China set to send 3 astronauts into space before CPC 100th anniversary
Space, here we come!
China is set to launch the Shenzhou- 12 manned spacecraft to ferry three astronauts, including two veteran astronauts, to its Tianhe space station core module at 9: 22 am on Thursday, Global Times learned from the China Manned Space Agency ( CMSA) on Wednesday.
According to the agency, astronauts to ride Shenzhou- 12 – Divine Vessel in Chinese - are Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo, and the three made their public appearance prior to the launch at Wentian Pavilion in the Jiuquan Satellite Space Center, located in the Gobi Desert in Southwest China’s Gansu Province on Wednesday during a press event.
Nie, 57, will board Shenzhou- 12 for his third space flight and lead the mission, following his first during the Shenzhou- 6 mission in October 2005 and second on Shenzhou- 10 in June 2013. He was granted the title of “hero astronaut” after his second space mission, according to CMSA.
Liu, 55, will join Nie after his first trip to space in September 2008 during the Shenzhou- 7 mission, for which he also received the honorary title of “hero astronaut.”
The third crew member, Tang, 46, was selected from the second batch of astronauts in 2010.
The Divine Vessel will conduct rendezvous and docking in a fast automated mode on the front port of the Tianhe core module, to form a linear complex together with the Tianhe core module and Tian
zhou- 2 cargo spaceship.
The crew will conduct for the first time a long duration operation outside the cabin, with the support of robotic arms, Ji Qiming, CMSA spokesperson, said on Wednesday.
The average age of the crew is 53, and some questioned why younger crew members were not chosen.
Wang Ya’nan, the editor- in- chief with the Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the line- up was determined by the highly demanding mission content which includes a huge amount of work in and out of the cabin.
To accomplish an extended stay of 90 days in space, while conducting actual construction and maintenance work outside the cabin which could get risky, rather than just performing a spacewalk to verify such technology, it would be the safest option to deploy veterans, Wang said.
Analysts also noted that since Nie had participated in the space station technology verification mission of Shenzhou- 10, and Liu had spacewalking experience during Shenzhou- 7, it would be a perfect crew for them to take a relatively new face like Tang along, who has also trained for years and was one of the second batch of Chinese astronauts.
Liu, who had participated in the country’s first spacewalk together with Zhai Zhigang during the Shenzhou- 7 mission, is expected to play a crucial guiding role during outside cabin operations in the new mission, insiders told the Global Times.
A centenary tribute
As the first manned space station mission, the Shenzhou- 12 flight is of utmost significance due to its crucial role in connecting the previous two missions and the following legs in the 11 intensive construction schedule, observers noted.
CMSA officials also said that the mission period coincides with the national celebration of Chinese Communist Party’s centenary celebration, and all participants of the mission have drawn experience and strength from the Party history, especially from the development of the space industry under the leadership of the Party.
All three crew members are Party members, Global Times learned.
“I am an astronaut and have been a Party member for nearly 35 years. Since becoming an astronaut more than 20 years ago, I have personally witnessed the development of China’s manned space, from oneperson, one- day to multiperson, multi- day flights, from cabin work to space walks, and from shortterm stay to mid- term stay,” Nie told media on Wednesday.
“It can be said that the history of China’s manned space program has condensed the nation’s thousand- year dream of flying to the sky, while also adding a magnificent chapter to the Party’s century- old struggle,” the manned mission leader said.
Faster move, cozier stay
According to CAST, Shenzhou- 12 will attempt a fast and automatic rendezvous and docking with the Tianhe core cabin for manned spacecraft, a first in the country’s history which can take place only 6.5 hours after launch, roughly time equivalent to a highspeed train trip from Beijing to Changsha, Central China’s Hunan Province.
Apart from faster transport from Earth to space, the Tianhe core cabin has provided a much cozier environment for astronauts’ long- term stay.
The room for in- cabin activities has expanded greatly compared to that in Tiangong 1 and 2, which is six times larger from 15 cubic meters to 110 cubic meters, with three separate bedrooms and one bathroom.