Taikonaut Zhai Zhigang performing a spacewalk on the Tiangong space station during Shenzhou 13
Taikonaut Fei Junlong performing a spacewalk on the Tiangong space station during Shenzhou 15
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As of 2024, the People's Republic of China has sent two women to space: Liu Yang and Wang Yaping, both taikonauts in the People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps (PLAAC). Liu Yang, China's first female taikonaut, first flew in 2012 aboard Shenzhou 9, and since then three additional missions have included female crew members: Shenzhou 10, 13, and 14. According to the China National Space Administration, many women also hold leadership positions in the Chinese space program, and actively contribute to the Chinese space effort.
Liu Boming is a major general in the Chinese People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force (PLASSF). A fighter pilot in the PLA Air Force (PLAAF), he was selected into the PLA Astronaut Corps (PLAAC) in 1998. A Shenzhou 7 veteran, he also worked on the Tiangong space station during the Shenzhou 12 mission from June to September 2021.
Zhai Zhigang is a Chinese major general of the People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force (PLASSF) in active service as a People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps (PLAAC) taikonaut. During the Shenzhou 7 mission in 2008, he became the first Chinese citizen to carry out a spacewalk. He was a People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) fighter pilot.
Nie Haisheng is a major general of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force (PLASSF) in active service as an taikonaut and the third commander of the PLA Astronaut Corps (PLAAC). He was a PLA Air Force fighter pilot and director of navigation.
Tiangong, officially the Tiangong space station, is a permanently crewed space station constructed by China and operated by China Manned Space Agency. Tiangong is a modular design, with modules docked together while in low Earth orbit, between 340 and 450 km above the surface. It is China's first long-term space station, part of the Tiangong program and the core of the "Third Step" of the China Manned Space Program; it has a pressurised volume of 340 m3, slightly over one third the size of the International Space Station. The space station aims to provide opportunities for space-based experiments and a platform for building capacity for scientific and technological innovation.
The China Manned Space Program, also known as Project 921 is a space program developed by the People's Republic of China and run by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) under the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission, designed to develop and enhance human spaceflight capabilities for China. It was approved on 21 September 1992 and has been in operation ever since. The CMS commander and director are currently Xu Xueqiang and Zhou Jianping respectively; the latter has held this position since 2006, after taking over from Wang Yongzhi, who served as the first director from 1992 to 2006.
The Feitian space suit is an extravehicular space suit design developed and used by the China Manned Space Program. It provides life support, environmental protection, and communications for taikonauts during extravehicular activity (EVA).
Wang Yaping is a Chinese military transport pilot and taikonaut. Wang was the second female taikonaut selected to the People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps, the second Chinese woman in space, and the first Chinese woman to perform a spacewalk.
Tianhe, officially the Tianhe core module, is the first module to launch of the Tiangong space station. It was launched into orbit on 29 April 2021, as the first launch of the final phase of Tiangong program, part of the China Manned Space Program.
Mengtian, officially the Mengtian laboratory cabin module, is a major module of the Tiangong space station. It is the second Laboratory Cabin Module launched, after Wentian, and the second module to extend the existing Tianhe core module of the station. It was launched into orbit from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on 31 October 2022, successfully docking with Tianhe forward port at 20:27 UTC on the same day.
The year 2023 saw rapid growth and significant technical achievements in spaceflight. For the third year in a row, new world records were set for both orbital launch attempts (223) and successful orbital launches (211). The growth in orbital launch cadence can in large part be attributed to SpaceX, as they increased their number of launches from 61 in 2022 to 98 in 2023. Deployment of the Starlink satellite megaconstellation was a major contributing factor to this increase. This year also featured numerous maiden launches of new launch vehicles. In particular, SSLV, Qaem 100, Tianlong-2, Chollima-1, and Zhuque-2 performed their first successful orbital launch, while SpaceX's Starship – the world's largest rocket – launched two times during its development stage: IFT-1 and IFT-2.
Shenzhou 13 was a Chinese spaceflight to the Tiangong space station, launched on 15 October 2021. It carried three People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps (PLAAC) taikonauts on board a Shenzhou spacecraft. The mission was the eighth crewed Chinese spaceflight and the thirteenth flight overall of the Shenzhou program.
Shenzhou 12 was a Chinese spaceflight to the Tiangong space station, launched on 17 June 2021. It carried three People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps (PLAAC) taikonauts on board a Shenzhou spacecraft. The mission was the seventh crewed Chinese spaceflight and the twelfth flight overall of the Shenzhou program. It was the first flight to Tiangong, and the first Chinese crewed spaceflight since Shenzhou 11 in 2016.
Senior Colonel Tang Hongbo is a Chinese fighter pilot and People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps (PLAAC) taikonaut. He flew on his first spaceflight to the Tiangong space station as a part of the Shenzhou 12 mission, the first to visit the station. He is the commander of the Shenzhou 17 mission, making him the first taikonaut to visit Tiangong twice.
Shenzhou 14 was a Chinese spaceflight to the Tiangong space station, launched on 5 June 2022. It carried three People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps (PLAAC) taikonauts on board a Shenzhou spacecraft. The mission was the ninth crewed Chinese spaceflight and the fourteenth flight overall of the Shenzhou program.
Shenzhou 15 was a Chinese spaceflight to the Tiangong space station, launched on 29 November 2022. It carried three People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps (PLAAC) taikonauts on board a Shenzhou spacecraft. The mission was the tenth crewed Chinese spaceflight and the fifteenth flight overall of the Shenzhou program.
Wentian, officially the Wentian laboratory cabin module, is a major module of the Tiangong space station. It was the first Laboratory Cabin Module launched, and the first module to extend the existing Tianhe core module of the station. It was launched into orbit from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on 24 July 2022, successfully docking with Tianhe forward port at 19:13 UTC on the same day. On 25 July 2022 at 02:03 UTC, the crew of Shenzhou 14 opened the hatch and entered the module for the first time.
Shenzhou 17 is a Chinese spaceflight to the Tiangong space station, launched on 26 October 2023. It carries three People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps (PLAAC) taikonauts on board a Shenzhou spacecraft. The mission is the twelfth crewed Chinese spaceflight and the seventeenth flight overall of the Shenzhou program.
References
- ↑ "Chinese astronauts complete first space walk outside new space station". NBC News. Archived from the original on 2022-09-26. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
- ↑ Andrew jones (2023-02-10). "China's Shenzhou 15 astronauts take their 1st spacewalk outside Tiangong space station (video)". Space.com. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
- ↑ Davenport, Justin (2021-08-20). "Chinese Space Station taikonauts conduct second spacewalk". NASASpaceFlight.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-25. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
- ↑ Andrew Jones published (2021-11-11). "China's first Shenzhou 13 spacewalk sees 2 astronauts test suits, robotic arm". Space.com. Archived from the original on 2022-02-19. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
- ↑ Navin, Joseph (2021-11-07). "Wang Yaping becomes the first Chinese woman to walk in space". NASASpaceFlight.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-30. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
- ↑ Davenport, Justin (2021-12-26). "Shenzhou-13 crew conducts second spacewalk of mission". NASASpaceFlight.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-27. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
- ↑ Andrew Jones published (2022-09-02). "China's Shenzhou 14 astronauts perform 1st spacewalk out of new module (video)". Space.com. Archived from the original on 2022-09-22. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
- ↑ Elizabeth Howell (2022-09-17). "Chinese astronauts take 4-hour spacewalk outside new lab at Tiangong space station". Space.com. Archived from the original on 2022-09-21. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
- ↑ Andrew Jones (2022-11-18). "China's Shenzhou 14 astronauts complete their 3rd and final spacewalk (video)". Space.com. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
- ↑ Jones, Andrew (2023-02-10). "China's Shenzhou 15 astronauts take their 1st spacewalk outside Tiangong space station (video)". Space.com. Retrieved 2023-12-12.
- ↑ Jones, Andrew (2023-03-02). "China's Shenzhou-15 astronauts conduct secretive second spacewalk". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
- ↑ "《面对面》揭秘神十五乘组四次出舱细节". Weixin Official Accounts Platform. Retrieved 2023-12-12.
- 1 2 "《面对面》揭秘神十五乘组四次出舱细节". Weixin Official Accounts Platform. Retrieved 2023-08-17.
- ↑ "China's Shenzhou 16 astronauts complete 1st spacewalk (video)". Space. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
- ↑ "Shenzhou-17 crew completes first spacewalk | english.scio.gov.cn". english.scio.gov.cn. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
- ↑ "Shenzhou-17 crew completes in-orbit repairs during 2nd extravehicular mission". Xinhua. 2 March 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
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