Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

CTOnews.com, October 26, CTOnews.com learned from the official website of the National Space Administration that at 9: 00 a.m. on October 25, 2023, a press conference on the Shenzhou 17 manned mission was held at the Jiuquan Satellite launch Center. According to a study by the Mission headquarters, the Shenzhou 17 manned spacecraft was launched at 11:14 on October 26, Beijing time. The flight crew was composed of astronauts Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie, and Jiang Xinlin, with Tang Hongbo as commander. Astronaut Tang Hongbo participated in the Shenzhou 12 manned mission. Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin both flew for the first time. At present, the preparations for the mission are progressing steadily, and the long March 2 F remote 17 rocket carrying out this launch mission is about to begin propellant refueling.

This mission is the 30th and 12th manned mission since the establishment and implementation of the manned space project. The main purpose of the mission is to complete the in-orbit rotation with the Shenzhou 16 crew and stay for about 6 months. Carry out space science and application load in orbit (test) inspection, carry out astronaut extravehicular activities and load extravehicular activities, carry out extravehicular load installation and space station maintenance, etc., at the same time Continuously evaluate the functional performance of the space station assembly, obtain valuable data and experience on the operation of the space station, and assess the coordination and matching of the ground support center in carrying out the operation and management tasks of the space station. further improve the operation efficiency and fault handling capacity of the space station.

According to the plan, after the Shenzhou 17 manned spacecraft is put into orbit, it will adopt the mode of autonomous rapid rendezvous and docking, and after about 6.5 hours, it will be connected to the sky and the forward port of the core module, forming a combination of three cabins and three ships. During their stay in orbit, the crew of Shenzhou 17 astronauts will usher in the visiting docking of Tianzhou 7 cargo spacecraft and Shenzhou 18 manned spacecraft, and plan to return to the Dongfeng landing site around April next year.

At present, the state of the space station assembly and various equipment are working normally, the product quality of the Shenzhou 17 manned spacecraft and the long March 2 F Yao 17 carrier rocket is under control, the Shenzhou 17 astronauts are in good condition, and the ground system facilities and equipment are in stable operation. All preparations are ready before launch. After completing the on-orbit rotation mission with the Shenzhou 17 astronauts, the Shenzhou 16 astronauts aimed to return to the Dongfeng landing site on the 31st of this month.

Attached official answer to the reporter's question:

1.

Q: what kind of structure will the crew of Shenzhou 17 be composed of? What tasks will be performed in orbit? What are the characteristics and highlights? Thank you for your attention to the Shenzhou 17 astronaut crew. The crew of Shenzhou 17 astronauts still adopts the strategy of taking the old with the new, and is composed of three space pilots, including one second batch of astronauts and two third batch of astronauts, of which the commander is the second batch of astronauts. This is also the first time that the second batch of astronauts has led the third batch of new astronauts to carry out the mission. In 2021, as a member of the first group of astronauts to carry out the phase mission of the space station, Tang Hongbo personally experienced the historical moment when "the Chinese entered their own space station for the first time." Two years later, he will become the first person to return to the "Heavenly Palace" to witness China's speed and power in the construction of China's space station. Tang Hongbo has also become the Chinese astronaut with the shortest interval between two missions so far.

As I said at a previous press conference, as the manned space project enters the stage of application and development of the space station, we will routinely implement crew rotation, and the on-orbit work arrangement of the crew will also tend to be normal. it mainly includes six types of work: normal rotation and replenishment of personnel and materials, platform care of the space station assembly, self-health management of the crew, on-orbit testing, carrying out popular science and public welfare activities, and handling abnormal situations. In addition to the above normal work, this mission will carry out the space station extravehicular experimental maintenance operation for the first time. At present, with the increasing number of space debris, it is inevitable that long-term operating spacecraft will be impacted by space tiny particles. Early inspection found that the solar wing of the space station was also hit by space tiny particles many times, causing slight damage. Of course, this is under design consideration. at present, all the functions and performance indicators of the space station meet the requirements, but starting from the long-term operation of the space station and verifying the technical capability, this mission will be carried out by the Shenzhou 17 astronauts through extravehicular activities, which is a very challenging task. Let us wish the Shenzhou 17 astronauts a successful completion of the mission. Raise the ability and level of extravehicular activities to a new level.

Thank you.

two。

Q: at present, the Shenzhou 16 astronauts have been working and living in orbit for nearly five months. what is the status of their work and mission? what is the latest progress made in space science? Thank you for your concern for the Shenzhou 16 astronaut crew. The Shenzhou 16 mission is the first manned mission after China's manned space project entered the stage of application and development of the space station. the crew is still on a business trip in space, and all work in orbit is progressing smoothly. With the close cooperation of astronauts and ground technicians, the space application project is progressing steadily as planned. A total of 70 space experiments and 8 human engineering and technical studies, such as space medicine, life ecology, biotechnology, material science, fluid physics, fluid mechanics, and space technology, have been carried out, and a large number of experimental data have been obtained. some experimental samples will go down with the Shenzhou-16 spacecraft, some projects have achieved phased application results, and the comprehensive benefits of the space station as a national space laboratory are gradually emerging. During this mission, they also successfully completed an astronaut extravehicular activity, a "Tiangong classroom" space lecture, multiple loads out of the module, and cooperated with the completion of the separation and evacuation of the Tianzhou V cargo spacecraft.

In particular, limited by the microgravity environment and the capacity of the space station, material management, which seems to be a common work on the ground, has become an increasingly prominent new problem. To this end, the Shenzhou 16 crew worked closely with the ground to formulate a plan for reducing capacity and increasing efficiency in on-orbit material management. under the leadership of Commander Jing Haipeng, a total of 850 materials were transferred and 135 items of material arrangement information were fed back. the comprehensive completion of the inventory and arrangement of materials in the space station has refreshed the storage status and information management of materials in the space station, and set a benchmark for the management of materials in orbit in the follow-up space station.

In addition, before the return of the Shenzhou 16 group, depending on the lighting conditions, the astronauts will fly around the spacecraft with a high-definition camera to photograph the space station assembly, and it is expected to obtain a panoramic image of the space station assembly with the earth as the background for the first time in orbit. this will be the first "working photo" to reflect the full configuration of the space station.

Thank you.

3.

Q: according to the latest report, China wants to expand the size of its space station. What is the specific plan and purpose of expanding it? In addition, the International Space Station used by the United States and other countries is expected to retire in 2030. Does China intend to compete with the United States for hegemony in space? What is the policy of international cooperation with the space station in the future? Thank you for your question. According to the plan, in the future, we will launch a survey space telescope flying with the space station to carry out wide-area survey observation. In the future, the expansion module will be launched in due course, and the basic configuration of the space station will be upgraded from "T" to "ten". The planned expansion section will uplink space science experiment cabinets and extravehicular experimental devices in many fields, expand the scale of application, and meet the new needs of space science research and application. at the same time, it will also upgrade astronauts'on-orbit protective exercise, diet, hygiene and other facilities and equipment, so as to improve the level of work, life and health protection of astronauts in orbit. At present, the project is under development in the programme phase.

China's manned spaceflight is an important part of mankind's efforts to peacefully explore and use outer space, which is used exclusively for peaceful purposes, aimed at improving mankind's scientific understanding of the universe, expanding and extending the space for human activities, and promoting the sustainable development of human civilization. Since the project was established and implemented in 1992, the "three-step" development strategy has been put forward, and the ultimate goal is to build a space station. For more than 30 years, we have completed the construction of the space station step by step in accordance with the established development strategy and mission planning, and have never sought to compete for space hegemony. We have always advocated the peaceful use of space. When China's first astronaut Yang Liwei carried out the Shenzhou V mission in space, his first sentence was to say hello to people all over the world, and he also wrote on the back of the work log, "for the peace and progress of mankind." China is also the first country to carry the flag of the United Nations in its first manned space flight.

During the space station phase, we are willing to continue to carry out international cooperation and exchanges with all countries in the world on the basis of peaceful use, equality and mutual benefit, and common development. it mainly includes joint flight of astronauts, space application load development tests, space environment governance and space science popularization for young people.

Thank you.

4.

Q: it is reported that unlike in previous years, there is only one Tianzhou spacecraft launch mission this year. What is the current supply situation of China's space station? Thank you for your attention to the replenishment of the space station. Although there is only one Tianzhou cargo spacecraft mission this year, please rest assured that the space station is now full of materials, which can not only support normal astronaut residence, platform maintenance and upgrading, and large-scale experimental missions in orbit, but also support astronauts to stay for an additional three months in case of emergency. Our replenishment strategy has always been to "prepare in advance." taking the subsequent launch of Tianzhou 7 as an example, our principle is that the on-orbit inventory at the time of launch and the uplink of Tianzhou 7 can support the astronauts to stay in orbit for one year, that is to say, one supply through Tianzhou 7 can support the two astronauts Shenzhou 17 and 18 to carry out missions in orbit.

There are two main reasons why only one cargo spaceship mission is arranged this year: first, the carrying capacity of the cargo spacecraft has been improved. In the past, the cargo ship used the standard cargo cabin. Starting from the Tianzhou 6, the improved cargo cabin was used. The loading space has increased by about 24%, and the loading weight has increased by about 22%. Second, the project has established a material information system of heaven-earth linkage to achieve accurate replenishment. We have developed the material design life and design use model. With the accumulation of on-orbit data of tasks in the construction phase, the model becomes more and more accurate, and the subsequent demand can be accurately predicted to make up for what is missing, many belts are not many at the same time, and the replenishment efficiency is constantly improving. the launch frequency of the follow-up cargo spacecraft may be further reduced.

Thank you.

5.

Q: how is the selection of the fourth batch of preparatory astronauts in China? What is the situation involving Hong Kong and Macao? Thank you for your question. The selection of the fourth batch of preparatory astronauts in China was fully launched in 2022, and is organized and implemented in accordance with the three stages of primary, re-selection and selection. It is planned to select 12 to 14 preparatory astronauts, including space pilots, space flight engineers, and load experts, and select load experts in Hong Kong and Macao for the first time. In March 2023, the selection of the fourth batch of preparatory astronauts completed the selection of the primary stage, and more than 100 candidates entered the re-selection stage. In August this year, the selection work of the reelection phase was completed, and a total of more than 20 candidates entered the final selection stage. Among them, the candidates for space pilots who have entered the selection stage cover the active pilots of the army, navy and air force, and the candidates for space flight engineers and payload experts are mainly from relevant industrial departments, universities and scientific research institutions. In particular, several candidates from Hong Kong and Macao have entered the final stage of the selection of payload experts, and all the selection work is planned to be completed by the end of the year. If the selection is approved, payload experts from Hong Kong and Macao can enter the astronaut research and training center early next year. Let's look forward to their good news.

Thank you.

6.

Q: according to foreign media reports, foreign astronauts will land on the moon on board Chinese spacecraft in the future. What is the spokesman's response to this? Will foreign astronauts enter China's space station to carry out missions in the future? Thank you for your attention to the international cooperation of the project. At present, we have a complete near-earth manned space station and a manned round-trip transportation system, a mature astronaut selection, training and support system, and a planned and clear manned mission, that is, the regular implementation of twice a year. We are ready to invite foreign astronauts to participate in the mission of China's space station. We would like to take this opportunity to extend an invitation to the world to welcome all countries and regions committed to the peaceful use of outer space to cooperate with us to participate in the mission of the Chinese space station.

As for the manned mission to the moon, at present, we are steadily promoting various research and construction work to ensure that the goal of Chinese landing on the moon by 2030 is achieved as scheduled. With the progress of the manned mission to the moon, when the relevant conditions are ripe, in the future, as today, we will formally invite foreign astronauts to participate in the mission to the moon and explore the vast universe together.

Thank you.

7.

We are concerned that the manned Space Engineering Office issued the general plan solicitation announcement for the low-cost cargo transportation system of the China Space Station and the recruitment announcement for the development plan of the manned lunar rover. What is the progress now? Thank you for your interest in the project. With the space station turning into the stage of application and development and the official launch of the manned mission to the moon, in order to absorb high-quality social forces to participate in the project development, to explore a commercial development model suited to the implementation of the mission, and to enhance the innovative vitality and market competitiveness of China's aerospace field, we have issued a solicitation announcement on related schemes in the areas of material transportation and lunar rover development, which has attracted the wide attention of the whole society. It has received positive response and participation from many units in the domestic aerospace field.

After the announcement of the solicitation of the overall plan of the low-cost cargo transportation system, a total of 9 units submitted 10 plans that met the requirements. Through expert review and evaluation, 4 units received engineering support and entered the detailed design stage of the scheme. Among them, a number of units have adopted the rocket program of private commercial space rocket companies, and the rockets with a carrying capacity of 4 to 6 tons are being developed by these companies, which have a high comprehensive performance-to-price ratio, and are expected to participate in the follow-up commercial procurement of rockets. to participate in the launch mission of low-cost cargo transport aircraft in the space station.

After the announcement of the recruitment announcement for the development plan of the manned lunar rover, domestic universities, automobile enterprises, and scientific research institutions responded enthusiastically and enthusiastically signed up, and jointly set up a number of "industry, university, research, and business" joint teams to carry out the relevant scheme design. by the announcement deadline, a total of more than 40 enterprises, scientific research institutes and university units formed 14 joint teams to submit formal intentions, and 11 teams entered the first round of merit evaluation. At present, the expert group has selected the advantageous team to proceed to the next round of program deepening work, and we have announced the relevant results on the project's official website today. You can log on to the website to inquire.

Through open recruitment, we are pleased to see that China's private commercial space companies are developing rapidly, growing rapidly, and are very active in participating in manned space missions. Here, on behalf of the China manned Space Engineering Office, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all the units that have participated in the project solicitation. In the follow-up, we will continue to issue project-related project requirements and project solicitation announcements. You are welcome to continue to follow and participate.

Thank you.

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