Shenzhou 15 Carrying Three Astronauts Successfully Docks with Tianhe After Launch
China to Maintain Astronaut Presence in Orbit 400 km Above Earth for One Year
[Asia Economy Senior Reporter Cho Young-shin] China's independent space station construction is virtually complete. Chinese media celebrated, saying that the space station was completed just 20 months after launching the first Tianhe module in April 2021.
The state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that at 5:42 a.m. on the 30th, Shenzhou 15 successfully docked with the Tianhe module of the space station. Shenzhou 15 was launched at 11:08 p.m. the previous day from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern Gansu Province aboard the Long March-2F 15 rocket, successfully entering a stable orbit.
Xinhua reported that docking took about 6 hours and 30 minutes, and that the astronauts aboard Shenzhou 14 would soon welcome the Shenzhou 15 astronauts.
Since the launch of the first Tianhe module in April 2021, China has launched a total of 11 rockets (3 modules, 4 cargo, 4 manned) focusing on completing the space station.
The state-run Global Times compared the near completion of the space station in just 20 months to the International Space Station (ISS), which took 10 years. It explained that China's space station will conduct more than 40 scientific experiments, including plant molecular changes, at an altitude of 400 km above Earth over the next 10 years. It also added that since the aging ISS is expected to reach the end of its lifespan as early as 2024, the importance of China's independent space station has grown even more.
Xinhua also celebrated, saying that the launch and successful docking of Shenzhou 15 will be recorded in the history of China's space industry.
Chinese media reported that currently three astronauts are living in the Tianhe module, and after docking, the three astronauts will be replaced. The handover between the three current astronauts and the three new astronauts will take about six days, and after the handover is complete, the three astronauts will return to Earth.
China plans to launch two manned spacecraft and two cargo spacecraft annually to support space activities at Tiangong. Considering that astronauts are replaced every six months, the manned spacecraft Shenzhou 16 is expected to be launched around May next year.
Xinhua quoted a Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center official saying that the Shenzhou 16 spacecraft is currently completed and on standby for emergencies, and that Shenzhou 17 and 18 are currently being assembled.
China has set a goal to build the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) by 2028. To this end, it is developing a 1MW (megawatt) small nuclear reactor and a 500-ton thrust liquid-fueled rocket engine for use at the lunar base.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
