Shenzhou 17 is about to set off! Reviewing the "Shenzhou" series and paying tribute to China's space program

The China Manned Space Engineering Office learned that the Shenzhou 17 manned spacecraft and the Long March 2F Yao 17 carrier rocket combination were transferred to the launch area on October 19. At present, the launch site facilities and equipment are in good condition, and various pre-launch function inspections and joint tests will be carried out as planned. The launch is planned to be carried out in the near future.

On October 19, the Shenzhou 17 manned spacecraft and the Long March 2F Yao 17 carrier rocket combination were ready for transfer.

Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Wang Jiangbo)

The main tasks of the Shenzhou 17 crew will include implementing astronaut extravehicular activities and cargo airlock extravehicular activities, continuing to carry out space science experiments and technical tests, carrying out routine platform management work, astronaut support-related work, and popular science education and other important activities.

On October 19, the Shenzhou 17 manned spacecraft and the Long March 2F Yao 17 carrier rocket were assembled and prepared for transfer. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Wang Jiangbo)

According to previous reports, the Shenzhou 16 astronaut crew currently on the Chinese space station plans to return to Earth in November. Before their return, the Shenzhou 17 spacecraft will visit and dock with them.

From 1999 to 2023, from Shenzhou-1 to Shenzhou-16, Chinese astronauts have gone from building dreams, pursuing dreams to realizing dreams, standing shoulder to shoulder with the sun and the moon, accompanied by the stars, and writing a brilliant poem of Chinese aerospace in the vast space.

Next, I will take you through the development history of the "Shenzhou" series and review those glorious moments!

Shenzhou 1 - successfully launched on November 20, 1999, and returned on November 21.

This is the first flight test of China's manned space program. It is of great significance for breaking through manned space technology and is an important milestone in China's space history.

Shenzhou II - successfully launched on January 10, 2001, was China's first full-scale unmanned spacecraft flight test and also the first time that scientific experiments were conducted on a spacecraft.

Shenzhou III - successfully launched on March 25, 2002. This spacecraft was also an unmanned spacecraft, but the difference was that there was an anthropomorphic payload system installed in the orbital module and the return module of the spacecraft, which could simulate many important physiological parameters of astronauts living in space: pulse, heartbeat, breathing, diet, excretion, etc., and was monitored by the ground command center at any time.

Shenzhou IV - successfully launched on December 30, 2002. This launch was the last "dress rehearsal" of China's manned space program. Except for the fact that there was no one on board, the technical status of Shenzhou IV was exactly the same as that of a manned spacecraft.

Shenzhou V was successfully launched on October 15, 2003. It was China's first manned spacecraft, and astronaut Yang Liwei represented the Chinese people in the first space mission. This was a milestone in China's manned space program and an important step for the Chinese people to explore the stars and the sea, marking that China has become the third country in the world that can independently carry out manned space activities.

At 18:40 on October 15, 2003, Yang Liwei, the first astronaut trained by China, greeted people from all over the world from space and displayed the five-star red flag and the United Nations flag side by side in the cabin (photographed on the big screen of the Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Center). Xinhua News Agency

Shenzhou VI - successfully launched on October 12, 2005, this was China's second manned flight, carrying astronauts Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng, and conducting the first multi-person, multi-day space flight experiment.

Shenzhou VII was successfully launched on September 25, 2008, carrying Zhai Zhigang, Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng. Zhai Zhigang, the commander of the astronaut crew, successfully carried out an extravehicular activity in space, successfully completing the first space extravehicular activity for Chinese astronauts. This marked that China had broken through and mastered the technology related to extravehicular activities.

Shenzhou 8 - successfully launched on November 1, 2011, this is an unmanned spacecraft, its main task is to conduct a space rendezvous and docking with the previously launched "Tiangong 1" target spacecraft. After 12 days of operation, the Shenzhou 8 spacecraft separated from Tiangong 1 and conducted a rendezvous and docking test with it again.

This marks an important step for my country in breaking through and mastering space rendezvous and docking technology. It is another important milestone in the history of my country's manned space program.

Shenzhou 9 - successfully launched on June 16, 2012, astronauts Jing Haipeng, Liu Wang and Liu Yang went to space and completed the first manual rendezvous and docking mission together, successfully hitting the "Ten Rings" in space. Liu Yang became the first Chinese woman to enter space.

Shenzhou 10 was successfully launched on June 11, 2013. It was China's first application flight. Astronauts Nie Haisheng, Zhang Xiaoguang and Wang Yaping went to space. During the mission, Wang Yaping, as the first space teacher, gave an unprecedented space lesson to more than 60 million primary and secondary school students across the country, sowing the "dream seeds" of loving spaceflight.

Shenzhou 11 was successfully launched on October 17, 2016, and successfully rendezvoused and docked with Tiangong-2 on October 19. Astronauts Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong moved into the Tiangong-2 space laboratory for a 30-day space stay.

This is a picture taken at the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center on June 17, 2021, of astronauts Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo stationed in the Tianhe core module saluting the people of the whole country.

Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Jin Liwang

Shenzhou XII - successfully launched on June 17, 2021, Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo successfully completed a three-month flight mission. The Shenzhou XII manned flight mission is the fourth flight mission in the key technology verification phase of the space station and the first manned flight mission in the space station phase.

Shenzhou 13 was successfully launched on October 16, 2021. Three astronauts, Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu, successfully entered the space station, and the era of long-term manned residence on the Chinese space station has arrived.

Shenzhou XIV - flew into space on June 5, 2022, and then docked with the Tianhe core module. During the six-month stay in orbit, the three astronauts Chen Dong, Liu Yang, and Cai Xuzhe conducted three extravehicular activities, one space class, and cooperated with the ground to complete the assembly and construction of the "T" basic configuration of the Chinese space station, and were called the "busiest crew."

Shenzhou XV - launched on November 29, 2022, carrying three astronauts, Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu, and successfully "reunited in space" with the Shenzhou XIV crew. This is the first time that China has six astronauts flying in orbit at the same time - the era of long-term manned presence on the Chinese space station has begun.

Image source: Xinhua News Agency

Shenzhou 16 - successfully launched on May 30, 2023. Carrying astronauts Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haichao, this is a crew with "complete", "new" and "multiple" characteristics: for the first time, it includes three types of astronauts: "space pilot, space flight engineer, and payload specialist"; the third batch of astronauts performed a flight mission for the first time, and it was also the first space flight for China's space flight engineers and payload specialists; Jing Haipeng became China's first astronaut to fly into space four times, and will also be the astronaut with the most space flights so far.

This mission is the first manned flight mission of my country's manned space program entering the space station application and development stage.

This is a picture taken at the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center of Shenzhou 16 astronaut Jing Haipeng performing extravehicular operations (taken on July 20).

Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Guo Zhongzheng

From "one person one day" to "three people half a year" and then to "meeting in space", the Chinese people have never stopped rushing towards the sea of ​​stars.

Every scene in the vast universe

They are all reflected in the eyes of astronauts and star chasers.

We firmly believe

The completion of China's space station

It will definitely be a great success in the history of China's aerospace development.

Will definitely help mankind to use space peacefully

Make pioneering contributions!

Comprehensive sources: Xinhua News Agency, China Manned Spaceflight, etc.