06-002 China Space Program, a very brief history – Part 2

06-002
China Space Program, a very brief history – Part 2

9 years after the birth of our first taikonaut, we finally saw some breakthrough in Chinese Space Program. We have our first space station, Tiangong-1, and the first female taikonaut.

[2012 ~ 2017] Shenzhou 9 to 11, and Space lab Tiangong-1 & 2

There were a total of 2 missions to Tiangong-1, Shenzhou 9 in 2012 and Shenzhou 10 in 2013. Both missions are similar. We sent 3 taikonauts to the space station in each mission and one of the taikonauts is a female. Both missions spent around 2 weeks up there.

Tiangong-1 Space Lab

The main objective of both missions is to perform docking tests. In addition, we also carried out space experiments inside Tiangong-1. And during Shenzhou 10, one of the female taikonaut, Wang Yapin, conducted a space lecture on Tiangong-1. The lecture was broadcasted to 60 million Chinese students and later uploaded to YouTube with English subtitles. That was probably the most expensive lecture ever conducted in human history.

Shenzhou 11 in 2016 was a mission to a newer space lab Tiangong-2. It was also the only Tiangong-2 mission. 2 taikonauts spent a month there. The main objective is to test the life-support systems of the space lab.

Tiangong-2 Space Lab

An additional uncrewed cargo spacecraft Tianzhou 1 was deployed to Tiangong-2 in 2017, 2 years before the deorbiting of the station. The mission is to demonstrate propellant transfer for the Chinese space station.

Both Tiangong-1 & 2 were neither designed nor planned to be a permanent orbital station. Because of lacking an additional docking port, resupply is not possible. The test is essential for the development of future space stations that can support life for up to months or even year.

So, what we have achieved up to this point?

Many people compare Tiangong space labs with USSR’s Salyut programme. They looked similar from appearance. But a fair comparison would not be easy.

First, if you talk about masses, Tiangongs are much lighter than Salyuts. Though, that may only mean the Tiangongs were constructed with more modern and lighter materials. But if you talk about sizes, then Tiangongs are definitely smaller than Salyuts. The pressurized volumes of Salyut space stations are at least 90 cubic meters. While the pressurized volumes of Tiangong space labs are just 15 cubic meters.

However, we have zero mishaps in Tiangong missions. While there were 7 mishaps in docking with Salyuts over all those years. One of them was even fatal.

I would say, after Shenzhou 11, our technology has reached more or less the same level as the end of Salyut 5 and surpassed America’s Skylab.

Last Salyut 5 mission was in 1977. Last Tiangong-2 mission was in 2017.

[2021 – 2022] Tiangong Space Station and the first crew rotation

After the launching of Shenzhou 11 in 2016, there were 5 years of silence in China human space mission. What we were doing at that time? Building our first multi-module space station with multi docking ports and developing a next generation of rocket capable of bringing that huge structure into space.

Tiangong Space Station

The core module of Tiangong Space Station was successfully launched to space in April 2021. New Shenzhou missions followed immediately with Shenzhou 12 being launched 2 months after. 3 Taikonauts were sent to the new Tiangong Space Station and spent 3 months there.

The first phase of the Tiangong station, Tianhe core module, contains a docking hub. So, apart from being used for docking of Shenzhou spacecraft, the hub allows further expansion of the station and resupply.

Spacious interior of the Tianhe core module

Apart from demonstration of station resupply, we have also conducted 2 spacewalks in the mission, each lasted around 6 hours.

Spacewalks became normal practices since Shenzhou 12

Shenzhou 13 followed one month after Shenzhou 12 successfully returned home. Again, 3 taikonauts visited Tiangong station. They celebrated the new year there. One of them is a female, Wang Yaping.

We conducted 2 more space lectures and a Q&A section with American students. Elon Musk also showed up in the last section.

The mission lasted 6 months and it is the final step for routine crew rotation on Tiangong.

The launching of Shenzhou 14 on 5 June, 2022 marked the official start of crew rotation on China space stations. Again, 3 taikonauts were on the mission. They conducted spacewalks and hosted another space lecture. However, the most important part of the mission is the docking of the remaining 2 modules of the Tiangong station, the Wentian module and Mengtian module. Before receiving the two new modules, Tianhe core module can only accommodate 3 crews. With the additional modules, up to 6 crews can live together in space.

To run a permanently staffed space station, food is important.

And our space food are not ordinary Chinese food.
We even have rice dumplings for our taikonauts
to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival in the space.

This is probably the most expensive rice dumpling in the world.

Shenzhou 15 was launched on 29 November, 2022 and Shenzhou 14 returned home in the following week. We had a record of 6 taikonauts in space simultaneously. At the time of writing, the mission of Shenzhou 15 is still ongoing.

So, what we have achieved up to this point?

Construction of Tiangong station was technically completed, although future expansion of the station is possible. With a pressurized volume of 320 cubic meter, the size of Tiangong is comparable with Mir. Continuous crew rotation on Mir started from 1987. So we are technically up to this point. For sure, the components inside Tiangong are more advance than those of Mir.

Is there anything to proud of?

Yes, a little bit. Technically, we were still some 35 years behind USSR. We only managed to achieved what USSR has done in the late 80s.

But we have proven that with the power of a single nation, China has the ability to develop our space program at the same speed as USSR and USA during their space race. This is something to proud of especially after we were officially banned from NASA and the ISS. Before, skeptics kept saying China were using stolen technologies from the west to build our own spaceship. After being barred from NASA for more than a decade, there are no more excuses of saying that nowadays. 

Yes, we love ice-cream, even in space.

2023 marks the 20^th anniversary of taikonaut. We have successfully sent 16 Chinese people to the space. I am looking forward to see our space program to be more international. Apart from China, technically many countries have no chance to participate in the NASA program. Maybe very soon we can see the first Pakistani taikonaut on board and Tiangong will have halal food on its menu.

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