Shenzhou 11
| Operator | China National Space Administration (CNSA) |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | 2016-061A |
| SATCAT no. | 41812 |
| Mission duration | 33 days |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Shenzhou |
| Manufacturer | CASC |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 2 |
| Members | Jing Haipeng Chen Dong |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 16 October 2016, 23:30 UTC |
| Rocket | Long March 2F |
| Launch site | Jiuquan LA-4/SLS |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | 18 November 2016, 05:59 UTC |
| Landing site | Inner Mongolia |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Docking with Tiangong-2 | |
| Docking date | 18 October 2016 17:24 UTC |
| Undocking date | 14 November 2016 4:41 UTC |
| File:Shenzhou-11 mission patch.png
| |
Shenzhou 11 was a crewed spaceflight of the Shenzhou program of China, launched on 17 October 2016 (16 October UTC) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.[1] It was China's sixth crewed space mission, and its longest to date, at 33 days.[2] Two days after launch, it docked with the Tiangong-2 space laboratory, which had been launched on September 15, 2016.[1][3][4]
Crew
The crew consisted of two astronauts.[1][5] Commander Jing celebrated his 50th birthday while in orbit.[6]
| Position | Crew Member | |
|---|---|---|
| Commander | Jing Haipeng Third spaceflight | |
| Operator | Chen Dong First spaceflight | |
The mission selected two crew instead of three to extend supplies to increase mission length for their long duration stay.[7]
Mission
The Shenzhou 11 launched at 07:30 on 17 October 2016 local time (23:30 UTC on 16 October) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center using a Long March 2F launch rocket.[1]
The mission's main objective was to rendezvous and dock with the Tiangong-2 space laboratory and gain experience from a 30-day residence,[5] and to test its life-support systems.[1]
In the two days after the launch, it changed its orbit five times to arrive 52 kilometers behind the Tiangong-2 space lab. It autonomously rendezvoused and docked with Tiangong-2 at 3:24 p.m. EDT in October 18, 2016, while both spacecraft were at an altitude of 393 km (244 mi).[4][8]
The crew landed successfully after the 33-day mission on 18 November 2016. The reentry module of the Shenzhou-11 spacecraft landed in Siziwang Banner, Inner Mongolia around 2:15 pm (China time) after undocking from the space lab on 17 November.[9]
References
- ^ a b c d e "China's Shenzhou 11 blasts off on space station mission". BBC News. 16 October 2016. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
- ^ Perlez, Jane (16 Oct 2016). "China Astronauts to Attempt Nation's Longest Space Mission". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 Oct 2016.
- ^ de Selding, Peter B. (20 June 2016). "China prepares assembly of its space station, invites collaboration through U.N." Space News. Paris. Retrieved 2016-09-22.
- ^ a b "Chinese Astronauts Dock with Tiangong-2 Space Lab". 2016-10-19. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
- ^ a b Huang, Jin (8 March 2016). "Why will Shenzhou-11 carry only two astronauts to space?". People's Daily Online. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ^ "China launches longest manned space mission". Reuters. 16 October 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
- ^ TMRO (19 October 2016). "Shenzhou 11 and Tiangong 2". SpacePod. TMRO.
- ^ "China's Shenzhou-11 successfully docks with Tiangong-2 spacelab". CCTV America. 19 October 2016. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
- ^ James Griffiths. "Shenzhou-11 astronauts return home after China's longest-ever space mission". CNN. Retrieved 2016-11-18.
