The Chinese space station will be fully completed this year for the first time with 6 astronauts in orbit at the same time – CHINA China

Zhang Bainan, deputy to the National People’s Congress, deputy chief designer of China’s manned space project, and chief designer of the space station optical module system of the Fifth Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology Group, revealed yesterday that in 2022, my country’s manned space station project will enter the construction stage of the space station and will complete the sky-seeking experimental module. 6 major missions, including the Mengtian experimental cabin, the Shenzhou manned spacecraft and the Tianzhou cargo spacecraft, the space station has been fully built, the first six spacecraft combination flight has been achieved, the first astronauts have stayed for 6 months, and the first two crews Six astronauts are in orbit at the same time.

my country’s manned space project was officially approved by the central government on September 21, 1992. The manned spacecraft system, cargo spacecraft system, space laboratory system, space station system, and optical cabin system in the manned aerospace engineering are all developed by the Fifth Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology Group. The mission planning of the space station includes three stages of key technology verification, construction and operation.

Zhang Zhongyang, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and general manager of the Aerospace Science and Technology Group, said that in 2021, the key technology verification stage of my country’s space station will be basically completed, and the five launch missions will be completed successfully. The Tianhe core module was successfully launched, and the orbital assembly and construction of the space station was fully carried out. The Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft was launched into orbit. For the first time, it used the rapid rendezvous and docking method to dock with the Tianhe core module to complete the transportation of extravehicular space suits and astronaut consumables. The Shenzhou 12 flight mission realized the arrival of the first astronaut crews of the space station, Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming, and Tang Hongbo, and returned safely. The Tianzhou-3 cargo spacecraft was launched into orbit, completing the subsequent astronaut crew material transportation. Shenzhou 13 achieved the first radial rendezvous and docking of manned spacecraft, and Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu, the second batch of astronaut crews of the space station, entered the station for a long-term stay of 6 months.

“It is expected that in April this year, the Shenzhou 13 astronaut crew will stay for 6 months and return. After that, my country will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the verification of the key technologies of the space station. After the results meet the requirements, it will be transferred to the construction stage.” Zhang Bainan told reporters, In the construction stage, my country will launch Tianzhou-4, Shenzhou-14, Wentian experimental module, Mengtian experimental module, Tianzhou-5 and Shenzhou-15 spacecraft in turn, and complete the Wentian experiment in a manned state. The rendezvous and repositioning of the cabin, the Mengtian experimental cabin and the core cabin will finally complete the construction of the T-shaped space station; after the construction is completed, the functional performance will be tested on-orbit, and then transferred to the operation stage.

He also revealed that in 2022, the manned spacecraft will return as planned, two ships will rendezvous and docking, and three ships will be on standby for emergency rescue, involving a total of four Shenzhou spacecraft from Shenzhou 13 to Shenzhou 16. At the same time, the ground development work of Shenzhou 17 and Shenzhou 18 will be carried out in parallel.