On January 8, China successfully completed a “manual” separation and docking test of the Tianzhou-2 spacecraft with the core module of the Tiangong space station.
The uncrewed cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-2 was launched into orbit and successfully docked with the Tianhe core module of the Tiangong space station on May 29, 2021. During this mission, the docking process was fully automated. At that time, no crew had been sent to the station.
The Tianzhou-2 spacecraft docked with the Tianhe module via remote control from the astronaut. (Video: Reuters)
The mission on January 8 marked the first time China tested a “manual” docking system through remote control by astronauts, who had been aboard the Tianhe core module since October of last year during the Shenzhou 13 mission.
“The astronauts in the station sent instructions for the Tianzhou-2 to separate from the Tianhe core module, then continued to control the spacecraft to back away to a certain distance to the ‘remote rendezvous point’ before executing the manual docking process,” said Yang Sheng, the cargo transportation system designer at the China Academy of Space Technology (CASC), during a broadcast on China Central Television (CCTV).
The manual docking test is highly significant for the construction of the space station. Without a manual remote control system, if the automatic docking function fails, the cargo spacecraft would be unable to dock with the space station, leading to mission failure. Therefore, astronauts must be prepared for all scenarios.
The Tiangong project has been nurtured by China for three decades.
Yang further stated that after completing all tests, the Tianzhou-2 will choose an appropriate time to separate from the core module, carrying waste storage and leaving orbit. It will then descend into Earth’s atmosphere and burn up completely. This is also an important technological test.
China plans to fully assemble the Tiangong space station in orbit through 11 launches over two years, including resupply flights, materials, and crew missions. Once completed, the station will consist of three modules and weigh approximately 66 tons.
The Tiangong project has been in development by China for three decades. Previously, the country launched two prototypes, Tiangong-1 and Tiangong-2, also known as space laboratories, in 2011 and 2016, respectively.
