Shenzhou-13 crewed spaceship mission launched successfullyAccording to China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) news, the Long March-2F Y13 carrier rocket, carrying the Shenzhou-13 crewed spaceship, blasted off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 00:23 (Beijing Time) of Oct. 16, 2021.  About 582 seconds later, Shenzhou-13 spaceship successfully separated from the rocket and entered the preset orbit, sending astronauts Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu into space. The Shenzhou-13 crew is in good condition and the launch is a complete success. It is China's twenty-first flight mission since the launch of the manned space program, and also the second crewed mission in the construction stage of the space station. After entering orbit, the spaceship will conduct a fast autonomous rendezvous and docking with the combination of Tianhe core module, Tianzhou-2 and Tianzhou-3 as planned. The astronauts will be stationed in Tianhe core module and stay in orbit for six months, carry out tasks such as mechanical arm operation, extravehicular activities and modules transfer, to further verify a series of key technologies such as long-term residence in space, recycling of resources and life support for astronauts. At present, the combination of Tianhe core module, Tianzhou-2 and Tianzhou-3 has entered the docking orbit with good condition, well prepared for the rendezvous and docking with the Shenzhou-13, as well as entering and stay of the astronauts. |
PublishedOct. 16, 2021 |
