Shenzhou 11
 Mockup of Shenzhou 11 spacecraft (right) docking with the Tiangong-2 (left) | |
| Operator | China National Space Administration (CNSA) |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | 2016-061A |
| SATCAT no. | 41812 |
| Mission duration | 32 days, 6 hours and 29 minutes |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Shenzhou |
| Manufacturer | CASC |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 2 |
| Members | Jing Haipeng Chen Dong |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 16 October 2016, 23:30 UTC |
| Rocket | Long March 2F |
| Launch site | Jiuquan LA-4/SLS |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | 18 November 2016, 05:59 UTC |
| Landing site | Inner Mongolia |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Docking with Tiangong-2 | |
| Docking date | 18 October 2016, 17:24 UTC |
| Undocking date | 17 November 2016, 4:41 UTC |
 (L-R) Haipeng and Dong | |
Shenzhou 11 was a crewed spaceflight of the Shenzhou program of China, launched on 17 October 2016 (16 October UTC) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.[1] It was China's sixth crewed space mission, at 33 days,[2] it was the longest until the follow-up Shenzhou 12 mission which lasted 3 months. Two days after launch, it docked with the Tiangong-2 space laboratory, which had been launched on 15 September 2016.[1][3][4] Shenzhou 11 was the first and only expedition and mission to Tiangong-2 in this portion of the Tiangong program.
Crew
[edit]The crew consisted of two taikonauts.[1][5] Commander Jing celebrated his 50th birthday while in orbit.[6]
| Position | Crew member | |
|---|---|---|
| Commander | Jing Haipeng  Third spaceflight | |
| Operator | Chen Dong First spaceflight | |
- Back-up crew
| Position | Crew member | |
|---|---|---|
| Commander | TBA, PLAAC | |
| Operator | Deng Qingming, PLAAC | |
The mission selected two crew instead of three to extend supplies to increase mission length for their long duration stay.[7]
Mission
[edit]The Shenzhou 11 launched at 07:30 on 17 October 2016 local time (23:30 UTC on 16 October) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center using a Long March 2F launch rocket.[1]
The mission's main objective was to rendezvous and dock with the Tiangong-2 space laboratory and gain experience from a 30-day residence,[5] and to test its life-support systems.[1]
In the two days after the launch, it changed its orbit five times to arrive 52 kilometres behind the Tiangong-2 space lab. It autonomously rendezvoused and docked with Tiangong-2 at 3:24 p.m. EDT on 18 October 2016, while both spacecraft were at an altitude of 393 km (244 mi).[4]
The crew landed successfully after the 33-day mission on 18 November 2016. The reentry module of the Shenzhou 11 spacecraft landed in Dorbod Banner, Inner Mongolia around 2:15 p.m. (China time) after undocking from the space lab on 17 November.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "China's Shenzhou 11 blasts off on space station mission". BBC News. 17 October 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ^ Perlez, Jane (16 October 2016). "China Astronauts to Attempt Nation's Longest Space Mission". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
- ^ de Selding, Peter B. (20 June 2016). "China prepares assembly of its space station, invites collaboration through U.N." SpaceNews. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
- ^ a b Wall, Mike (19 October 2016). "Chinese Astronauts Dock with Tiangong-2 Space Lab". Space.com. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
- ^ a b Huang, Jin (8 March 2016). "Why will Shenzhou-11 carry only two astronauts to space?". People's Daily. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ^ "China launches longest manned space mission". Reuters. 16 October 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
- ^ Clark, Michael (19 October 2016). "Shenzhou 11 and Tiangong 2". Space Pod. TMRO. Retrieved 25 June 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^ Griffiths, James (18 November 2016). "Shenzhou-11 astronauts return home after China's longest-ever space mission". CNN. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
External links
[edit]- Live webcast (in Chinese)
- Live webcast (in English)
