Starting from Shenzhou XIV, China's space station will usher in an era of uninterrupted astronaut residence!

The third manned space flight of China's space station construction phase was successfully launched. Without any suspense, the Shenzhou XIV manned spacecraft quickly rendezvoused and docked with the core module of the Chinese space station.

Starting with Shenzhou XIV, China's space station will usher in an era of uninterrupted on-orbit residence of astronauts and full manned space.

So far, a total of 9 batches of 14 Chinese astronauts have entered space 23 times.

Currently, there are 10 people in orbit around the world (7 on the International Space Station and 3 on the Chinese Space Station). 628 people have been in space (above 80 km) and 587 have been in orbit.

Launch Overview

Launch process

At 10:44 Beijing time on June 5, the 17th "Shenjian" Long March 2 improved version, serial number Yao 14 rocket was launched on time, carrying the Shenzhou 14 manned spacecraft and three astronauts to fly smoothly to the Tianhe core module of the Chinese space station.

This launch was live-broadcasted in accordance with international practice, with timely information disclosure. From the press conference held the day before the launch to the live broadcast of the launch process, it was full of confidence and calmness.

At 10:44 on June 5th, Beijing time, the improved Long March 2F/G rocket (serial number Y14/Y14), known as China's magic arrow, was launched on time. 12 seconds later, using gravity to turn, the magic arrow began to fly southeast; two minutes after takeoff, the escape tower at the top of the rocket, 8.35 meters high, was separated and discarded. The escape tower, which looks like a rocket lightning rod, has the mission of quickly separating the rocket ship and pulling the orbital module and return module to a safe area in the period from 900 seconds before the rocket takes off to 160 seconds after takeoff in case of a rocket failure. Of course, the escape tower is not needed at all in the best flight state, and it is separated and discarded at the right time.

At T+2:31, the four 2.25-meter-diameter boosters completed their mission and separated from the first-stage main rocket, followed by the start-up of the second-stage engine. The second-stage engine is composed of the main engine DaFY21-2 and the floating engine DaFY22-1. The DaFY21-2 is a high-altitude large nozzle engine with a vacuum thrust of about 746.97 kN. The DaFY22-1 floating engine is a small-thrust high-altitude short nozzle engine. It continued to work for more than 100 seconds after the main engine was shut down, escorting the Shenzhou spacecraft to the scheduled deployment orbit.

Nearly 3 and a half minutes after the launch, the fairing was separated and discarded; at T+7:33, the second-stage main engine DaFY21-2 was shut down, and at T+9:32, the floating engine DaFY22-1 was shut down. Then, at the predetermined deployment orbit (200×360 kilometers) at an altitude of 200 kilometers, the spacecraft and the rocket separated, and the Shenzhou XIV spacecraft was successfully deployed. The spacecraft then unfolded its solar panels, which meant that the launch phase was successful.

The launch of the Shenzhou XIV mission is China's 9th manned space flight; the 9th manned space flight of the Shenzhou spacecraft; the 14th launch of the Shenzhou spacecraft; the 17th launch of the "China Magic Arrow" Long March 2F rocket; China's 19th orbital launch this year; the 423rd launch of the Long March series of rockets; the third manned space mission of the Chinese space station; the 7th of 11 launch missions during the construction period of the Chinese space station; the 62nd orbital launch this year worldwide. As of June 5, 2022 Beijing time: 🇺🇸The United States has 32 launches (1 failed), 🇨🇳China has 19 launches (1 failed), 🇷🇺Russia has 9 launches, 🇮🇳India has 1 launch, and 🇮🇷Iran has 1 launch.

Seven hours after launch, at 17:42 Beijing time on June 5, Shenzhou XIV successfully docked with the radial port (towards the Earth) of the Tianhe core module in a rapid rendezvous and docking mode. This was a few dozen minutes longer than the 6.5-hour rendezvous and docking of Shenzhou XIII.

The Shenzhou XIV spacecraft, the Tianhe core module, the Tianzhou III and the Tianzhou IV cargo spacecraft form a four-in-one combination. Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe then entered the Tianhe and officially became the third batch of astronauts stationed in the Chinese space station, starting a six-month space mission, during which they will witness the most important in-orbit assembly of the Chinese space station since its construction: docking with the Wentian in July and the Mengtian in October, completing the construction of the national space laboratory.

In December this year, the crew of Shenzhou XIV and Shenzhou XV will conduct an in-orbit handover. This will be the first in-orbit rotation of manned space missions on the Chinese space station. During this period, there will be a total of 6 astronauts on the Chinese space station. Starting from Shenzhou XIV, the Chinese space station will usher in an era of uninterrupted in-orbit stay of astronauts and no vacancies in manned space missions.

Chinese magic arrow

China's manned space launch missions currently use the Long March 2F/G improved launch vehicle (G stands for improved version), which is currently the most reliable and safe rocket in China. So far, it has been launched 17 times with a 100% success rate, and is known as the "Chinese Magic Arrow".

The Long March 2F/G is divided into manned and unmanned versions. The manned version is 58.34 meters high (higher than the 57 meters of the Long March 5), equipped with an escape tower, and is specially used to launch the Shenzhou series of manned spacecraft, with a payload of 8.1 tons; the unmanned version is 52 meters high and is used to launch Tiangong-1, Tiangong-2, and unmanned Shenzhou spacecraft, with a payload of 8.6 tons and a designed maximum capacity of 13 tons.

The Long March 2F/G will be used until at least 2023, and is currently scheduled to be used for the launch of the Shenzhou 16 manned spacecraft.

Shenzhou spacecraft

The Shenzhou XIV manned spacecraft (abbreviated as Shen XIV) is one of the Shenzhou series spacecraft. The Shenzhou spacecraft is a manned spacecraft specially developed for China's manned space program (Project 921). The prototype spacecraft Shenzhou I was successfully launched on November 20, 1999. Shenzhou V was successfully launched on October 15, 2003 and made Yang Liwei a historic achievement. Shenzhou VIII, launched on November 1, 2011, became the officially finalized model.

The Shenzhou spacecraft is similar to the Russian Soyuz MS spacecraft, but with a larger size and newer structure. Before the SpaceX manned Dragon spacecraft was put into use, the Shenzhou spacecraft was once the largest manned spacecraft in service. The Shenzhou spacecraft consists of a propulsion module, a return module, an orbital module, and an additional section. The total length is 9 meters, the total weight is about 8 tons, the diameter is 2.8 meters, the solar wing is 17 meters wide, the carrying capacity is 3 people, and the habitable volume is 14 cubic meters.

The Shenzhou spacecraft is one of the three manned spacecraft currently in service in the world (Russian Soyuz spacecraft, Chinese Shenzhou spacecraft, and American Crew Dragon spacecraft), and is also one of the nine manned spacecraft in the history of manned space flight (Soviet Vostok spacecraft, American Mercury spacecraft, Soviet Voskhod spacecraft, American Gemini spacecraft, Soviet Soyuz spacecraft, American Apollo spacecraft, American Space Shuttle, Chinese Shenzhou spacecraft, and American Crew Dragon spacecraft).

Chinese astronauts

▲Family photo of astronauts in the first six missions of China’s manned space flight

Since the launch of Shenzhou-1 spacecraft in 1999, Shenzhou spacecraft has been launched a total of 14 times to date, including 5 unmanned launches (Shenzhou-1, -2, -3, -4, -8) and 9 manned launches (Shenzhou-5, -6, -7, -9, -10, -11, -12, -13, -14), carrying a total of 14 people and 23 person-times (1 person on Shenzhou-5, 2 people on Shenzhou-6, 3 people on Shenzhou-7, 3 people on Shenzhou-9, 3 people on Shenzhou-10, 2 people on Shenzhou-11, 3 people on Shenzhou-12, 3 people on Shenzhou-13, and 3 people on Shenzhou-14, including Jing Haipeng 3 times, Nie Haisheng 3 times, Liu Boming 2 times, Zhai Zhigang 2 times, Wang Yaping 2 times, Chen Dong 2 times, and Liu Yang 2 times).

Shenzhou V: Yang Liwei

Shenzhou VI: Fei Junlong, Nie Haisheng

Shenzhou VII: Zhai Zhigang, Liu Boming, Jing Haipeng

Shenzhou 9: Jing Haipeng, Liu Wang, Liu Yang

Shenzhou-10: Nie Haisheng, Zhang Xiaoguang, Wang Yaping

Shenzhou 11: Jing Haipeng, Chen Dong

Shenzhou-XII: Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming, Tang Hongbo

Shenzhou-13: Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping, Ye Guangfu

Shenzhou-14: Chen Dong, Liu Yang, Cai Xuzhe

Astronauts of Shenzhou 14

The crew of Shenzhou 14 consists of two men and one woman: Chen Dong, Liu Yang, and Cai Xuzhe. All three astronauts were born in the 1970s (Chen Dong and Liu Yang are 44 years old, and Cai Xuzhe is 46 years old), with an average age of 44.66 years old. The crew of Shenzhou 13 is a combination of "born in the 1960s and 1980s" (Zhai Zhigang is 56 years old, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu are 42 years old), with an average age of 46.66 years old. It can be said that the crew of Shenzhou 14 is the youngest crew in the history of China's manned space station missions.

According to Huang Weifen, chief designer of the astronaut system of China's manned space program and researcher at the China Astronaut Research and Training Center, the Shenzhou 14 crew has different characteristics. As the commander, Chen Dong is particularly confident, decisive and resolute; Liu Yang is very friendly and has strong verbal expression skills; Cai Xuzhe is very smart, has a strong comprehension ability, and is quick to accept new things and new knowledge.

○ Chen Dong: Commander of Shenzhou 14 mission

Born on December 12, 1978 in Luoyang, Henan, he is 44 years old and holds a master's degree in engineering from Xi'an Jiaotong University. He joined the army in 1997 and is currently a first-class astronaut with the rank of colonel in the Chinese People's Liberation Army Astronaut Brigade. In 2010, he was selected as one of China's second batch of astronauts. In October 2016, he entered space for the first time and carried out the Shenzhou 11 mission. Before that, he had flown in space for 32 days, 6 hours and 29 minutes. This is his second time entering space, serving as a crew member and commander of the Shenzhou 14 manned flight mission.

○Liu Yang: China's first female astronaut to enter space

Born on October 6, 1978 in Zhengzhou, Henan, she holds a doctorate in law from Tsinghua University. She joined the army in August 1997 and is currently a special astronaut with the rank of colonel in the Chinese People's Liberation Army Astronaut Brigade. She was selected as a member of the second batch of astronauts in May 2010. On June 16, 2012, she entered space for the first time and carried out the Shenzhou 9 manned flight mission, becoming China's first female astronaut to enter space. Before that, she had flown in space for 12 days, 15 hours and 25 minutes. This is her second time to enter space, carrying out the Shenzhou 14 manned flight mission, and serving as a flight operator.

○ Cai Xuzhe: Rookie of Shenzhou 14

Born in May 1976, 46 years old, from Shenzhou, Hebei, with a master's degree. He joined the army in September 1995 and is currently a second-class astronaut of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Astronaut Brigade with the rank of colonel. Cai Xuzhe, Chen Dong and Liu Yang were selected as my country's second batch of astronauts in May 2010. This is his first time to enter space, carrying out the Shenzhou 14 manned flight mission, and serving as a system operator.

Cai Xuzhe is also the 628th astronaut in the world to enter space (above 80km) and the 587th astronaut to enter space orbit.

God's Fourteenth Mission

Shenzhou XIV's main missions:

① Welcome the in-orbit construction of two space experiment modules of the Chinese space station (the launch of Wentian in July and Mengtian in October), and assist in the construction of the national space laboratory;

② The airlock of the Wentian experimental module was used for the first time to carry out two or three extravehicular missions, and a combination of large and small robotic arms were used for extravehicular activities;

③ Welcome the Tianzhou-5 cargo spacecraft and the Shenzhou-15 manned spacecraft to dock twice;

④ Hand over the work with the crew of Shenzhou 15. This will be the first manned space mission rotation in orbit for the Chinese space station. During this period, there are a total of 6 astronauts in the space station. Starting from Shenzhou 14, the Chinese space station will usher in an era of uninterrupted astronaut stay in orbit and no vacancies in manned space.

●What are the characteristics of the Wentian and Mengtian laboratory cabins?

The Wentian Experimental Module is the first of the two large on-orbit experimental modules of the basic configuration of the Chinese space station. It is equipped with the same living facilities as the Tianhe core module, including three sleeping areas, a sanitary area, and a set of kitchen facilities. This means that the Wentian Experimental Module can support two manned spacecraft docking and six astronauts living in space at the same time as the Tianhe core module. The Wentian Experimental Module is also equipped with a small multifunctional robotic arm and a backup airlock, and has a backup module for the core module to manage and control the space station complex. Once the core module platform function fails, it can be switched to the Wentian Experimental Module to continue to perform the space station control and management functions. It can be said that the Wentian is a substitute for the Tianhe that is always ready.

The Mengtian experimental module is the second of the two large in-orbit experimental modules of the basic configuration of China's space station. It is a professional and storage application module. The rear end is equipped with an experimental payload airlock, which can not only drop large payloads into a vacuum, but also realize the continuous updating of extravehicular test projects.

●When will the Sky Survey Space Telescope be launched?

It is currently planned to be launched in 2023 and put into scientific operation around 2024. This will be the most advanced and expensive research facility ever deployed by the Chinese astronomical community, and is expected to bring mankind a new understanding of the universe.

The China Space Telescope, also known as the China Space Telescope and the China Space Optical Cabin, is not only a component of the Chinese space station, but also China's first large astronomical telescope in extraterrestrial space. The telescope has a diameter of 2 meters and a mass of 15.5 tons. It will fly in the same orbit as the Chinese space station for a long time, with a mission period of more than 10 years.

The survey module is a space telescope that occupies the most observation time. It is a camera with an extremely wide field of view, reaching 1.1x1.2 square degrees. With the same imaging quality as the Hubble Telescope, the field of view of the survey telescope can reach 300 times that of the Hubble Telescope. During the entire survey cycle, the survey module will cover an area of ​​17,500 square degrees, accounting for 40% of the entire sky area, and is expected to accumulate high-quality data on nearly 2 billion galaxies.

In addition to the survey module, the survey telescope is also equipped with a series of precision measurement modules, including terahertz module, multi-channel imager, integral field spectrometer, exoplanet imaging coronagraph. These instruments will carry out many scientific observations such as exoplanet detection, spatially resolved spectral observation of galaxy core regions, neutral carbon research in nearby galaxies, and super-deep field observation of the universe based on their respective characteristics.

The outstanding features of the Survey Telescope: It has both a large field of view and high image quality. The observation field can reach 300 times that of the Hubble Telescope, and it is expected to capture high-definition images of 2 billion galaxies, detect the distribution of dark matter within 17 billion light years, and then draw a map of the distribution of dark matter in the universe. Compared with other current space telescopes, the Survey Telescope also has the ability to be maintained and upgraded in orbit.

●The next step for China's space station

The Chinese Space Station (CSS) built this year is a basic model (mass ~100 tons, equivalent to 1/5 of the International Space Station). The next step in the future is to expand the scale of the Chinese Space Station, add a core module, two experimental modules, and station a manned spacecraft for astronaut manned transportation and emergency return missions. The maximum scale can reach 180 tons. If such a scale is reached, landing on the moon, building a lunar base, landing on Mars, and flying to the farther Jupiter are no longer far away, and some plans have even been realized in parallel.

At the same time, the International Space Station, led by the United States, has extended its service life from 2024 to 2030. If the planned world's first commercial space station (Axiom Space Station) is successfully built, it will also be put into operation in 2024 and replace the International Space Station from 2030. In addition, Russia is likely to set up its own business around 2024, split from the International Space Station, and operate the Russian Orbital Space Station (ROSS) independently...

This means that in the near future, there will be four space stations in parallel in the low-Earth orbit above our heads: the International Space Station ISS, the Chinese Space Station CSS, the Axiom Station, and the Russian Space Station ROSS. This is going to be a new space race!