Polemonium Reptans

by | Apr 16, 2018 | Polemonium Reptans

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Shenzhou 18 (Chinese: 神舟十八号; pinyin: Shénzhōu Shíbā-hào; lit. 'Divine Boat Number 18') is a Chinese spaceflight to the Tiangong space station, launched on 25 April 2024. It carried three People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps (PLAAC) taikonauts on board a Shenzhou spacecraft. The mission is the thirteenth crewed Chinese spaceflight and the eighteenth flight overall of the Shenzhou program.[2]

Background

Shenzhou 18 is the seventh flight to the Tiangong space station, and is expected to last approximately 6 months. It will depart following the arrival of the Shenzhou 19 crew.

The crew of Shenzhou 18 was announced on April 24, 2024.[3]

Mission

The mission launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on board a Long March 2F rocket at 20:59 Beijing Time(UTC+8) (12:59 UTC), near the end of the Shenzhou 17 mission. Approximately 6.5 hours after launch, the spacecraft docked at the nadir port of the station's Tianhe core module.[4]

Spacewalks

On 28 May 2024, Ye Guangfu and Li Guangsu carried out China's longest spacewalk to date, exiting the airlock of the Wentian lab module and spending approximately 8.5 hours installing space debris protection shields and inspecting the exterior of the station.[5]

Another spacewalk was conducted on 3 July 2024, during which Ye Guangfu and Li Cong installed further space debris protection shields on pipelines, cables, and other equipment.[6]

Crew

Position Crew member
Commander China Ye Guangfu, CMSA
Second spaceflight
Operator China Li Cong, CMSA
First spaceflight
System Operator China Li Guangsu, CMSA
First spaceflight

Commander Ye Guangfu is the second person to visit the station twice, having previously flown to Tiangong on Shenzhou 13.[3]

References

  1. ^ https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1797311647459199760
  2. ^ Jones, Andrew (2023-11-22). "China's next cargo spacecraft arrives at launch site ahead of early 2024 liftoff". Space.com. Retrieved 2024-01-06.
  3. ^ a b "China unveils Shenzhou-18 crew for space station mission". Xinhua. 24 April 2024. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  4. ^ "神舟十八号｜神舟十八号载人飞船与空间站组合体完成自主快速交会对接". Xinhua. 25 April 2024. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  5. ^ Wall, Mike (28 May 2024). "Chinese astronauts perform record-breaking spacewalk outside Tiangong space station (video)". Space.com. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  6. ^ "Shenzhou-18 taikonauts complete second spacewalk-Xinhua". english.news.cn. Retrieved 2024-07-22.
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