9 arrives at Tiangong 1 after successful Docking
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June 18, 2012
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After being delivered to Orbit by its Long
March 2F Rocket launching at 10:37 on Saturday, Shenzhou 9 has performed a
successful docking with Tiangong 1. Shenzhou 9 arrived at the ‘Heavenly Palace’
at 6:07 GMT on Monday, June 18, 2012. China has now become the third nation to
perform a manned docking in space.
After launch on Saturday, Shenzhou 9 made a total of five engine burns to adjust its orbit. Starting at 200 by 330 Kilometers, this orbit had to be modified to match the 329 by 339-Kilometer Orbit of Tiangong 1. All Maneuvers were successful and the automated Rendezvous Sequence was initiated on Monday, about 140 minutes before the planned contact time. At that point, Shenzhou 9 activated its state of the art Rendezvous Sensor Suite that provided navigation information to the flight computers. Rendezvous Navigation Data is acquired by a high-tech suite of radar, laser and optical sensors designed to provide range and relative velocity as well as alignment data to the vehicle's navigation computers. This Rendezvous Navigation system was developed in China. Shenzhou 9 and its Systems were monitored closely by the Beijing Aerospace Command Center and the Crew aboard the vehicle. |
*File Image* Photo: CCTV
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Taikonaut Liu Wang was in position and ready to assume control
over the vehicle in the event of the problem to bring the spacecraft in for a
manual docking. This was not required as Shenzhou 9 continued to perform very
well approaching the Tiangong 1 Space Station Module. Several Hold Points were
part of the Rendezvous Sequence. Shenzhou 9 performed brief periods of
Stationkeeping at 5 Kilometers as well as at 140 and 30-Meter Ranges. Resuming
at a distance of 30 Meters, final approach began. At a speed of about 0.15 to 0.30
meters per second, the two spacecraft were soft docked.
Image: China Manned Space Engineering Office
Image: China Manned Space Engineering Office
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Docking occurred at
6:07 GMT on Monday while the complex was flying high above Earth. Both,
Shenzhou and Tiangong, are equipped with an APAS-Type Docking System. APAS
stands for Androgynous Peripheral Attach System. APAS docking rings can mate
with any other APAS Docking ring unlike the traditional probe-and-drogue system
that is still used by the Russian Soyuz Spacecraft. For APAS, one docking
system is configured as passive unit while the other fulfills the active part.
Once a soft-mate is achieved after contact and relative motion between the two
spacecraft has dampened out, latches are closed to form a hard-mate between the
interfaces. 5 Minutes after contact, a hard mate was established by closing 12
locking pins and the two vehicles were joined. Tiangong 1 is China’s
first Space Station Module that had been in orbit since 2011 and has already
welcomed one visiting vehicle – the unmanned Shenzhou 8 spacecraft making a
docking demonstration flight in late 2011. Shenzhou 9 flew the exact same
Mission Profile from Launch to Docking sticking to the Shenzhou 8 flight
profile at all times as those procedures were successfully rehearsed in space
last year.
The Crew of three Taikonauts, Jing Haipeng, Liu Wang and Liu Yang – China’s first women in space, will enter Tiangong 1 about three hours after docking when extensive leak checks and hatch opening operations will have finished. Once entering the mini-Space Station, the Crew will perform science operations and tests associated with 'living in space' as this will be China's longest manned flight with a duration of about 13 days. Science aboard Tiangong includes biological studies, human research, material science as well as technical demonstrations of Tiangong's systems. Tiangong is only a stepping stone in China's effort to construct a large Space Station for long duration space flight. |
Long duration
missions require technology associated with long term life support. Tiangong 1
already utilizes such systems for demonstration purposes including a Urine
Processing Facility that converts urine to pure water for use aboard the
Spacecraft. Tiangong 1 also includes air purifying systems that were activated
15 days ahead of the launch of Shenzhou 9 Spacecraft to make sure the air
aboard the vehicle is safe for Taikonauts to breathe. Also aboard Tiangong 1 is
exercise equipment that will be used by the crew to prevent the usual loss of
muscle mass that occurs during space flight. This is the first time China uses
exercise in space. For Tiangong 1 Missions different types of exercise are
being evaluated for future missions with durations of several months. Two crew
members will occupy the sleep stations of Tiangong-1 while the remaining crew
member will most likely sleep inside the Shenzhou spacecraft. Six days after
initial docking, on June 24, the crew will enter the Shenzhou 9 vehicle once
again and close all hatches to get ready for an Undocking – Re-Docking
Sequence. Shenzhou 9 will separate from Tiangong 1 and retreat to a distance of
140 meters and initiate Stationkeeping. At that point, Liu Wang will take over
control and the Shenzhou 9 vehicle will switch to manual mode. This second
docking is made to demonstrate the capability of performing a manual docking.
Liu Wang has made more than 1,000 practice dockings during training on Earth to
get ready for the operation. After successfully re-docking with Tiangong 1, the
Taikonauts will once again enter the vehicle to complete the final days of the
docked mission. The vehicles will remain docked for several more days - the
exact duration depends on how the mission proceeds. When hatches are closed
after the docked mission is complete, Shenzhou 9 will depart Tiangong and
perform several hours of free flight, make its Deorbit Burn and return to Earth
to bring its crew of three back home safely.
Three Taikonauts in Space after flawless Shenzhou 9 Launch
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June 16, 2012
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Photo: Xinhua
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Blasting off from the Jiquan Satellite Launch Center, a Chinese Long March 2F Launch Vehicle has delivered the Shenzhou 9 Spacecraft with three Taikonauts on board to Low Earth Orbit after a flawless ascent. Liftoff occurred on Saturday, June 16, 2012 at 10:37:24 GMT or 18:37 Beijing Time. With its mission now underway, Shenzhou 9 is on the verge of becoming China's first manned docking mission targeting the Tiangong 1 Space Laboratory Module.
Launch Operations began on Wednesday with the start of the 72-hour Launch Countdown that set the stage for Saturday's Liftoff. The three crew members, Jing Haipeng, Liu Wang and Liu Yang - China's first women in space, arrived at the Launch Center about ten days before launch for final training. The Shenzhou 9 Crew was officially introduced to the public on Friday - just one day before launch, however, the crew selection process for this flight was completed back in March 2012. |
Jing Haipeng is leading the mission as Shenzhou 9 Commander. He was born on October 24, 1966 in Yucheng City, Shanxi Province, China. The China National Space Administration chose him as Taikonaut in 1998 and he was selected as one of six Taikonaut Candidates for the Shenzhou 6 Mission in 2005. After performing Taikonaut Training, Jing was part of the Shenzhou 7 crew spending 2 days and 20 hours in space - making him the most experienced crew member of the Shenzhou 9 Mission. He served as a fighter pilot in the People's Liberation Army Air Force.
Also flying on Shenzhou 9 will be Liu Wang, 43 years old. He is a space flight rookie, but is also part of China's first Taikonaut Group of 1998.
Also flying on Shenzhou 9 will be Liu Wang, 43 years old. He is a space flight rookie, but is also part of China's first Taikonaut Group of 1998.
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Liu Yang is the first female Taikonaut to fly to space. She is 33 years old and was selected as a Taikonaut in 2010. Saturday's Launch of China's first women in space came exactly 49 years after the first women flew to Space aboard a Russian Vostok vehicle. Valentina Tereshkova made her historic journey to space on June 16, 1963 spending 2 days and 23 hours in space.
Preparations for the flight began at the Jiquan Satellite Launch Center with the arrival of the Shenzhou 9 Spacecraft on April 9, 2012. The Long March 2F Rocket for this mission was delivered from its Beijing factory on May 9. The CZ-2F is the manned version of the Long March Launcher Family and is manufactured by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology. The Launcher was assembled at Jiquan from May 11 to June 6. The Shenzhou Spacecraft underwent its separate processing flow at the launch center that included final preparations and checkouts as well as fueling which was completed on May 28. The integrated preparations phase began on June 7 when the Spacecraft encapsulated in its Payload Fairing was installed atop the CZ-2F Rocket. Making final functional tests of the stack, preparations inside the assembly building were completed and the rocket was rolled to the Launch Pad on June 9. The stack needed about 60 minutes for the 1.5-Kilometer trip to the pad. The massive mobile launcher is 24.4 meters in length, has a width of 21.7 meters and a mass of 750,000 Kilograms. The base of the Rocket is secured atop the platform 8.3 meters above ground level. After the Vehicle arrived at the Launch Pad, access platforms and swing arms were moved into position around the launcher. These platforms were needed for vehicle fueling and reconfigurations. Preparations continued when the Launch Countdown picked up on June 13. As the three-day launch countdown progressed, engineers at South Launch Site 1 made final launch vehicle close-outs and reconfigurations. On Friday, the launcher was loaded with 411,000 Kilograms of Nitrogen Tetroxide and Unsymmetrical Dimethylhydrazine were loaded into the four strap-on Rocket Boosters, Core Stage and Upper Stage of the Long March 2F Vehicle. Also, final cargo items were placed inside the Shenzhou Spacecraft that are needed for the flight. |
Photo: Xinhua
Photo Gallery: Shenzhou 9 Crew Preparations
Photo: Xinhua
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These included a special time-critical science payload. A biological study that will be conducted on the Shenzhou 9 flight looks at the behavior of butterflies in space. The payload includes live butterflies as well as eggs and pupae.
On Launch Day, teams made final preparations at the Launch Site preparing for the arrival of the crew two and a half hours before the planned T-0 time. Shortly after arriving at the Launch Complex, the three Taikonauts boarded their vehicle and were strapped into their seats. Commander Jing Haipeng took the middle seat, Liu Yang was seated to his left, and Liu Wang was in the right seat during launch. They donned their helmets and gloves to get ready for liftoff. Technicians closed the side hatch of the spacecraft and made sure the seal was tight by making extensive leak checks. As with all Chinese space missions, crew ingress was fairly quick and appeared to be very efficient.
On Launch Day, teams made final preparations at the Launch Site preparing for the arrival of the crew two and a half hours before the planned T-0 time. Shortly after arriving at the Launch Complex, the three Taikonauts boarded their vehicle and were strapped into their seats. Commander Jing Haipeng took the middle seat, Liu Yang was seated to his left, and Liu Wang was in the right seat during launch. They donned their helmets and gloves to get ready for liftoff. Technicians closed the side hatch of the spacecraft and made sure the seal was tight by making extensive leak checks. As with all Chinese space missions, crew ingress was fairly quick and appeared to be very efficient.
Photo: www.ChinaNews.com
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As clocks continued to count down, the Mission Control Team monitored all systems of the launcher and the spacecraft. 45 minutes ahead of launch, the two lower halves of the Service Structure were retracted from the Long March Launcher with the upper sections staying in place until T-27 minutes. When all platforms had been retracted to their launch positions, the Long March 2F Rocket was exposed standing 58.3 meters tall as it was undergoing final checks as part of nominal countdown operations. Three umbilical arms remained connected to the launcher to provide electrical and data connections. At T-15 Minutes, the Terminal Countdown Sequence got underway. Also at that point, the Launch Escape System was activated for flight. This system is designed to safely transport the Shenzhou Spacecraft away from the Rocket in the event of a severe problem with the launcher. Making final checks before launch, all station reported GO for Liftoff and at T-4 minutes, the three crew members closed their visors. After the final 10 seconds were counted down by Mission Personnel, the four strap-on Boosters and the first stage engines soared to life providing 5,922 Kilonewtons of thrust enabling the launch vehicle to blast off. The precise launch time was 10:37:24 GMT. After liftoff, the Long March 2F Launch Vehicle made a pitch and yaw maneuver to align itself with the proper ascent trajectory. Being a rocket used for human Space Flight, CZ-2F uses the most sophisticated navigation systems that are currently utilized in the Long March Launch Vehicle Fleet. Holding 174,000 Kilograms of Propellants at liftoff, the Core Stage of the launcher was powered by its four YF-20B Engines. Providing extra thrust for the initial portion of the flight, four strap-on Rocket Boosters were ignited at liftoff burning 37,800 Kilograms of storable propellants each. Every Booster used a single YF-20B Engine for its burn separating from the vehicle at T+155 seconds after completing its job. Booster separation was nominal and the Core Stage burned out and separated only 11 seconds later. After stage separation, the second stage ignited its single YF-25 main engine and its four YF-23 Vernier Thruster for attitude control.
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Consuming 86,500 Kilograms of propellants, the stage operated at a total thrust of 828 Kilonewtons. Second stage flight was flawless without any problems being reported. During second stage ascent, the protective payload fairing was jettisoned when thermal and aerodynamic loads were within limits after the vehicle had left the dense portion of Earth's atmosphere. Shutdown occurred as planned after 9 minutes and 45 seconds of powered ascent and the Shenzhou 9 Spacecraft was separated moments later. The vehicle was released into a 200 by 330-Kilometer Orbit with an inclination of 42 degrees. Approximately 3 minutes after separation, the Shenzhou Vehicle deployed its two solar arrays. The arrays consist of four sections each and provide a total surface area of 24.48 square meters. They provide about 1000 Watts of average power to the spacecraft. The solar arrays can be rotated to automatically track the Sun using a sensor system. This deployment marked the end of a successful Orbital Insertion - sending Shenzhou 9 on its high-profile mission to link up with Tiangong 1.
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The vehicle will be in free flight for about two days making orbit adjustments to raise its mean altitude to match Tiangong's Orbit. Rendezvous and Docking to the module is planned for Monday. Tiangong 1 is China’s first Space Station Module that had been in orbit since 2011 and has already welcomed one visiting vehicle – the unmanned Shenzhou 8 spacecraft making a docking demonstration flight in late 2011. Tiangong has already made several orbit adjustments over the past several weeks to place itself in the proper orbit for the docking. It also had to change its nominal orbital orientation by making a 180-degree rotation to set the stage for docking. Shenzhou 9's first docking will be completed in automated mode with the crew only playing a backup role in case the automated systems encounter problems. Once entering the mini-Space Station, the Crew will perform science operations and tests associated with 'living in space' as this will be China's longest manned flight with a duration of about 15 to 20 days. Science aboard Tiangong includes biological studies, human research, material science as well as technical demonstrations of Tiangong's systems. Tiangong is only a stepping stone in China's effort to construct a large Space Station for long duration space flight. Long duration missions require technology associated with long term life support. Tiangong 1 already utilizes such systems for demonstration purposes including a Urine Processing Facility that converts urine to pure water for use aboard the Spacecraft. Tiangong 1 also includes air purifying systems that were activated 15 days ahead of the launch of Shenzhou 9 Spacecraft to make sure the air aboard the vehicle is safe for Taikonauts to breathe. Also aboard Tiangong 1 is exercise equipment that will be used by the crew to prevent the usual loss of muscle mass that occurs during space flight. This is the first time China uses exercise in space. For Tiangong 1 Missions different types of exercise are being evaluated for future missions with durations of several months. Two crew members will occupy the sleep stations of Tiangong-1 while the remaining crew member will most likely sleep inside the Shenzhou spacecraft. At some point in the mission, at about the half-way mark of their stay aboard Tiangong 1, the three crew members will close hatches once again and undock from the complex. Shenzhou 9 will retreat to a certain distance - not too far from the module - and the crew will assume control over the spacecraft and perform a manual approach and docking to demonstrate the capability of making manual docking in space. Jing Haipeng and Liu Wang performed more than 1,000 practice runs of the sequence during training on Earth. The vehicles will remain docked for several days - the exact duration depends on how the mission proceeds. When hatches are closed after the docked mission is complete, Shenzhou 9 will depart Tiangong and perform several hours of free flight, make its Deorbit Burn and return to Earth to bring its crew of three back home safely.
The Shenzhou 9 Flight is another step China is taking towards its ultimate goal of developing a complex Space Station in Orbit by 2020. |
Image: China Manned Space Engineering Office
Image: China Manned Space Engineering Office
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One more manned flight (Shenzhou 10) is planned for Tiangong 1 in 2013 before China will deliver its more sophisticated Tiangong 2 to orbit. Tiangong 3 will follow by 2016 to prepare the final steps on the way to a large Station in Low Earth Orbit. Chinese Officials have indicated that their new space station will be as big as the US Skylab Space Station that orbited Earth in the 1970s. This large station is expected to open for business by 2020 - according to Chinese sources.
For additional background information, refer to our Shenzhou 9 Resource Pages:
>>Long March 2F Launch Vehicle Information and Specifications
>>Jiquan Satellite Launch Center Overview
>>Shenzhou Spacecraft Information
>>Tiangong Space Laboratory Overview
Photo Gallery: Shenzhou 9 Launch
For additional background information, refer to our Shenzhou 9 Resource Pages:
>>Long March 2F Launch Vehicle Information and Specifications
>>Jiquan Satellite Launch Center Overview
>>Shenzhou Spacecraft Information
>>Tiangong Space Laboratory Overview
Photo Gallery: Shenzhou 9 Launch
Photo: www.ChinaNews.com
Shenzhou 9 Crew finally revealed, Launch Vehicle Fueling underway
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June 15, 2012
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China has announced that the Long March 2F Launch Vehicle carrying the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft with its three Taikonauts on board will lift off at 10:37 GMT (6:37 p.m. Beijing time) on Saturday.
Officials have also confirmed the crew that will perform this flight:
Jing Haipeng will lead the mission. He was born on October 24, 1966 in Yucheng City, Shanxi Province, China. The Chin National Space Administration chose him as Taikonaut in 1998 and he was selected as one of six Taikonaut Candidates for the Shenzhou 6 Mission in 2005. After performing Taikonaut Training, Jing was part of the Shenzhou 7 crew spending 2 days and 20 hours in space - making him the most experienced crew member of the Shenzhou 9 Mission. He served as a fighter pilot in the People's Liberation Army Air Force.
Also flying on Shenzhou 9 will be Liu Wang, 43 years old. He is a space flight rookie, but is also part of China's first Taikonaut Group of 1998.
China's first women in space will be Liu Yang. She is 34 years an was selected as a Taikonaut in 2010. Liu is also a pilot in the Chinese Military.
The three crew members have completed their final training procedures at the Launch Site that included countdown and flight simulations as well as emergency training. Training for the mission, Jing Haipeng and Liu Wang completed more than 1,000 Docking Simulations to prepare for the first manned docking flight in China's Space Program. The crew has entered quarantine at the Jiquan Satellite Launch Center last week.
Officials have also confirmed the crew that will perform this flight:
Jing Haipeng will lead the mission. He was born on October 24, 1966 in Yucheng City, Shanxi Province, China. The Chin National Space Administration chose him as Taikonaut in 1998 and he was selected as one of six Taikonaut Candidates for the Shenzhou 6 Mission in 2005. After performing Taikonaut Training, Jing was part of the Shenzhou 7 crew spending 2 days and 20 hours in space - making him the most experienced crew member of the Shenzhou 9 Mission. He served as a fighter pilot in the People's Liberation Army Air Force.
Also flying on Shenzhou 9 will be Liu Wang, 43 years old. He is a space flight rookie, but is also part of China's first Taikonaut Group of 1998.
China's first women in space will be Liu Yang. She is 34 years an was selected as a Taikonaut in 2010. Liu is also a pilot in the Chinese Military.
The three crew members have completed their final training procedures at the Launch Site that included countdown and flight simulations as well as emergency training. Training for the mission, Jing Haipeng and Liu Wang completed more than 1,000 Docking Simulations to prepare for the first manned docking flight in China's Space Program. The crew has entered quarantine at the Jiquan Satellite Launch Center last week.
Jing Haipeng
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Liu Wang
Photos: www.NEWS.cn
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Liu Yang
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At South Launch Site 1 final preparations are underway to get the Long March 2F Launch Vehicle ready to support the mission. The vehicle will be loaded with storable propellants, Nitrogen Tetroxide and Unsymmetrical Dimethylhydrazine, today. The operation was set to begin at 9:30 GMT on Friday. The launcher will be loaded with about 411,000 Kilograms of propellants.
After launching from the Jiquan Satellite Launch Center at 10:37 GMT on Saturday and being delivered to Low Earth Orbit less than 10 Minutes later, Shenzhou 9 will begin a two-day journey to Tiangong-1 making orbit adjustment burns. Tiangong has already made several orbit adjustments over the past several weeks to place itself in the proper orbit for the docking. It will alslo change its orientation by making a 180-degree rotation to set the stage for docking with Shenzhou 9. For Shenzhou 9, the first docking will be performed in automated mode and the crew will open the hatches to Tiangong after making leak checks. |
Photo: www.ChinaNews.com
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Once entering the mini-Space Station, the Crew will perform science operations and tests associated with 'living in space' as this will be China's longest manned flight with a duration of about 12 days. Two crew members will occupy the sleep stations of Tiangong-1 while the remaining crew member will most likely sleep inside the Shenzhou spacecraft. Also part of the mission, according to Chinese Media, is an Undocking - Re-Docking Sequence. This docking will be performed manually with the crew at the controls of their spacecraft bringing the vehicle in for a gentle docking with Tiangong-1. This operation will most likely take place late in the mission when science opertions are complete. The vehicles will remain docked for a total of about 10 days. When hatches are closed 10 days after initial docking, Shenzhou 9 will depart Tiangong and perform several hours of free flight, make its Deorbit Burn and return to Earth to bring its crew of three back home safely.
The Shenzhou 9 Flight is another step China is taking towards its ultimate goal of developing a complex Space Station in Orbit by 2020. One more manned flight (Shenzhou 10) is planned for Tiangong 1 in 2013 before China will deliver its more sophisticated Tiangong 2 to orbit. Tiangong 3 will follow by 2016 to prepare the final steps on the way to a large Station in Low Earth Orbit. Chinese Officials have indicated that their new space station will be as big as the US Skylab Space Station that orbited Earth in the 1970s. This large station is expected to open for business by 2020 - according to Chinese sources.
Photo Gallery: Shenzhou 9 Crew Preparations
The Shenzhou 9 Flight is another step China is taking towards its ultimate goal of developing a complex Space Station in Orbit by 2020. One more manned flight (Shenzhou 10) is planned for Tiangong 1 in 2013 before China will deliver its more sophisticated Tiangong 2 to orbit. Tiangong 3 will follow by 2016 to prepare the final steps on the way to a large Station in Low Earth Orbit. Chinese Officials have indicated that their new space station will be as big as the US Skylab Space Station that orbited Earth in the 1970s. This large station is expected to open for business by 2020 - according to Chinese sources.
Photo Gallery: Shenzhou 9 Crew Preparations
Shenzhou 9 Launch Countdown Underway
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June 13, 2012
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China has
started the 72-hour launch countdown for its next manned Space Flight. A Long
March 2F Launch Vehicle is set to lift off from the Jiquan Satellite Launch
Center on Saturday, June 16, 2012 between 10:35 and 10:45 GMT carrying the
Shenzhou 9 Spacecraft with three Taikonauts on board including China’s first
women to fly to space.
The prime crew for this mission has yet to be introduced officially. Up to this point, Chinese media have only published images that show the backs of the Taikonauts or a fully suited crew. Several different prime crew constellations have been rumored. What is known, is that the crew members that will fly this mission have entered quarantine at the launch center and are working through nominal pre-launch operations. They completed a full-systems drill last week and participated in emergency training sessions at the launch pad. Current indications point to the prime crew being Jing Haipeng, Liu Wang and Liu Yang, but confirmation will probably not come until launch day. |
Credit: CCTV
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Haipeng has flown once
before on Shenzhou 7 spending 2 Days and 20 Hours in space while the other two
Taikonauts have not performed a space flight before.
Also in progress at South Launch Site 1 are final preparations of the Long March Rocket and the Shenzhou 9 Spacecraft. The launcher is being loaded with storable propellants over the next two days to set the stage for launch day. In addition to that, final close-outs of the vehicle will be completed be engineers that are also making final checks of the launcher. The Shenzhou 9 vehicle will also be placed in its launch configuration with final cargo loading taking place over the course of the countdown.
For a launch on Saturday, Shenzhou 9 would make its docking to Tiangong 1 on Monday. Tiangong 1 is China’s first Space Station Module that had been in orbit since 2011 and has already welcomed one visiting vehicle – the unmanned Shenzhou 8 spacecraft making a docking demonstration flight in late 2011. For Shenzhou 9, a manual docking will be conducted by the crew that will open the hatches to Tiangong after making leak checks. Once entering the mini-Space Station, the Crew will perform science operations and tests associated with 'living in space' as this will be China's longest manned flight with a duration of about 13 days. Two crew members will occupy the sleep stations of Tiangong-1 while the remaining crew member will most likely sleep inside the Shenzhou spacecraft. The vehicles will remain docked for 10 days., however, there have been indications that Shenzhou 9 might involve an Undocking - Re-Docking Sequence at some point in the flight to make more docking tests. When hatches are closed 10 days after docking, Shenzhou 9 will depart Tiangong and perform several hours of free flight, make its Deorbit Burn and return to Earth to bring its crew of three back home safely.
Also in progress at South Launch Site 1 are final preparations of the Long March Rocket and the Shenzhou 9 Spacecraft. The launcher is being loaded with storable propellants over the next two days to set the stage for launch day. In addition to that, final close-outs of the vehicle will be completed be engineers that are also making final checks of the launcher. The Shenzhou 9 vehicle will also be placed in its launch configuration with final cargo loading taking place over the course of the countdown.
For a launch on Saturday, Shenzhou 9 would make its docking to Tiangong 1 on Monday. Tiangong 1 is China’s first Space Station Module that had been in orbit since 2011 and has already welcomed one visiting vehicle – the unmanned Shenzhou 8 spacecraft making a docking demonstration flight in late 2011. For Shenzhou 9, a manual docking will be conducted by the crew that will open the hatches to Tiangong after making leak checks. Once entering the mini-Space Station, the Crew will perform science operations and tests associated with 'living in space' as this will be China's longest manned flight with a duration of about 13 days. Two crew members will occupy the sleep stations of Tiangong-1 while the remaining crew member will most likely sleep inside the Shenzhou spacecraft. The vehicles will remain docked for 10 days., however, there have been indications that Shenzhou 9 might involve an Undocking - Re-Docking Sequence at some point in the flight to make more docking tests. When hatches are closed 10 days after docking, Shenzhou 9 will depart Tiangong and perform several hours of free flight, make its Deorbit Burn and return to Earth to bring its crew of three back home safely.
Long March 2F/Shenzhou 9 rolled to Launch Complex
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June 9, 2012
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Photo: www.ChinaNews.com
Photo: www.ChinaNews.com
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At the Jiquan Satellite Launch Center, 1,600 Kilometers from Beijing, the Long March 2F Launch Vehicle with the Shenzhou 9 Spacecraft hidden under its Payload Fairing was rolled out from the Vertical Assembly Facility to South Launch Site 1 on Saturday, June 9, 2012. The Long March Rocket was transported from its Integration Facility to the Launch Site atop a mobile launch platform riding on rail tracks. The stack needed about 60 minutes for the 1.5-Kilometer trip to the pad. The massive mobile launcher is 24.4 meters in length, has a width of 21.7 meters and a mass of 750,000 Kilograms. The base of the Rocket is secured atop the platform 8.3 meters above ground level.
After the Vehicle arrived at the Launch Pad, access platforms and swing arms were moved into position around the launcher. These platforms are needed for vehicle fueling and close-outs. On tap for the launch vehicle are final checkouts and reconfigurations as well as fueling and countdown operations. Based on previous Shenzhou Missions, the Rollout of the Launcher is performed at L-5 to 7 days indicating that launch will occur between June 14 and 16. Officials have not announced a launch target yet, but it is expected that Shenzhou 9 will launch on the 15th or 16th of June. For the 15th, the approximate launch time would be 11:08 GMT and on the 16th, launch would occur at around 10:41 GMT. The crew for this mission has also not been announced yet. Typically, Chinese Crews were introduced about one week from launch. Preparations for the flight began at the Jiquan Satellite Launch Center with the arrival of the Shenzhou 9 Spacecraft on April 9, 2012. There, it was unpacked and began its final set of launch preparations that included cargo loading, fueling of the vehicle and final close-outs for its mission. The Long March 2F Rocket for this mission was delivered from its Beijing factory on May 9. The CZ-2F is the manned version of the Long March Launcher Family and is manufactured by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology. After Shenzhou 9 was integrated atop the Launch and final testing was completed, the vehicle made its trip to the launch pad where final pre-launch processing takes place leading up to countdown operations and launch. After blasting off from Jiquan and being released into its desired orbit, Shenzhou 9 will be on a 2-day journey to Tiangong 1 - China's first Space Station Module that was launched in 2011. The vehicle will make orbit adjustments to set the stage for docking. For Shenzhou 9, a manual docking will be conducted by the crew that will open the hatches to Tiangong after making leak checks. Once entering the mini-Space Station, the Crew will perform science operations and tests associated with 'living in space' as this will be China's longest manned flight with a duration of about 13 days. Two crew members will occupy the sleep stations of Tiangong-1 while the remaining crew member will most likely sleep inside the Shenzhou spacecraft. The vehicles will remain docked for 10 days. When hatches are closed 10 days after docking, Shenzhou 9 will depart Tiangong and perform several hours of free flight, make its Deorbit Burn and return to Earth to bring its crew of three back home safely. |
The Shenzhou 9 Flight is another step China is taking towards its ultimate goal of developing a complex Space Station in Orbit by 2020. One more manned flight (Shenzhou 10) is planned for Tiangong 1 in late 2012 or 2013 before China will deliver its more sophisticated Tiangong 2 to orbit. Tiangong 3 will follow by 2016 to prepare the final steps on the way to a large Station in Low Earth Orbit. Chinese Officials have indicated that their new space station will be as big as the US Skylab Space Station that orbited Earth in the 1970s. This large station is expected to open for business by 2020 - according to Chinese sources.
China prepares for next manned Space Flight
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May 30, 2012
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Photo: China Manned Space Engineering Office
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China is gearing up for its next manned Space Flight planned to launch in June 2012 and feature a crew of three Taikonauts including the first female Taikonaut to fly to Space. After launching aboard a Long March 2F Rocket from the Jiquan Satellite Launch Center, Shenzhou 9 is expected to dock with Tiangong-1 - China's first Space Station Module delivered to Orbit in 2011.
To set the stage for China's fourth manned flight, Shenzhou 8 completed an unmanned test flight in October/November 2011 performing an automated Rendezvous and Docking with Tiangong 1 demonstrating China's Rendezvous Navigation and Docking Systems. The Shenzhou docking collar is similar to the Russian-designed APAS system which was used for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project and Space Shuttle Dockings with the Mir and ISS Space Stations. The system allows either spacecraft to be active or passive during the Rendezvous allowing a more flexible process. Later in the Shenzhou 8 Mission, the vehicle undocked from Tiangong and performed a Re-Rendezvous demonstrating the systems in extreme lighting conditions. After its mission to the Chinese Space Station Module, Shenzhou 8 made a safe return to Earth bringing its dummy Taikonauts and Science Payloads back to Earth. Officials declared the flight a complete success and approved the Shenzhou 9 mission to carry humans. |
Little official information is available on the Shenzhou 9 mission. The exact launch date remains secret, but indications are that launch will take place in June 2012 - a slot in July is available as well. Analysts have been tracking Tiangong 1's orbit to deduce the targeted launch date as the Module has to be maneuvered to a lower orbit for the Shenzhou Mission. In between flights, the vehicle is orbiting at a higher altitude. After launching from the Jiquan Satellite Launch Center and being delivered to Low Earth orbit less than 10 Minutes later, Shenzhou 9 will begin a two-day journey to Tiangong-1 making orbit adjustment burns.
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For Shenzhou 9, a manual docking will be conducted by the crew that will open the hatches to Tiangong after making leak checks. Once entering the mini-Space Station, the Crew will perform science operations and tests associated with 'living in space' as this will be China's longest manned flight with a duration of about 13 days. Two crew members will occupy the sleep stations of Tiangong-1 while the remaining crew member will most likely sleep inside the Shenzhou spacecraft. The vehicles will remain docked for 10 days. When hatches are closed 10 days after docking, Shenzhou 9 will depart Tiangong and perform several hours of free flight, make its Deorbit Burn and return to Earth to bring its crew of three back home safely.
Preparations for the flight began at the Jiquan Satellite Launch Center with the arrival of the Shenzhou 9 Spacecraft on April 9, 2012. There, it was unpacked and began its final set of launch preparations that include cargo loading, fueling of the vehicle and final close-outs for its mission. The Long March 2F Rocket for this mission was delivered from its Beijing factory on May 9. The CZ-2F is the manned version of the Long March Launcher Family and is manufactured by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology. |
Photo: China Manned Space Engineering Office
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The rocket is being stacked inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at Jiquan before undergoing extensive tests prior to launch. Also, the Shenzhou Spacecraft will be integrated on top of the vehicle and encapsulated in its protective payload fairing.
The Shenzhou 9 Flight is another step China is taking towards its ultimate goal of developing a complex Space Station in Orbit by 2020. One more manned flight (Shenzhou 10) is planned for Tiangong 1 in late 2012 or 2013 before China will deliver its more sophisticated Tiangong 2 to orbit. Tiangong 3 will follow by 2016 to prepare the final steps on the way to a large Station in Low Earth Orbit. Chinese Officials have indicated that their new space station will be as big as the US Skylab Space Station that orbited Earth in the 1970s. This large station is expected to open for business by 2020 - according to Chinese sources.
The Shenzhou 9 Flight is another step China is taking towards its ultimate goal of developing a complex Space Station in Orbit by 2020. One more manned flight (Shenzhou 10) is planned for Tiangong 1 in late 2012 or 2013 before China will deliver its more sophisticated Tiangong 2 to orbit. Tiangong 3 will follow by 2016 to prepare the final steps on the way to a large Station in Low Earth Orbit. Chinese Officials have indicated that their new space station will be as big as the US Skylab Space Station that orbited Earth in the 1970s. This large station is expected to open for business by 2020 - according to Chinese sources.
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