Space Station Archives - Gizmochina

China’s Three-Person Crew will Take Off in the Shenzhou XVIII Aircraft on April 25

Anubhav — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 14:57:39 +0000

China is set for another exciting chapter in its space exploration journey! The Shenzhou XVIII crewed spacecraft is scheduled to launch on Thursday, April 25th at 8:59 pm from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

The crew will conduct an orbital handover with the current Shenzhou XVII crew

Aboard the Shenzhou XVIII will be a three-person crew: Ye Guangfu (mission commander), Li Cong, and Li Guangsu. This mission marks Li Cong and Li Guangsu’s first spaceflight, while Ye Guangfu previously served as a crew member on Shenzhou XIII.

The mission has two main objectives. First, the Shenzhou XVIII crew will conduct an orbital handover with the current Shenzhou XVII crew. Second, they will carry out various scientific experiments and missions during their six-month stay aboard the space station. Their return to Earth is planned for late October at the Dongfeng landing site.

China’s space ambitions extend beyond this mission. They have announced plans to ramp up research and open doors to foreign astronauts and even space tourists for future space station flights.

RELATED:

(VIA)

The post China’s Three-Person Crew will Take Off in the Shenzhou XVIII Aircraft on April 25 appeared first on Gizmochina.

Space Travel Just Got Easier: SpaceX is Setting Up a Commercial Space Station

Oğuz Çakır — Mon, 15 May 2023 22:19:02 +0000

Last month, SpaceX embarked on a mission to set a new world record. Now, the company is gearing up to construct the world’s first-ever commercial space station. In partnership with Vast, a Los Angeles-based company, SpaceX is poised to revolutionize space travel and habitation. Here are the details…

SpaceX Aims to Build the World’s First Commercial Space Station

The International Space Station (ISS) is nearing the end of its operational life. Stepping up to this challenge, SpaceX and Vast have publicized their ambitious plan to launch the first-ever commercial space station. By as early as August 2025, SpaceX intends to use its reliable Falcon 9 rocket to launch the station’s primary module, Haven-1, into low Earth orbit.

Soon after the launch of Haven-1, it will be joined by a larger module, named Vast-1. This will be followed by a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying a team of four astronauts. This team is expected to live and work on the main station for about a month before making their return journey to Earth aboard the Crew Dragon capsule.

Tom Ochinero, a SpaceX executive, voiced his enthusiasm for the project. “We’re using a commercial rocket to launch a commercial spacecraft, housing commercial astronauts, to a commercial space station. We’re working hand in hand with Vast on this revolutionary project, which we believe represents the future of low Earth orbit,” he stated.

Vast, established in 2021 as a pioneer in space settlement technologies, plans to sell all four seats on the maiden voyage. The company anticipates a diverse clientele, ranging from individuals affiliated with local and international space agency projects to private investors. However, the pricing details for this venture have yet to be disclosed.

In preparation for the mission, SpaceX will train the four crew members for the Crew Dragon flight aboard Falcon 9, as well as for their subsequent return journey inside the spacecraft. With the decommissioning of the ISS scheduled for 2031, private enterprises like SpaceX are stepping up, planning to launch their own stations to ensure the continuity of human life and work in low Earth orbit.

RELATED:

(via)

The post Space Travel Just Got Easier: SpaceX is Setting Up a Commercial Space Station appeared first on Gizmochina.

China Launches Two Manned Spaceflights to Visit Space Station in 2023

Oğuz Çakır — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 18:30:14 +0000

China’s space program has made significant progress in recent years, with a number of successful missions and the establishment of its own space station. The country’s aerospace industry has been making rapid developments, and 2022 was a year of harvest for the industry. Looking forward to 2023, China is set to make further progress in its space program, with the launch of two manned spaceflight missions: Shenzhou 16 in May and Shenzhou 17 in October.

Shenzhou 16 and 17 Crews Set to Embark on Space Station Missions

According to reports, China will also launch the Tianzhou-6 cargo spacecraft this year, which will be followed by the two manned missions. The launch of these spacecraft will mark the first batch of missions after the completion of China’s space station, and the industry will enter a new stage of application and development.

The flight crew for Shenzhou 16 will be composed of three astronauts, who will be docked at the radial port of the core module to form a combination of three cabins and three ships. The mission will involve carrying out space science experiments and technical experiments, as well as routine work on platform management, astronaut support, and popular science education.

Similarly, the flight crew of Shenzhou 17, also comprising of three astronauts, will be docked with the forward port of the core cabin to form a combination of three cabins and three ships, and carry out similar tasks as Shenzhou 16. The main objectives of the two manned spaceflight missions are to carry out activities of astronauts and cargo airlocks, to continue space science and technical experiments, and to perform important routine work related to platform management, astronaut support, and popular science education.

The Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation has also announced plans to launch more than 60 space launch missions and more than 200 spacecraft in 2023. This ambitious plan is expected to break records and further demonstrate China’s capabilities in space exploration and technology.

China’s space program is making rapid progress, and the planned manned spaceflight missions in 2023 are a significant milestone in this regard. With the launch of the two manned missions, China will continue to conduct important scientific experiments and push the boundaries of space exploration. This also reflects the country’s commitment to enhancing its technological prowess and advancing its national interests.

RELATED:

(source)

The post China Launches Two Manned Spaceflights to Visit Space Station in 2023 appeared first on Gizmochina.

Elon Musk & SpaceX faces criticism after its satellites nearly crash into Chinese space station

Sean — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 11:09:11 +0000

Elon Musk and SpaceX have recently come under fire from Chinese citizens, with people criticizing the individual and his space faring company online. The latest backlash in China arrives after its satellites nearly crashed into the Chinese space station.

According to a CNBC report, SpaceX and its CEO Elon Musk are being criticized after satellites from Starlink Internet Services had two near misses with the Chinese space station earlier this year. For those unaware, Starlink is an ISP (Internet Service Provider) unit of SpaceX. The news of the near crashes arrives after China recently submitted a document to the UN space agency earlier this month.

In the document published on the website of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, China stated that “For safety reasons, the China Space Station implemented preventive collision avoidance control.” Unfortunately, the validity of the claim is yet to be confirmed and SpaceX has yet to respond to this matter publicly. Weibo users (a Chinese microblogging website similar to Twitter) even began criticizing the company, with one calling Starlink’s satellites “just a pile of space junk,” while another called it “American space warfare weapons.”

Over the years, the number of space debris and artificial satellites that are orbiting the Earth has grown. Thus, scientists have urged various governments to share data to reduce the risk of any dangerous accidents caused by potential collisions. As of right now, SpaceX alone has deployed nearly 2,000 satellites for its Starlink internet service. Notably, the latest backlash also arrives as Elon Musk’s Tesla has recently been caught up with a number of issues in China. These range from security risks to lawsuits over false advertising among others.

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin announces plan for a ‘space business park’

Sean — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 13:24:50 +0000

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin has just announced its plans for a new private space station that is dubbed “Orbital Reef.” The new space business park is set to be constructed later this decade.

The company unveiled its plans earlier this week and stated that the new private space station will be built in partnership with multiple other space companies and is expected to be deployed sometime between the year 2025 and 2030. According to Blue Origin, the new Orbital Reef station will have a space capable of housing up to 10 people as a “mixed use business park” in space and will offer “exotic hospitality” for tourists brave enough to venture into space.

Notably, Orbital Reed is designed to offer a habitable volume which is comparable to the International Space Station. The company also added that its primary partner for the station is Sierra Space and other major names like Boeing, Redwire Space, and Genesis Engineering. Redwire executive VP Mike Gold told CNBC, “We’re just beginning to understand the tremendous implications that microgravity research, development and manufacturing can mean, for not only for exploring the universe and making discoveries but improving life on Earth.”

Sierra Space will be responsible for the LIFE habitat ((Large Integrated Flexible Environment; essentially an inflatable space station module) while Blue Origin will provide the space station’s “utility systems” and “core modules.” Redwire Space, on the other hand, will run the station’s payload operations and build deployable structures as well.