The Chinese Shenzhou-18 spacecraft took off this Thursday from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center heading towards the Tiangong space station with three astronauts on board: Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu.
A Long March 2F rocket successfully pushed at 20:59 (Beijing time) the spacecraft from the base located in a desert area in the north of the Asian country. According to predictions, it will take between six and seven hours to dock at Tiangong, where the current occupants of the station are located.
The Shenzhou-17 crew, which has been on site for more than five months, is scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site April 30after completing the transfer of work in orbit to the Shenzhou-18 crew, according to the deputy director of the Space Agency for Manned Missions (AEMT) from China.
The mission has a expected duration of six months and is commanded by veteran astronaut Ye Guangfu, from the second generation of Chinese astronauts, accompanied by two debutants. It’s about the thirteenth manned mission from the Asian giant to space and the seventh to reach the space base.
Under the command of President Xi JinpingChina has allocated billions of dollars to your space programunder military control, seeking to catch up with the United States and Russia.
What is the objective of the Shenzhou-18 launch?
The Shenzhou-18 ship It is crewed by Chinese astronauts Ye Guangfu, as mission commander, Li Cong and Li Guangsu. The taikonautsas Chinese astronauts are known, will carry out a stay of six months in orbitcarrying out extravehicular activities and experiments, including the first national aquatic ecological research in outer space.
This project, focused on zebrafish and Ceratophyllum demersum, aims to establish a stable, self-circulating aquatic ecosystem in space, according to the Chinese Space Agency.
The organization also announced that it is finalizing the selection of the fourth group of astronauts for future missions to the Tiangong space station and potentially lunar missions. In 2024, it is likely to become the only space station in the world if the International Space Station, an initiative led by the United States, retires this year as planned. The Chinese space station is planned to operate for about 15 years orbiting about 400 kilometers from the Earth’s surface.
Source: Ambito
