According to Xinhua News Agency, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced that its crewed spacecraft Shenzhou-17 successfully docked with the Tiangong Space Station on October 26.
Image from the Beijing Aerospace Control Center shows the Shenzhou-17 spacecraft successfully docking with the Tianhe module of the Tiangong Space Station on October 26, 2023. (Photo: THX/TTXVN).
The CMSA reported that the Shenzhou-17 spacecraft, launched by a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China earlier that day, docked with the Tianhe core module of the Tiangong Space Station at 5:46 PM Beijing Time (4:46 PM Vietnam Time). The entire process took approximately 6 hours and 30 minutes.
Shenzhou-17 carries three Chinese astronauts to the Tiangong Space Station, where they will conduct a six-month mission. The Shenzhou-17 crew, consisting of astronauts Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie, and Jiang Tianlin, is the youngest group (averaging 38 years old) deployed since China began constructing its first space station.
The crew will perform various tasks, including practical experiments in space science and applied payloads, installing external payloads, maintaining and repairing the space station, and assessing the functional performance of the assembly process while accumulating benefits for the space station. After completing their mission, the Shenzhou-17 crew is expected to return to Earth in April 2024.
Shenzhou-17 marks the 30th flight mission in China’s crewed space program and is its 12th crewed mission overall.
