China to Send 3 Astronauts to Its Space Station Tianhe aka Heavenly Harmony in June

Tianhe, or Heavenly Harmony, is the third and largest space station launched by China’s increasingly ambitious space program.

By Associated Press | Updated: 31 May 2021 13:49 IST

China to Send 3 Astronauts to Its Space Station Tianhe aka Heavenly Harmony in June

Photo Credit: CNSA

China's first Mars rover Zhurong landed in Mars just over a week ago

Highlights

They will practice spacewalks and conduct repairs
The Tianzhou-2 spacecraft docked with Tianhe on Sunday
Space agency plans a total of 11 launches through the end of next year

A three-man crew of astronauts will blast off in June for a three-month mission on China's new space station, according to a space official who was the country's first astronaut in orbit.

The plans for the station's first crew were confirmed to state television by Yang Liwei, the manned space programme's deputy chief designer, as an automated spacecraft was launched with fuel and supplies for the Tianhe station.

Tianhe, or Heavenly Harmony, is the third and largest space station launched by China's increasingly ambitious space program. Its core module was launched into orbit April 29.

Samsung Wins Patent for a Tri-Fold Smartphone With Specialised Barrier Layer for Improved Durability

The Shenzhou 12 capsule carrying the crew will be launched from the Jiuquan base in China's northwest next month, Yang said in comments broadcast Saturday by China Central Television.

They will practice spacewalks and conduct repairs and maintenance as well as scientific operations.

Yang, who orbited Earth in 2003, gave no details of the astronauts' identities or a flight date and said the crew will come from the program's two earliest groups of astronauts.

Asked whether women would be in the crew, Yang said, “on Shenzhou 12 we don't have them, but missions after that all will have them.”

The Tianzhou-2 spacecraft that docked with Tianhe on Sunday carried 6.8 tons of cargo including space suits, food and equipment for the astronauts and fuel for the station, according to the space program.

The space agency plans a total of 11 launches through the end of next year to deliver two more modules for the 70-ton station, supplies and the crew.

Beijing doesn't participate in the International Space Station, largely due to US objections. Washington is wary of the Chinese program's secrecy and its military connections.

China has sent 11 astronauts, including two women, into space beginning with Yang's flight in October 2003. The first female astronaut was Liu Yang in 2012.

All of China's astronauts to date have been pilots from the ruling Communist Party's military wing, the People's Liberation Army.

Astronauts on the Tianhe will practice making spacewalks with two people outside the hull at one time, according to Yang. China's first spacewalk was made in 2008 by Zhai Zhigang outside the Shenzhou 7 capsule.

Also this month, the Chinese space programme landed a probe, the Tianwen-1, on Mars carrying a rover, the Zhurong.

It's an all television spectacular this week on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast, as we discuss 8K, screen sizes, QLED and mini-LED panels — and offer some buying advice. Orbital is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.