Science Research

Science Research

Science Theories

Designed by Nigel G Wilcox

Pages within this section: Shenzhou

Pages within this section:

Shenzhou Space Missions
Patches

Tiangong-1 was originally intended to be launched in August 2011, and was delivered to the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on 23 July 2011, successfully passing a launch rehearsal test on 17 August 2011. However, following the failed launch of a Long March 2C launch vehicle in August 2011, the launch was postponed. Following an investigation into the August 2011 launch failure, Tiangong-1's launch was rescheduled for late September 2011, partly to coincide with the Chinese National Day on 1 October 2011.

Tiangong-1 /Long March 2F/G
[Deorbited]
29 September 2011, 13:16:03.507 UTC
2 April 2018 00:15 UTC

China's Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft patch

Mission patches for Shenzhou-12, Tianhe, Tianzhou-2, which seem to fit together.

Tianzhou-2 Long March 7
29 May 2021, 12:55:29 UTC

Tianzhou-3 Long March 7
29 May 2021, 12:55:29 UTC
Docking date: 20 September 2021, 14:08 UTC

The China Manned Space Engineering Office published a brief description of Tiangong-2 and its successor Tiangong-3 in 2008, indicating that at least two crewed spaceships would be launched to dock with Tiangong-2.

Tiangong-2 was originally expected to be launched by the China National Space Agency (CNSA) by 2015 to replace the prototype module Tiangong-1, which was launched in September 2011. In March 2011, Chinese officials stated that Tiangong-2 was scheduled to be launched by 2015. An uncrewed cargo spacecraft will dock with the station, allowing for resupply.

In September 2014, its launch was postponed to September 2016.Plans for visits in October 2016 by the crewed mission Shenzhou 11 and the uncrewed resupply craft Tianzhou were made public. The station was successfully launched from Jiuquan aboard a Long March 2F rocket on 15 September 2016. Shenzhou 11 successfully docked with Tiangong-2 on 19 October 2016.

Aboard the Shenzhou 11, launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert, were Commander Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong who formed the inaugural crew for the space laboratory. It was China's first crewed mission for more than three years.

During the 30 days the two astronauts were aboard Tiangong-2, they conducted a number of scientific and technical experiments on the physiological effects of weightlessness, tests on human-machine collaboration on in-orbit maintenance technology and released an accompanying satellite successfully. Accompanying photography and near-distance fly-by observation were also carried out. They collected abundant data and made some achievements in programs of gamma-ray burst polarimeter, space cold atomic clock and preparation of new materials.

Shenzhou 11 separated from the orbiting Tiangong-2 space laboratory on 17 November 2016, reentry module landed successfully at the expected site in central Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at about 13:59 Beijing Time

Shenzhou 1 /Long March 2F
19 November 1999, 22:30 UTC
20 November 1999, 19:41 UTC
Mission: Test flight

Shenzhou 2 /Long March 2F
January 9, 2001, 17:00:03.561 UTC
January 16, 2001, 11:22 UTC
Mission: Test flight

Shenzhou 3 /Chang Zheng 2F
March 25, 2002, 14:15:04 UTC
April 1, 2002, 08:51 UTC
Mission: Test flight

Shenzhou 4 /Chang Zheng 2F
December 29, 2002, 16:40 UTC
January 5, 2003, 11:16 UTC
Mission: Test flight

Shenzhou 5 /Long March 2F
15 October 2003, 01:00:03 UTC
15 October 2003, 22:22:48 UTC
Yang Liwei
Mission: First Chinese Human Space Flight

Shenzhou 6 /Chang Zheng 2F
October 12, 2005, 01:00:05.583 UTC
October 16, 2005, 20:33 UTC
Fèi Jùnlóng
Niè Hǎishèng
Mission: Second Chinese Human Space Flight

Mission patch for the Tianhe core module of China's Tiangong space station