Three Chinese astronauts arrive at the Tiangong space station

Oct. 30 () –

Three astronauts from the Chinese space mission Shenzhou-19 entered the Tiangong space station this Wednesday, beginning a new round of crew transfer in orbit.

The spacecraft performed a rapid and automatic rendezvous and docking with the forward port of the space station’s core module, Tianhe, at 0300 UTC. Later, they were received by the station’s three current crew members, who are completing a six-month mission. The mission had lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 20:27 UTC on Tuesday.

The Shenzhou-19 crew is made up of mission commander Cai Xuzhe and astronauts Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze.

Cai is an experienced astronaut who previously traveled to orbit on the Shenzhou-14 mission in 2022. With this mission underway, he set a new record for the shortest interval between two space flights for Chinese astronauts.

Song and Wang, part of the third group of Chinese astronauts, are newcomers to space, both born in the 1990s.

Wang is currently China’s only female space engineer and the third Chinese woman to participate in a human space flight mission. noted the Chinese manned space agency (CMSA).

VARIOUS SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL TASKS

The new crew has numerous tasks ahead of them, including conducting space science and application tests, conducting extravehicular activities, installing space debris protection devices, and managing the installation and recycling of payloads and extravehicular equipment. . They will also participate in science education, public interest activities and other payload testing, said CMSA spokesperson Lin Xiqiang. at a news conference on Tuesday.

The group will carry out 86 space science research and technology experiments, covering various fields such as space life science, fundamental physics of microgravity, space materials science, space medicine and new space technologies. Lin added.

Shenzhou-19 astronauts to complete orbit rotation with Shenzhou-18 trio and will remain on the space station for approximately six months.

Multiple extravehicular activities have been scheduled during the Shenzhou-19 mission. “We have carried out exhaustive ground training, considering all possible scenarios, learning from previous extravehicular activities and preparing thoroughly for every possible plan and contingency.”Cai said.

IMPROVED TRANSPORTATION CAPACITY

Researchers at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) have optimized equipment and adjusted the design within the spacecraft’s orbital module to increase its carrying capacity for the Shenzhou-19 space mission.

“Compared with Shenzhou-18, the payload space of Shenzhou-19 has been increased by 20 percent, making it possible to transport more urgent and essential supplies for astronauts and related systems,” said Chen Tongxiang, a CASC expert.

This not only allows more scientific research equipment and supplies to be transported into space, but also ensures more efficient and stable in-orbit support for the long-term operation of China’s space stationsaid.