{"id":11606,"date":"2021-06-17T22:48:19","date_gmt":"2021-06-17T14:48:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/chinese-astronauts-enter-tiangong-space-station-for-first-time\/"},"modified":"2021-06-17T22:48:19","modified_gmt":"2021-06-17T14:48:19","slug":"chinese-astronauts-enter-tiangong-space-station-for-first-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/chinese-astronauts-enter-tiangong-space-station-for-first-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Chinese astronauts enter Tiangong space station for first time"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Chinese astronaut Tang Hongbo (left), commander Nie Haisheng (center), and astronaut Liu Boming (right) inside the Tianhe core module of China\u2019s space station. Credit: CCTV<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Three Chinese astronauts floated into the country\u2019s new Tiangong space station Thursday, becoming the first people to board China\u2019s outpost in orbit after a successful launch from a military base in the Gobi Desert to start a three-month mission.<\/p>\n

Commander Nie Haisheng led the three-man crew into the space station\u2019s Tianhe core module at 6:48 a.m. EDT (1048 GMT). Astronauts Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo followed Nie into Tianhe module through hatches leading from their Shenzhou 12 spaceship as the complex soared some 235 miles (380 kilometers) above Earth.<\/p>\n

After taking a few minutes to get situated, the astronauts announced they had safely arrived at the partially-assembled Tiangong station and gave a military salute to officials watching from the ground. Chinese state television broadcast the event on a tape delay.<\/p>\n

The choreographed arrival ceremony capped a long day for the three astronauts, who launched inside their Shenzhou 12 spacecraft on top of a Long March 2F rocket at 9:22:27 p.m. EDT Wednesday (0122:27 GMT Thursday).<\/p>\n

Several hours before takeoff, Nie and his crewmates put on their pressure suits at the Jiuquan space base and rode a bus a few miles to the launch pad. After reaching the top of the launch pad tower, the astronauts climbed inside the Shenzhou 12 spacecraft on top of the 191-foot-tall (58-meter) Long March 2F rocket.<\/p>\n

The launcher\u2019s four core engines and four strap-on boosters flashed to life to propel the astronauts off the pad at Jiuquan, a military-run spaceport situated in the Inner Mongolia region of northwestern China.<\/p>\n

Burning a toxic but stable combination of hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide propellants, the rocket headed east atop 1.4 million pounds of thrust on a trajectory to line up with the Tianhe core module\u2019s orbit.<\/p>\n

Two-and-a-half minutes after liftoff, the four boosters and the Long March 2F\u2019s core stage shut down and fell back to Earth in a remote area downrange from Jiuquan, leaving the liquid-fueled second stage to finish the job of placing the Shenzhou 12 spacecraft into orbit.<\/p>\n

The rocket also jettisoned its launch escape tower and the aerodynamic shroud that covered the Shenzhou 12 spacecraft during the initial climb through the atmosphere.<\/p>\n

About eight minutes into the mission, the second stage switched off its main engine. The Shenzhou 12 spacecraft separated from the rocket moments later, unfurled its power-generating solar panels, and kicked off an automated rendezvous to catch up with the Tiangong station.<\/p>\n

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A Long March 2F rocket lifted off to begin the Shenzhou 12 mission at 9:22 p.m. EDT Wednesday (0122 GMT Thursday) from the Jiuquan spaceport. Credit: Xinhua<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

China\u2019s human spaceflight agency said the Shenzhou 12 capsule completed an automated docking at the forward port of the Tianhe core module at 3:54 a.m. EDT (0754 GMT), about six-and-a-half hours after launch.<\/p>\n

The rapid rendezvous profile was a first for China\u2019s space program.<\/p>\n

While Chinese state television provided live coverage of the Shenzhou 12 mission\u2019s launch, the docking occurred without any public broadcast. CCTV, China\u2019s state-run TV network, replayed the docking about a half-hour after it happened.<\/p>\n

After equalizing pressure on each side of the passageway between Shenzhou 12 and the Tianhe core module, the astronauts opened hatches and entered the Tiangong station.<\/p>\n

Nie floated inside the complex first, followed by Liu and Tang.<\/p>\n

The three astronauts will spend the next three months testing systems on-board the station, three times longer than any previous Chinese human spaceflight mission.<\/p>\n

In total, China has now launched 12 astronauts into orbit on seven crewed Shenzhou missions since 2003.<\/p>\n

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson congratulated China on the milestone mission.<\/p>\n

\u201cCongratulations to China on the successful launch of crew to their space station!\u201d Nelson said in a statement. \u201cI look forward to the scientific discoveries to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

One major task for the Shenzhou 12 astronauts will be to check the performance of Tiangong\u2019s regenerative life support system, which produces breathing oxygen through electrolysis and recycles urine to make drinking water.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis way, we have closed-loop resource to draw upon which can greatly reduce dependence on ground supplies, and of course increase the economic efficiency of the space station,\u201d said Zhou Jianping, chief designed for China\u2019s human spaceflight program.<\/p>\n

Nie, a 56-year-old veteran of two previous Shenzhou missions in 2005 and 2013, leads the three-man crew. Nie logged more than 19 days in orbit on his first two spaceflights.<\/p>\n

Speaking to Chinese media before the launch, Nie said the Shenzhou 12 mission\u2019s objectives of activating and outfitting the Tiangong station will make for challenging work.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will work together to conquer all of those difficulties, and I am convinced that with the best wishes of my counterparts in China, and the solid preparation, and (our) training, we are capable of accomplishing this task,\u201d Nie said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis space station is quite big in size, so this flight mission lasts longer,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are taking a lot of things for entertainment \u2026 We will certainly show you all of those items we bring.\u201d<\/p>\n

The other two Shenzhou 12 crew members are Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo.<\/p>\n

Liu, 54, participated in the first spacewalk for China\u2019s space program on the Shenzhou 7 mission in 2008. Tang is 45 years old and will make his trip into space on Shenzhou 12.<\/p>\n

Besides their tasks to configure the inside of the Tianhe core module for long-term operations, the Shenzhou 12 astronauts will perform two spacewalks, operate the lab\u2019s robotic arm, and conduct science experiments, according to Ji Qiming, assistant to the director of the China Manned Space Agency.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor this mission, we are going to stay for a longer duration in outer space, and we will conduct multiple extravehicular activities, so this is very challenging,\u201d Liu said before the launch. \u201cTo that end, we have engaged in a lot of systematic training and practices.\u201d<\/p>\n