China will launch the Shenzhou-15 spacecraft to its space station at 11:08 p.m. On November 29, China’s Manned Space Agency said Monday was the final mission in the country’s plan to complete the crewed orbital outpost.
On board will be three male astronauts: Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu, the agency said at a press conference.
The space station will be handed over to them within a week by the three astronauts who arrived in early June.
“During the stay, the Shenzhou-15 crew will welcome the visiting Tianzhou-6 cargo ship and hand over the Shenzhou-16 manned spacecraft, and plan to return to China’s Dongfeng landing site in May next year. “said Ji Qiming, a spokesperson for the agency.
“Currently, the space station suit is in stable condition, with all equipment functioning well and ready for rendezvous, docking and crew transfer,” Ji added.
In April 2021, China began constructing the three-module space station with the launch of the Tianhe module, the astronauts’ main living quarters.
In July and November, it launched the two remaining laboratory modules, Wentian and Mengtian, where scientific experiments will be carried out.
Completing the space station, designed for a lifespan of at least 10 years, will be a milestone in China’s ambitions in low Earth orbit, as NASA’s ageing ISS could cease operations by now. the end of the decade.
First crew change
The Shenzhou-15 mission, the last of the China Space Station’s construction phase, will mark the first crew transfer to the newly completed three-module space station.
The spacecraft will perform a rapid, automated rendezvous and dock with the forward port of the central module of the Tianhe space station.
The three Shenzhou-14 taikonauts will greet crew members aboard the space station. The two teams will stay together for about a week before the crew of Shenzhou-14 returns to Earth.
Shenzhou-15 Crew Tasks
During the six-month mission, Shenzhou-15 crew members will perform various tasks.
First, they will check the space station’s ability to support taikonauts’ long-term stay.
Second, they will unlock, install and test 15 experiment cabinets and perform more than 40 scientific experiments and technical tests in the fields of research and application of space science, space medicine and space technology.
In addition, they will conduct three to four extra-vehicular activities to complete tasks, including installing expansion pumps for Mengtian’s laboratory module.
In coordination with the ground crew, the crew will also perform six cargo transfers, moving cargo out of the space station from the airlock cabin.
In addition, they will perform day-to-day management and maintenance of the space station as well as in-orbit exercises and training.