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Chinese space station welcomes its first crew
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The first crew arrived on Thursday (17) at the new Chinese space station. They are part of China’s largest space mission in a time of serious technological rivalry with the United States.
The Chinese Space Agency announced that the Shenzhou 12 spacecraft has successfully docked with Tiangong Station (“Heavenly Palace”). Seven hours earlier, the Longa Marcha-2F rocket took off with three crew members at 9:22 a.m. local time (22:22 p.m. GMT) from the Jiuquan Cosmodrome in the Gobi Desert in northwest China.
state television Cable TV He showed live footage from inside the spacecraft, where three astronauts raised their helmets to show their smiling faces. At night, the station showed the entry of the crew of the first module into orbit of the Palácio Celestial station.
“The solar panels have been successfully deployed and we can declare the launch successful,” said Zhang Zhifen, director of the Jiquan Launch Center. This is China’s first manned space mission in five years and will remain in orbit for three months.
Tough competition
In conditions of great tension in relations with the West, the result of this mission is a matter of Beijing’s prestigewho prepares to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on July 1.
The mission commander is Nie Haisheng, an award-winning pilot of the People’s Liberation Army who has participated in two space missions. Two of his comrades are also military.
The trio spent over 6,000 hours of training to get used to weightlessness. “We are trying every minute to realize our space dream,” said Liu Boming, one of the crew members. “I trained with a commitment to the cause,” he added.
life in space
According to the Chinese Space Agency, upon completion of construction, the Heavenly Palace station will have dimensions similar to the former Soviet Mir installation (1986-2001), with a service life of at least ten years.
The dispatch of the Shenzhou 12 mission is the third of 11 launches that will be required to build the station between 2021 and 2022. Four of these missions will be manned.
In addition to the Tianhe central module, which is already in orbit, two others will be sent into space next year – laboratories for biotechnology, medicine and astronomy.
In Tianhe, the team will deal with maintenance, installation, spacewalks, preparation for future missions and future stays. The module has simulators and a ground-based communication center. Three soldiers will be able to choose from 120 meals with meals and exercise on a treadmill to keep fit.
China’s interest in having its own human base in low-earth orbit was prompted by a US ban on granting the country access to the International Space Station (ISS). The latter – cooperation between the US, Russia, Canada, Europe and Japan – is expected to close in 2024, although NASA (The American Space Agency) said it could continue to operate beyond 2028.
“We are ready to cooperate with any country that is committed to the peaceful use of space,” said Ji Qiming, a senior official with the China Air Force Agency (CMSA).
(According to AFP)
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