Shenzhou 20 Mission astronauts dock with Tiangong space station. Here's what happened
Shenzhou 20 Reaches Tiangong Space Station
Crew Composition and Duration of Stay
Brief Overlap with Shenzhou 19 Crew
Live Events
China's Ongoing Space Station Missions
FAQs
Three astronauts from China's Shenzhou 20 mission have arrived at the Tiangong space station . They launched on April 24 and will spend six months in space. The docking occurred a few hours after launch.On April 24, at 11:49 a.m. EDT (1549 GMT), the Shenzhou 20 crew docked with the Tiangong space station. The spacecraft launched earlier that day at 5:17 a.m. EDT (0917 GMT) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. The launch vehicle was a Long March 2F rocket. The docking came within hours of liftoff, completing a quick orbital approach.The Shenzhou 20 crew includes commander Chen Dong , who is on his third spaceflight. The other two astronauts are Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, both making their first trips to space. They will stay aboard the station for six months. This visit is part of China's ongoing efforts to maintain a continuous human presence in space.The Tiangong space station is currently hosting the Shenzhou 19 crew as well. The two crews will only share the station for a short period. The Shenzhou 19 astronauts are expected to return to Earth on April 29. This short handover allows for transfer of responsibilities and smooth transition of station operations.Shenzhou 20 is the ninth crewed mission to Tiangong. The space station has a T-shaped structure and was fully assembled in October 2022. It is about 20 percent the mass of the International Space Station. China's space agency has plans to expand the station by adding more modules in the future.The launch of Shenzhou 20 happened on April 24, a date that also marks the anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope's deployment. Hubble was launched by NASA on April 24, 1990, aboard the space shuttle Discovery. The telescope faced an early issue with its primary mirror, which was corrected by astronauts in 1993. Hubble received further upgrades during four servicing missions in 1997, 1999, 2002 and 2009.Shenzhou 20 aims to maintain human presence in space, conduct experiments and support station maintenance during a six-month stay at the Tiangong station.Shenzhou 20 is the ninth crewed mission. Each mission contributes to continuous space presence and scientific research aboard Tiangong.
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